Sometimes scrapbooking isn’t just about the happy, pretty moments—it’s also about the harder parts of life that we still want (or need) to remember. That’s why I was so excited when I saw the dark, moody colors in the brand-new Midnight Apothecary collection. They felt like the perfect backdrop for telling one of my more difficult stories. Since this layout was such a personal one, I decided to create a hidden pocket to hold the journaling and photos I didn’t necessarily want out in the open.

I started with the idea of having a 6x4 title card and a 3x4 photo as the “visible” part of my page. This setup gave me room to tuck in more photos and a large journaling spot inside the hidden section. To create it, I printed one of the patterned papers from the collection as a 4x12 strick to use as my pocket.

Using my scoring board, I scored the strip one inch from each end. These scored flaps became the base for attaching my photos and the 6x4 card.

With the paper prepped, I glued the outside photo and title card to the flaps. On the inside, I layered in photos and journaling cards, which covered the one-inch flaps completely.

Once the hidden pocket was finished, I attached it to my background and then started adding embellishments across the full page. My goal was to make the layout look complete on its own—so you’d never even guess there was a secret area holding extra stories and photos.

To make opening the flaps easy, I added little ribbon pulls. Behind the photo flap, I tucked in two more photos.

And behind the 6x4 title card, I added a matching 6x4 journaling card along with an extra photo.

This wasn’t an easy topic to scrapbook, but I felt strongly about documenting it for myself. By creating a hidden area for the heavier journaling and the photos that bring up hard feelings, I was able to add the story to my album while still keeping it tucked away.

Scrapbooking isn’t always just about what’s fun to share—it can also be a way to work through the messy and emotional parts of life. Adding hidden pockets is one of my favorite tricks because it lets me include those harder stories in my albums without making them the first thing you see. I hope this inspires you to try out a hidden pocket on your next project—whether it’s for a private story, a surprise element, or just a fun little interactive detail.