There are some things, like that receipt for your bagel, many of us classify as “junk.” A scrap of paper or a clothing tag serves a purpose but ultimately finds itself in the garbage or the recycling bin. But there’s another place for them: your junk journal. A junk journal is exactly what it sounds like: a book filled with “junk,” or small paper items that you’d otherwise discard. Think ticket stubs, food labels, random stickers—anything can be fodder for a junk journal.
Junk journaling offers a creative way to recycle scraps and collage everyday found materials, turning them into one-of-a-kind works of art. By finding the beauty in things others might discard, you’re celebrating imperfection and finding a new use for contemporary ephemera. There’s an added benefit of sustainability; by joining all these items in your junk journal, you’re repurposing them and reducing waste.
Let’s open the book on junk journaling including common materials to use and how to make your own.
What is a junk journal, and why keep one?
Junk journaling is a type of journaling in which the pages comprise things you’d normally recycle or throw away. It’s been around for a while, but junk journaling has had renewed interest within the last couple of years thanks to social media users on TikTok and Instagram. As we continue to examine our relationship with consumerism and waste, junk journaling is a way to keep things out of landfills and be more conscious of our consumption.
Flip through the page of a junk journal and you’ll find a variety of ephemera. This includes receipts from food takeout, ticket stubs from a concert, the sticker on a banana, and cutouts from that catalog in the mail. You create the composition in a book—a notebook, Moleskine, or an old novel you got from the thrift store—and the possibilities are endless.
So, why keep a junk journal?
Junk journals are beneficial for many reasons. First and foremost, they’re a fun and accessible creative activity. You don’t need a lot of materials or have to be a master artist to start or keep a junk journal. Just grab some scissors, glue sticks, and washi tape to cut, arrange, and paste your “junk” on the pages. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Another reason that junk journals are great is that they’re a sustainable practice. Because you’re using materials typically thrown away, it saves them from entering a landfill. These small items become part of a larger creative endeavor with an eco-friendly twist. A junk journal becomes an unconventional memory book. It traces your everyday existence and highlights how creative it can be when presented in this context.
Common Materials You’ll Find in a Junk Journal
You can use any material you like in a junk journal. The name evokes the feeling of “anything goes,” meaning you don’t have to be too precious about what goes into your book. Just keep your eyes peeled for anything you’d normally discard—it’s now going into your junk journal!
Look for things like newspapers, magazines, and old books. Ephemera from everyday life can make up the bulk of what goes on your pages. Consider postcards, tickets, maps, receipts, stickers, and clothing tags as all fair game. And don’t be afraid to think beyond that. If you’re a crafter, fabric scraps, ribbons, lace or thread cuttings will add fuzzy texture to your pages. Paint or stamps are also a possibility. Don’t be afraid to try something new and remember to just have fun with it.
How to Use Your This Journal
A junk journal is personal, and how you use it is ultimately up to you. Creativity is part of the fun. What are your goals for this type of project? Are you using it for memory keeping? A less fussy alternative to conventional scrapbooking? As you gather your materials, consider your “why.” This will inform what you include in your book and influence how you design each spread.
Here are some ways to use your junk journal:
Creative journaling. Express your thoughts and feelings about your day-to-day life through these pages, using only the materials you’ve gathered.
Mixed media art and collage. Mix and match your materials to create artistic compositions and flex your creative muscles. Each composition is an opportunity for another work of art.
Memory keeping and alternative scrapbooking. Use your junk journal to remember that great concert you went to or a receipt from a fancy dinner you won’t soon forget.
Gratitude and reflection journals. One science-backed way to be happier is to keep a gratitude journal. Your junk journal could be used to record daily gratitude or reflect on your life.
Writing prompts and storytelling. Alternatively, you could use the ephemera you place in your junk journal as inspiration for writing. It’s a space to write based on prompts or tell a story—fact or fiction.
Manifesting. Think of the pages as a bunch of vision boards. What do you want your future life to look like? (This is a great use for the catalogs and magazines you get in the mail.)
How to Make a Junk Journal
You’ve got an idea of why you’re starting a junk journal. Now, it’s time to put the idea into action.
Follow these steps to work on your junk journal:
- Gather your materials. Chances are you’ve already started to collect everything you need. One important thing to remember is that the spirit of junk journaling is to use things you have on hand. This type of scrapbook is about sustainability and keeping things out of the garbage by reimagining their function in our lives. Don’t go out and buy all the fancy papers or little embellishments you’d normally see with scrapbooking—this is about challenging yourself with what you have!
- Find a journal or book. An old book can become a junk journal. A sketchbook can transform into one, too. Or, you can plug your papers into a hard-bound notebook. Opt for a book you no longer need before you go shopping. If you want to make a unique cover, you can collage vintage paper or sheet music. Some people even like to use an old book cover or paper bags as a base.
- Start assembling your pages. You’ve got the materials and the book. Now it’s time to start journaling! Begin by placing your ephemera where you’d like it to go. You will need scissors and a glue stick for this.Before you put glue to paper, take some time to play with the arrangements in your composition. See how things look when you layer them on top of each other, or how one element looks next to another. Use paint, washi tape, and fabric to create a variety of textures on the page and add visual interest. You can even make pockets using envelopes or tags to hold some of your trinkets. You can also use writing or pen drawings to unify a composition and record your memories of a day or event.
- Don’t forget to date your journal. Write the dates when you started your journal and when it ended. That way, if you have more than one book, you’ll know what volume you’re looking at when you refer to it later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of junk journals?
Junk journaling offers a creative way to recycle scraps and collage everyday materials, turning them into one-of-a-kind works of art. It’s an excellent way to tap into your artistic side and let your creativity flow.
What’s the difference between a junk journal and a scrapbook?
A junk journal is typically more random in its design and pages because the items are sourced from everyday ephemera, from old paper to buttons to ticket stubs or postcards. A scrapbook, by contrast, has layouts that might tie to one theme and utilize the same papers or store-bought embellishments.
What do you write in your junk journal?
You can write anything! You don’t have to share it with anyone. Use it as a way to record an event or express your feelings.
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