What Is Junk Journaling?

Junk journaling is the hobby of creating or decorating books using a mixture of media, including scraps (hence the term ‘junk’). You can use anything you have available, whether it’s old train tickets or Christmas wrapping paper!

What Do People Put In a Junk Journal?

People put a variety of different materials into a junk journal. There really are no rules here, so you can use whatever you have available or whatever inspires you. This could include book pages, envelopes, tickets, receipts, postcards, stickers, labels, tags, scraps of fabric, notes, or photographs.

The main idea of a junk journal is that it is highly personal. It doesn’t have to follow a particular structure or be planned out in a certain way. You could use some pages for writing and others in a more decorative fashion, whatever takes your fancy.

Is Junk Journaling Good For Beginners?

Junk journaling is extremely beginner friendly because there is no particular technique or way to do it. That means that there is not really a learning curve or the need to master a craft in the way that there might be for something like macramé or cross stitch.

Junk journaling is a very forgiving hobby as well. If you don’t like how a page looks, you can cover it over or simply move on. It’s not something that has to be finished off in a certain way or to a certain level of neatness.

What Do You Need to Start Junk Journaling?

You only need a few supplies to get started. A notebook or some folded paper can be used as your book base. Then, you can add a number of different materials. You also likely need scissors, glue, and a pen.

Useful beginner supplies include:

• A notebook, old book, or folded paper
• A glue stick or craft glue
• Scissors
• Pens or pencils
• Envelopes
• Old papers, packaging, or magazine cuttings
• Washi tape, stickers, or stamps

You can add more supplies later on, if needed. It’s best to start off with simple materials and only expand if you really get into the hobby.

How Much Space Does Junk Journaling Need?

Junk journaling really doesn’t need much space. It can be done at a desk or kitchen table. For this reason, it makes a great activity for people who don’t have a dedicated craft room.

The biggest challenge you will likely encounter is in storing your paper supplies. Junk journaling can create clutter very quickly if you store everything randomly; a pouch, small box, or a folder can be a great way to save everything for use when you need it.

Is Junk Journaling Expensive?

Junk journaling can be a very affordable craft. You only really need to invest in basic supplies such as pens, pencils, scissors, and glue, and then possibly a blank book to work off.

The rest of the supplies can be items that you already have lying around the house. You can build up supplies over time as you save items from your life that you have invested in anyway, such as train tickets or newspaper or magazine clippings.

This hobby can, however, get more expensive should you choose to invest in specialist paper or supplies such as stamps or other embellishments. For beginners, this is not necessary.

Who Might Enjoy Junk Journaling?

Junk journaling might suit people who enjoy paper crafts, collecting small keepsakes, writing, and scrapbooking. It’s particularly good for those who like open-ended crafts where they can use creativity, rather than things that are very structured or precise.

Is Junk Journaling the Same as Scrapbooking?

Whilst junk journaling and scrapbooking are very similar, they don’t really have the same intention.

Scrapbooking is more about preserving memories through the use of photos, notes, or other keepsakes from a particular day, holiday, or event. Scrapbooking, therefore, can be considered reasonably structured.

Junk journaling is more ‘random’ and open ended, and more decorative. It doesn’t have to be based around particular memories, although it can if desired. Junk journaling can incorporate various types of scrap paper, such as newspaper cuttings, that take the hobbyist’s fancy. In this way, it can be more purely aesthetic than scrapbooking.

Is Junk Journaling the Same as Art Journaling?

Although art journaling is also very similar to junk journaling, it focuses more on drawing, colouring, and painting than the paper scraps that make up junk journaling.

However, it is important to note that junk journaling can be mixed media in that it incorporates notes and perhaps drawings if the hobbyist wishes.

What is a Good First Junk Journal Project?

A good first project for a beginner could be to start with just one page in a spare notebook and decorate it with items already lying around.

You don’t even need to invest in a new notebook if you are not sure if you will like junk journaling. If you have a notebook to hand and don’t mind sacrificing a page or a two page spread, you can start off by gluing down some paper scraps and adding a few notes or doodles.

Final Thoughts

Junk journaling is a flexible, paper-based craft that is very beginner friendly. It is very forgiving in that it doesn’t demand that you master complex techniques, and it’s great for creating personalised pages.