Inside This Post:

A cottagecore journal captures the charm of rustic, nature-inspired living.
It blends vintage aesthetics, botanical themes, and slow-living ideals.
Cottagecore journaling often uses printable ephemera, like mushrooms, florals, and vintage illustrations.
You’ll find a free set of cottagecore mushroom printables in this post, perfect for junk journals, art journals, and scrapbooks.
Learn tips for getting started and creative ways to use your free collage sheets.

The Cottagecore Aesthetic in Journaling

Cottagecore is more than just an aesthetic. It’s a lifestyle movement rooted in nostalgia, simplicity, and a love of nature. It celebrates wildflowers tucked into vintage vases, hand-stitched linens, the quiet joy of baking bread, and afternoons spent in the garden.

When it comes to journaling, cottagecore shines as a way to bring these natural, vintage-inspired moments into your creative projects. A cottagecore journal captures the essence of this dreamy world, combining:

Botanical illustrations (mushrooms, plants, flowers, herbs)
Vintage ephemera (postcards, letters, advertisements)
Natural textures (pressed leaves, tea-stained paper, handmade fabric snippets)
Soft, earthy colors (greens, browns, creams, gentle pinks)

It’s not about perfection. It’s about celebrating slow living and finding beauty in the imperfect, handmade, and personal.

What Is a Cottagecore Journal?

At its root, a cottagecore journal is a type of art journal or junk journal that embraces the aesthetics of rural life, vintage charm, and nature. It’s often used for:

Creative expression – Collaging, sketching, or layering printables with natural textures.
Personal reflection – Writing about daily life, dreams, or gratitude.
Memory keeping – Adding photos, ticket stubs, and personal mementos with a rustic touch.
Craft exploration – Experimenting with stamps, watercolor washes, and handmade paper.

Unlike traditional journals, which focus mainly on writing, cottagecore journals are highly visual. They encourage you to blend words and images into a tactile, storybook-like project.

Free Mushroom Printables for Your Cottagecore Journal

To help you get started, I’ve created a set of free mushroom collage sheets that you can download and use in your projects. These images come from vintage botanical illustrations, making them perfect for adding authenticity and charm to your journal pages.

Here’s what’s included in the free downloads

One sheet of 2.5 x 3.5 ATC-sized images – Perfect for smaller inserts, layering, tags, or trading cards.
One sheet of 3.5 x 4.5-inch images – Ideal for larger journal spreads, covers, or framed collages.

These illustrations feature richly colored mushrooms with earthy tones, giving your cottagecore journal pages a timeless and organic feel.

How to Use These Mushroom Printables

Not sure where to begin? Here are some inspiring ideas for incorporating these mushroom collage sheets into your cottagecore journal:

Journal Pages – Use the larger prints as focal points on a spread. Layer them with lace, washi tape, or botanical washi.
Tags and Pockets – Cut out the ATC-sized mushrooms and turn them into decorative tags or tuck-ins for envelopes and pockets.
Nature-Themed Collages – Pair the mushroom illustrations with vintage handwriting samples, botanical cutouts, or pressed leaves.
Art Journal Prompts – Use an image as a starting point for a writing prompt, like “Describe the forest where this mushroom grows.”
Mixed Media Layers – Blend the mushroom prints with watercolor washes, stencils, or fabric scraps for depth and texture.
Seasonal Pages – Mushrooms are especially perfect for autumn journaling, but work year-round with a woodland or enchanted forest theme.

Elements of a Cottagecore Journal

To help you shape your journal beyond mushrooms, here are other common elements that make a project feel authentically cottagecore:

Pressed flowers & plants – Collect wildflowers, ferns, and herbs to press between your pages.
Vintage photographs – Old family photos or free printable vintage portraits add a nostalgic touch.
Botanical sketches – Whether hand-drawn or printed, illustrations of plants and fungi tie into the cottagecore love of nature.
Tea-dyed paper – This adds an aged, rustic base for your writing or collaging.
Handwriting samples – Old letters, receipts, or postcards evoke the past beautifully.
Sewing scraps – Small pieces of lace, linen, or embroidery carry the homemade charm of cottagecore.

By combining these with the free mushroom printables, you’ll create pages that feel warm, inviting, and full of storybook magic.

Getting Started with Your Own Cottagecore Journal

If you’re new to journaling in this style, here are a few simple steps to begin:

Choose Your Journal Base
Start with a blank sketchbook, a junk journal you’ve stitched together, or even an old, discarded book. Cottagecore journals often look beautiful when handmade, but you can begin with what you already have.
Gather Supplies
Collect printables (like the mushrooms in this post), washi tape, glue sticks, scissors, and maybe some pressed flowers or lace scraps.
Pick a Theme for Your First Spread
For example, you might create a “Woodland Walk” spread, layering the mushroom printables with earthy tones and a handwritten entry about time spent outdoors.
Embrace Imperfection
Cottagecore thrives on the handmade and slightly messy. Don’t worry about straight lines or neatness. Lean into the organic feel.
Add Personal Touches
Write about your dreams, small joys, or a recipe you love. Incorporate handwriting or doodles. The personal layer is what makes your journal uniquely yours.

Why Mushrooms Are Perfect for Cottagecore Journals

Mushrooms hold a special place in the cottagecore aesthetic. They symbolize the mystery of the forest, the interconnectedness of nature, and the beauty of small details often overlooked. They’re whimsical, sometimes magical, and rooted in folklore.

In many ways, mushrooms embody the spirit of cottagecore: humble, earthy, and enchanting. By adding them to your journal, you’re not just decorating. You’re inviting a piece of woodland wonder into your creative space.

Other Free Printables You Might Like

If you enjoy these mushroom sheets, you might also like:

Free Vintage Botanical Picture Atlas Printables - A collection of stunning vintage botanical illustrations, perfect for layering with florals and fungi in your journal.
Free Vintage Photograph Ephemera Sheets - Authentic antique portraits that add a nostalgic, storytelling element to your collage pages.
Free Owl Illustrations - Detailed vintage owl illustrations that bring a touch of woodland magic and mystery to your spreads.

These collections mix beautifully with mushrooms for creating a varied, layered cottagecore journal.

Final Thoughts

Cottagecore journals are all about creating a little pocket of peace in your everyday life. Whether you’re layering vintage mushroom illustrations, pressing flowers, or writing about the quiet joys of your day, each page becomes a celebration of nature, nostalgia, and handmade creativity.

The free mushroom collage sheets included in this post are just one way to get started. Print them, cut them out, and let your imagination guide you. Soon, you’ll have a cottagecore journal filled with woodland magic and your own personal touch.

Love These Printables? Support The Art Scavenger!

I love sharing free vintage printables, and if you enjoy them, there are easy ways to support my work so I can continue creating and offering more free designs: