What is Junk Journaling? A Beginner’s Guide
Journaling has always been a popular way to capture thoughts, memories, and creativity. But in recent years, a unique form of journaling called junk journaling has gained popularity among artists, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts. Unlike traditional journals that use clean, lined notebooks, junk journaling celebrates the imperfect, the vintage, and the recycled.
So, what exactly is junk journaling, and why has it become such a beloved creative practice? This guide explores the meaning, benefits, materials, and steps to help you get started.
What is Junk Journaling?
Junk journaling is the art of creating a journal using recycled, vintage, or “junk” materials. Instead of buying new, pristine supplies, junk journalers use items such as:
- Old book pages
- Fabric scraps
- Ticket stubs
- Envelopes and receipts
- Wrapping paper or packaging
- Vintage photographs
- Postcards and letters
The beauty of this journaling lies in its freedom and creativity. There are no strict rules. Every junk journal becomes a unique, personalized collection of memories, art, and storytelling.
The Purpose of Junk Journaling
People use junk journals for different reasons, such as:
- Creative expression: Designing layouts, adding collages, and experimenting with textures.
- Memory keeping: Preserving old letters, tickets, and photos in a meaningful way.
- Recycling: Giving new life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.
- Stress relief: The hands-on, artistic process can be very calming and mindful.
- Personal storytelling: A junk journal can serve as a diary, scrapbook, or visual story.
In short, junk journaling combines the best of scrapbooking, journaling, and upcycling into one craft.
Materials Needed for Junk Journaling
You don’t need fancy supplies to start this. The most common materials include:
- A notebook or handmade journal (you can also bind your own pages)
- Glue sticks or double-sided tape
- Scissors
- Pens and markers
- Stamps or stickers (optional)
- A collection of recycled or vintage “junk” paper
The idea is to use what you already have, making this hobby cost-effective and eco-friendly.
How to Start Junk Journaling
1. Gather Materials
Collect papers, scraps, envelopes, and anything you’d like to include. Look around your home you’ll be surprised how many items can be repurposed.
2. Choose a Base Journal
Some people prefer using store-bought notebooks, while others make their own journals by sewing or stapling together papers of different sizes and textures.
3. Create Pages
Each page can be decorated differently. You might glue down an old envelope, add a ticket stub, or paste in a photo with handwritten notes.
4. Add Layers and Texture
Layering is a big part of this journaling. For example, you could overlap old receipts with wrapping paper, then top it with a photo.
5. Write and Decorate
Use your junk journal for writing, doodling, sketching, or adding small collages. There are no restrictions it’s all about creativity.
Types of Junk Journals
While every junk journal is unique, there are a few common styles:
- Vintage junk journals: Focused on old photos, postcards, and antique-looking papers.
- Themed junk journals: Based on a holiday, event, or specific interest (e.g., travel).
- Art junk journals: Mixed with painting, sketching, and stamping for a more artistic approach.
- Everyday junk journals: A simple place for random thoughts, scraps, and keepsakes.
Benefits of Junk Journaling
- Sustainability: Encourages recycling and reusing materials.
- Creativity: Offers endless possibilities for design and expression, similar to how entrepreneurs explore ideas in Empowering Entrepreneurs with EntreTech.
- Mindfulness: The process of cutting, pasting, and decorating is relaxing and helps reduce stress.
- Preservation: Keeps small personal items, such as tickets or letters, safe and meaningful.
- Personal growth: Writing and creating helps with reflection and storytelling.
Junk Journaling vs. Scrapbooking
Although similar, junk journaling and scrapbooking are not the same.
- Scrapbooking is usually more organized, with specific supplies and layouts, focusing on neat preservation of photos and memories.
- Junk journaling, on the other hand, is more free-form, experimental, and often uses recycled materials rather than polished, store-bought supplies.
Both are creative outlets, but junk journaling embraces imperfection and authenticity more openly.
Tips for Beginners
- Don’t overthink it—use what you already have.
- Experiment with different textures like fabric, lace, or ribbon.
- Start small with a few pages before committing to a big project.
- Use stencils or stamps if you want to add decorative elements easily.
- Join online junk journaling communities for inspiration, just as bloggers look for The Best Topics to Use in Blogging in 2025.
Conclusion
Junk journaling is more than just a hobby it’s a creative, sustainable, and deeply personal way to preserve memories and express yourself. By turning everyday scraps into meaningful pages, junk journals give new life to forgotten materials.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned crafter, this allows you to embrace imperfection, creativity, and individuality. The best part? There are no rules, only endless possibilities.
So gather your scraps, old papers, and memories, and start creating your very own junk journal today.
FAQs
Not at all. The point of junk journaling is to reuse old papers, scraps, and household items.
Yes, some people create digital junk journals using apps, but the traditional method involves physical materials.
A diary usually focuses on writing daily events, while a junk journal combines writing with art, collage, and mixed media.