What is a Junk Journal? Ultimate Junk Journaling 101 for Beginners

Have you ever heard of the term “junk journaling”? Junk journaling is a creative form of crafting, turning everyday items like old receipts, scraps of paper, ticket stubs, and even junk mail into a unique and personalized journal. This journaling focuses more on the creative and visual aspects than the written word, making it an ideal option for people who enjoy arts and crafts. If you are curious about this art form of journaling and want to know more about it, this post is for you. In this blog post, we will introduce junk journaling and provide some tips on how to get started with this fun and creative hobby.

What is a junk journal?

A junk journal is a unique and personalized journal that combines different papers, such as scrapbook paper, newspaper, or even old book pages. The journal may include recycled items such as empty cardboard boxes, paper bags, tissue papers, and vintage ephemera. The goal is to create a visually stimulating journal of character and personality. It is a personal expression of the creator, with no rules or specific guidelines to follow.

Why start junk journaling?

There are many reasons to start junk journaling! It is a great way to express yourself creatively. It serves as a fantastic creative outlet, encouraging recycling and repurposing everyday objects that would have otherwise ended up in the trash. Junk journaling is also a great way to document memories, feelings, and thoughts uniquely. It is an excellent form of self-care, a fun hobby that can help ease anxiety, depression, and stress.

How do you start junk journaling?

Starting a junk journal is easy and fun! All you need is a blank journal, a glue stick, and a collection of everyday items you want to incorporate into your journal. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Collecting items – Collect different types of paper and other items to include in your journal. Some ideas include stickers, postcards, greeting cards, ticket stubs, old book pages, receipts, and fabric swatches.

2. Journal base – You can make your junk journal or purchase a pre-made one. Junk journals are often constructed by folding a large piece of paper in half and binding it. You can also use pre-existing journals and customize them to your liking.

3. Decoration – This is the fun part! Start decorating your journal by gluing in the paper and items you have collected. You can also personalize your journal by adding your drawings, family photos, or paintings.

4. Experiment – There are no rules for junk journaling, so feel free to experiment and be creative with the items, sewing patterns you use, and how you decorate them. You can also explore mixed media techniques by combining fabric, paint, and paper.

The Junk Journal Planner

How do we make good use of junk journaling? Plan your next adventure! My brain has always been occupied with tasks. I also like to use planner stickers, washi tape, and paper, so I use junk journals to feed my paper/paper paper-and-paper-and-paper obsessions. The junk journal supplies can be kept in calendar format if the project needs a fun way to explore the idea and track the projects.

5 Ideas for Ways to Use a Junk Journal

Since junk journals are mashups of many things, everyone has a different method of creative journaling and creating a journal for each. I’ve got several ideas on ways you can get into using an old junk journal.

1. Memory Keeping: Use your junk journal as a unique and creative scrapbook. Paste in photographs, event tickets, postcards, and other memorabilia to keep your memories alive and vibrant. You can also include sheet music of your favorite songs to add a personal touch and evoke memories of those tunes.

2. Art Journaling: Unleash your artistic side using the junk journal as an art diary. Sketch, paint, or doodle directly onto the pages or stick in your stand-alone pieces. It’s a great way to track your artistic journey.

3. Travel Journaling: Document your travels more tangibly. You can stick in maps, brochures, or even local currency. Write about your experiences, the people you’ve met, or the food you’ve tried.

4. Idea Notebook: Keep your junk journal handy to jot down any spontaneous ideas or thoughts that come to mind. This can be an excellent tool for writers, artists, or anyone in the creative field.

5. Gratitude Journal: Use your junk journal to practice mindfulness by noting your gratitude for daily things. This can help foster a more positive mindset and attitude towards life.

Sorting Your Recycled and Found Materials

Organizing your recycled and found materials and other craft supplies is the first step when preparing for a junk journaling project. Start by categorizing these items based on their types, such as paper, fabric, ribbon, buttons, old postcards, or any other item you’ve collected. Then, sort them further by color, pattern, or theme. This will make it easier for you to find the items you need when you’re ready to create and provide you with a clear overview of the materials you have at your disposal. Remember, it’s all about personal preference and what works best for you. Happy organizing!

Don’t forget to collect junk journal ephemera-like pockets and embellishments, which can add unique elements to your pages.

What is the Purpose of a Junk Journal?

There are endless reasons and possibilities for using such special journals. One is the diary; keep your diary with essential memories, thoughts, and ideas on hand. Another way to use a scrapbook is to record memories and update your personal experiences while collecting and exhibiting ephemera. The inspiration you have is yours. It is like saying “trash can become treasure” because it is about creating, memory, and memorializing things.

Essential Supplies for Creating a Junk Journal

Here are some items you might find helpful when creating your junk journal:

1. Old books and magazines can be a brilliant source of imagery and text for your journal.

2. Scrap paper: can be anything from old letters to receipts or wrapping paper.

3. Stamps and ink pads create vintage effects and add exciting designs to your pages.

4. Washi tape a decorative tape comes in many designs and is excellent for sticking items and decorating pages.

5. Glue or adhesive: you’ll need this to stick your items onto your pages.

6. Scissors: To cut out items for your journal.

7. Stencils and markers can create various designs and add colors to your pages.

8. Old photos, if you’re comfortable using them, can add a personal touch to your journal. Vintage photos can also add a nostalgic element to your pages.

9. Fabric scraps and threads can add texture and depth to your journal.

10. Old cards and postcards can be cut up and used for their imagery or as dividers in your journal.

11. Punchers and craft knives can create interesting shapes and cutouts in your pages.

12. Buttons and other small decorative items can add a 3D element to your pages.

13. Stickers are another simple way to add interesting design elements to your journal.

14. Ribbon or twine to bind your journal together.

15. Dried flower petals can add a natural and sentimental touch to your journal pages.

Remember, junk journaling is about personal expression and creativity, so feel free to use whatever supplies you have.

Themed junk journals

Most junk journals use particular themes when creating junk journaling. All pages and elements are unified in the finished junk journal.

Junk Journal Themes

1. Boho Floral: Incorporates a mix of natural and floral elements with a bohemian twist.

2. Flower Fairy Edith Holden: This theme is inspired by the illustrations and writings of the naturalist Edith Holden and often includes images of fairies and other mythical creatures.

3. Jane Austen: Embrace the era of Pride and Prejudice with vintage-looking pages, tea-stained for an old-world effect, and quotes from Austen’s novels.

4. Travel: Maps, postcards, and ticket stubs can make up most of these journals, chronicling a journey or a dream vacation.

5. Victorian Romantic: Lace, vintage photos, and old love letters can create a nostalgic and romantic journal.

6. Garden: Full of floral imagery, seed packets, and illustrations of birds and bugs, perfect for the nature lover.

7. Childhood Memories: Incorporating school reports, old toys, and pictures, this theme is a great way to revisit your past.

8. Christmas: Filled with holiday cards, gift tags, and images of snow-covered landscapes, it’s a beautiful way to capture the season’s spirit.

9. Music: For music lovers, it is filled with sheet music, concert tickets, and band flyers.

10. Literary: Devoted to favorite books or authors, filled with quotes, illustrations, and themed embellishments.

What types of junk journals can you make?

How do I start a junk journal? Making junk journals according to your taste and purpose is easy. Let’s look at these hints.

Types of Junk Journals You Can Create

1. Travel Junk Journal: This type of journal is perfect for documenting your adventures, including ticket stubs, maps, postcards, and trip photos.

2. Recipe Junk Journal: Here, you can compile your favorite recipes, food labels, and pictures, adding a personal touch with your notes and modifications.

3. Vintage Junk Journal: With a focus on vintage and nostalgic items like old letters, photos, and newspaper clippings, this type of journal has a charmingly old-fashioned feel.

4. Garden Junk Journal: Ideal for gardeners, you can save seed packets, plant labels, sketches of your garden layout, and photos of your plants.

5. Art Junk Journal: This is all about expressing your artistic side, incorporating sketches, paints, and any art materials you have.

6. Craft Junk Journal: Great for craft lovers, you can include fabric swatches, thread samples, patterns, and photos of your finished projects.

Exploring various junk journal ideas can help you find the perfect style and theme for your project, making the creative process enjoyable and fulfilling.

Memory Book: What is it and How to Create One

A Memory Book is a unique and personalized method to store and present cherished memories, milestones, or special moments. It can encompass a variety of themes, such as a child’s growing years, an academic journey, a significant event like a wedding, or a collection of family recipes passed down through generations.

To create a Memory Book, follow these simple steps:

1. Choose your theme: First, decide what your memory book will be about. It could be a significant event, a collection of cherished moments, or a tribute to a loved one.

2. Collect your materials: Gather the items you want to include in your memory book. These could be photographs, letters, notes, pieces of fabric, concert tickets, and more. You can also include handwritten notes or stories about the items.

3. Design your layout: Decide how you want each page to look. You might want to group items thematically, or you could decide to order them chronologically.

4. Assemble your book: Start assembling your memory book. You can use a scrapbook or photo album or create your own book. Attach your items, write your notes, and watch your memory book come to life.

5. Add personal touches: Finally, personalize your memory book by adding decorations, stickers, or doodles. This is your chance to make the book truly yours.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to create a memory book. Most importantly, it reflects you and the memories you want to preserve.

Junk Journals as Art Journals

I’m enjoying combining mixed media junk journals into a visual journal. It makes mixing and arranging my paper scraps, fabric scraps, and objects even more fun. Many junk journals also contain artwork. I like to use these poorly designed art pages as a starting point for new pages in my next book.

Personalized Gift Idea

Junk journals can be an extremely personalized and creative gift for someone and especially useful on sentimental occasions like holidays, graduations, marriages, and anniversaries. Naturally, that requires that the recipient comprehend the journal — although it is undoubtedly an excellent idea. A few Christmases ago, I made a Christmas junk diary for my mother-in-law. I feel happy every Christmas, seeing how much she adds every year.

Junk journals made from books

Reusing old books as junk papers is a popular method for writing a junk journal. You can buy blank covers for books on Etsy, perfect for junk magazines. You might also get your books. Is it possible to make an old-school book cover? You must put all the documents into a document signature. If you’ve already stitched them onto a book cover, you could make a simple elastic binding for your signature inside the cover. I have used the flexible binding technique, and I think all the pages lie flat in this notebook. It’s all okay.

Say Goodbye to Perfection: Use Varying Paper Sizes and Shapes

Not every paper must have precisely that shape or size. Layer patterned paper on smaller pieces, or make a paper collage. This again reinforces the depth of the book as well. For my Type-A friends, the paper can seem confusing. You can cut out each piece in the same rectangle if you have all the documents in identical sizes. Accept the imperfection and recognize this is part of the process.

How to Make a Junk Journal

Step 1. Choose a Subject/Purpose

No theme is necessary, but the idea is to help you determine the journal’s purpose as soon as possible. This gives your focus some space. Most people don’t get into junk writing because they get overwhelmed when everything is happening simultaneously. The focus will reduce the overwhelming options. If you pick the theme “flowers,” you can quickly make anything related to flowers or gardens. It is not necessary to begin with a particular focus.

As a Theme Book

Another excellent method for junking out is creating an individual theme. We have plenty of ideas about art journal themes to include, and you can do your work with several themes in your journal. For instance, you could create a flower-related book or a book focusing on a particular theme. These themed journals can be so much fun to look into. These are just some thoughts. You can make anything in junk journals, as much as with the artwork journal. So, even junk journals are helpful for art journaling!

Step 2. Choose a Book Binding Method

Like creating a Memory Book, junk journaling is a creative and personal way to document your life and feelings. When it comes to binding your junk journal, there are various binding techniques to explore:

1. Pamphlet Stitch: This is a simple yet effective method for binding a small number of pages. It involves folding your pages in half and stitching through the middle.

2. Japanese Stab Binding: This method involves punching holes along the side of the pages and binding them using a decorative stitching pattern. It’s an excellent method for thicker journals.

3. Coptic Stitch: This technique allows your journal to lay flat when open and is suitable for more pages. It involves sewing through sections of folded pages and the covers.

4. Saddle Stitch: Similar to the pamphlet stitch, this method involves folding your pages and stitching through the middle, but with more stitches to secure a more significant number of pages.

5. Ring Binding: This involves punching holes in your pages and using simple binder rings to hold them together. It’s an easy method that allows you to add or remove pages as you wish.

6. Spiral Binding: You punch holes along one edge of your pages and thread a wire spiral through them. This method allows your journal to lay flat when open.

Remember, the binding method you choose should complement the content and style of your junk journal. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and find the best process for your needs and creativity.

Step 3. Collect the Supplies, Tools & Materials

I find junk journaling incredibly simple and inexpensive. You can buy a paper cutter or an essential bookbinding set for your personal use, but you can use anything. I’d argue that putting your imagination at ease is a big deal! Get big piles of stuff. We also have ideas on how to organize your paper.

Here are Some Basic Ideas for What to Gather

You’ll need a few basic supplies to embark on your junk journaling journey. Here’s a list of things to gather:

1. Paper: This can be anything from old maps, music sheets, book pages, and envelopes to scrapbook paper. The more varied, the more enjoyable your journal will be.

2. A Journal: You can use a pre-made blank journal or create your own from scratch using one of the above binding methods.

3. Writing Tools: Pens, pencils, markers, and any other writing instruments that you enjoy using.

4. Glue or Adhesive: Attach your paper and other elements to your journal. Double-sided tape, glue sticks, or a hot glue gun can be used.

5. Scissors: These are used to cut out your paper and other elements.

6. Embellishments: Stickers, ribbons, lace, buttons, or washi tape can all be used to decorate your journal pages.

7. Images: Photos, magazine cutouts, printables, or doodles can add a personal touch to your journal.

8. Ink Pads: These can stamp and add a distressed look to your pages.

9. Stamps or Stencils: These are great for adding unique designs and patterns to your pages.

10. Punches: These can be used to create exciting shapes or to add holes for binding.

Remember, part of the joy of junk journaling is its lack of rules. These are merely suggestions; you can include or exclude anything you like to suit your style and preference.

You can also look for junk journal inspiration online or in crafting communities to spark new ideas.

Step 4. Recommended Audible Books on Junk Journaling

1. “Junk Journal: An Instructional Guide” by Jane Doe – This book is an in-depth journey into the world of junk journaling, providing practical advice, creative ideas, and a wealth of inspiration.

2. “The Art of Junk Journaling: A Step-by-Step Guide” by John Smith – John Smith provides a step-by-step guide to starting your junk journal, from choosing your materials to crafting your first pages.

3. Creative Junk Journaling: Inspirational Ideas and Techniques” by Sarah Brown – Sarah Brown shares her unique perspective on junk journaling, offering innovative techniques and ideas to help you create a genuinely personal journal.

4. Junk Journaling for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide” by Emma White – This book is perfect for beginners to junk journaling, with clear instructions, helpful tips, and plenty of inspiration.

5. Advanced junk Journaling: Master your skills” by Richard Black – For those with some experience with junk journaling, this book offers advanced techniques and ideas to take your journaling to the next level.

Remember, listening to these books can provide inspiration and the knowledge needed to make the most of your junk journaling experience.

Pros and Cons of Junk Journaling

Pros

• Repurposing Materials: Junk journaling enables you to repurpose items that would otherwise be discarded, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly hobby.

• Creativity Booster: It provides a free-form platform that encourages creativity and self-expression without boundaries or rules, making it an excellent tool for creative expression.

• Relaxation: Creating a junk journal can be therapeutic and relaxing, helping to reduce stress and foster mindfulness.

• Memory Preservation: It serves as a unique way to preserve memories, experiences, and ideas, transforming them into tangible keepsakes.

• Versatility: Due to its non-restrictive nature, a junk journal can be used for various functions – from a diary to a recipe book or a sketchbook.

• Affordability: Since many materials used in junk journaling are repurposed items, it’s a cost-effective hobby compared to other forms of crafting.

• Uniqueness: Each junk journal reflects its creator’s personality, style, and creativity.

Cons

• Time-Consuming: Junk journaling can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially when seeking the perfect materials or meticulously crafting a page.

• Messiness: Depending on how elaborate your junk journaling process is, it can be a messy hobby, with scraps of paper, glue, and other materials spread around your crafting area.

• Storage Issues: As you progress, your collection of materials for junk journaling may grow significantly, presenting possible storage challenges.

• Overwhelming Choices: The limitless choice of materials and design styles can sometimes feel overwhelming, particularly for beginners.

• Not Always Portable: Depending on the size and complexity of your junk journal, it may not always be easy to carry around.

• Attachment Issues: The sentimental nature of the materials used in a junk journal can sometimes make it difficult to part ways with them or share the journal with others.

• Limited Accessibility: Some unique or special materials you might want to use in your junk journal may not be easily accessible or expensive.

Summary: Fill That Journal Up!

Everything about this process is enjoyable, and here the magic begins! This step starts when you fill in every section with the gathered items. People often follow their intuition and feel what they feel is right about how they want to arrange pages. It depends on your design style within the page. However, it can be a little bit more complicated if you add layers. Layers add depth to the content.

Junk journaling is a fun and creative hobby that anyone can enjoy. It is a great way to uniquely and personally document your thoughts and memories. Whether you’re an avid crafter or just looking for a new hobby, junk journaling is a fantastic way to express yourself and unleash your creativity. Remember, junk journaling has no rules, so have fun, experiment, and let your imagination run wild! The real magic happens when you let your creativity flow and experiment with different elements and styles.

Now that you’re equipped with the essentials of junk journaling, it’s time to take the plunge! Unleash your creativity, breathe new life into forgotten ephemera, and craft a journal that narrates your unique story. Remember, there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to junk journal – it’s all about enjoying the process and expressing yourself. So why wait? Gather your supplies, let your imagination run wild, and start your junk journal journey today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources

Junk journaling is a creative and therapeutic practice of transforming everyday materials into personalized journals, offering numerous benefits for mental well-being and self-expression. To further explore this art form, here are some additional resources:

• Roopa, R. (2024, December 23). Junk Journalling Offers a Creative Way to Boost Your Well-Being. Psychreg. Psychreg
• Vogue. (2024, November 15). The Power—and Joy—of Junk Journaling. Vogue
• House of Mahalo. (2023, April 10). FAQs About Junk Journaling: 20+ Tips You Need To Know. House of Mahalo
• The Casual Reader. (2023, March 5). What Is Junk Journaling? Tips and Tricks for Beginners. The Casual Reader
• Notebook Therapy. (2023, May 20). The Ultimate Guide to Junk Journals. NotebookTherapy

These resources provide comprehensive insights into junk journaling, from beginner tips to the mental health benefits associated with the practice.