Junk journal ideas: 30 pages to make from scraps
A junk journal is a handmade notebook filled with paper you would normally throw away: envelopes, tickets, old book pages, receipts and packaging. Good junk journal ideas include pocket pages, tuck spots, collage spreads and themed pages. Below are 30 ideas with materials and easy steps, so you can start with what is already in your house.
What you need to start a junk journal
The whole point is to use what you have. Start a box or a bag and collect paper for a week before you begin.
Materials
- A base. An old notebook, a cereal box cover, or a stack of folded paper you sew together.
- Paper scraps. Envelopes, junk mail, old book or dictionary pages, maps, sheet music, brown paper bags, wrapping paper.
- Ephemera. Tickets, receipts, tea tags, labels, postcards, stamps, coffee sleeves, fruit stickers.
- Glue and tape. A glue stick, double sided tape, and washi or masking tape.
- Tools. Scissors, a ruler, a pencil, and a needle with thick thread or string if you want to bind your own.
- Extras. Lace, ribbon, buttons, twine, paper clips, pressed flowers.
Ephemera means paper things that were made to be used once and thrown away, like a ticket. In a junk journal they become keepsakes.
How to make a simple junk journal
- Gather 12 to 20 sheetsMix sizes and types: a brown bag, a few book pages, some printer paper, an envelope.
- Fold them in half togetherStack them and fold as one bundle. This is called a signature. Uneven edges are part of the look.
- Make a coverCut a piece of cereal box a little bigger than your folded pages. Fold it in half and cover it with paper or fabric.
- Poke three holesOpen the pages and the cover. Poke three holes along the fold: top, middle and bottom.
- Sew itThread a needle with string. Go in the middle hole, out the top, back in the bottom and out the middle. Tie a knot over the long thread.
- Start decoratingGlue in scraps and leave room for writing. You do not have to fill it in order.
No time to sew? A cheap notebook works fine. Just glue scraps onto its pages.
Junk journal page ideas with pockets and tucks
Pockets and tucks give you hidden places for notes and small keepsakes. They are what makes a junk journal feel special.
- 1. Envelope pocket. Cut an envelope in half and glue the bottom half to a page, open side up. Slip tags or notes inside.
- 2. Belly band. Wrap a strip of paper or ribbon around a page and glue the ends at the back. Tuck a card under it.
- 3. Tea bag tag. Dry a used tea bag, empty it, flatten the paper and use it as a soft background. Keep the tag as a pull tab.
- 4. Fold out page. Glue a longer sheet so it folds out past the edge of the book. Write a long story or a list inside.
- 5. Library pocket. Make a small pocket from brown paper and add a card that says "Due back" with today's date.
- 6. Window envelope. Use the see-through window of a bill envelope as a frame for a photo or pressed flower.
- 7. Paper bag page. Fold a brown lunch bag flat and bind it in. The open end becomes a pocket.
- 8. Tuck spot. Cut two slits in a page and slide a tag or photo through them so it stays in place.
- 9. Flip up. Tape just the top edge of a photo so it lifts like a flap. Write the story underneath.
Junk journal ideas by theme
- 10. Vintage. Coffee stained paper, old photos, lace and brown ink. See the vintage section in aesthetic journal ideas.
- 11. Travel. Maps, boarding passes, tickets and receipts from one trip. Pairs well with a travel journal.
- 12. Nature. Pressed leaves, seed packets, garden labels and pictures of birds or flowers.
- 13. Kitchen. Recipe cards, food labels, tea tags and a page of family recipes.
- 14. Reading. Book pages, bookmarks and a log of what you read with a short review.
- 15. Seasons. One section per season with colors and scraps that match.
- 16. Childhood. Old drawings, report card scraps, a photo, and memories of where you grew up.
- 17. Music. Sheet music, concert tickets and lyrics written out by hand.
- 18. Everyday life. Receipts, to do lists and coffee sleeves from an ordinary week. These pages become the most precious later.
Junk journal examples: spreads to copy
Here are full spreads described piece by piece. Copy them as they are or swap in your own scraps.
- 19. A week in receipts. Left page: tape receipts from seven days in a fan shape. Right page: one line per day about what each receipt meant.
- 20. Letter to a friend. Glue an envelope on the left with a letter inside. On the right, a photo of you together and the date you met.
- 21. Coffee shop page. A coffee sleeve as a pocket, a napkin with a doodle, and a short review of the cafe.
- 22. Map memory. A map scrap of a place you love, with a small circle around the spot and a note about why it matters.
- 23. Rainy day. Blue and gray scraps, an umbrella drawing and a list of cozy things you did inside.
- 24. Gratitude collage. Cut words from magazines that describe what you are thankful for and glue them in a loose cloud. Our gratitude journal page has more ideas.
- 25. Birthday spread. The card you got, a cake wrapper, and a list of what you did that day.
More junk journal ideas for filling pages
- 26. Stamp a border. Use a cork, a bottle cap or the end of a pencil dipped in paint to make a dotted edge.
- 27. Age your paper. Dab cold coffee on plain paper, dry it flat, then tear the edges.
- 28. Layer three papers. Put a large scrap, a medium scrap and a small label on top of each other, a little off center.
- 29. Write on a tag. Use a shipping tag or cut one from card for a short note, and tie string through the hole.
- 30. Leave journaling space. Glue a plain index card or lined paper in each spread so there is always room to write.
If your pages start to feel more like art than memory keeping, try art journal ideas. For writing ideas to go with your scraps, see journal ideas and diary ideas.
Tips for junk journaling
- Use a glue stick on thin paper. Wet glue makes thin pages wrinkle.
- Your journal will get fat. That is normal. Leave a few pages out when you bind it so it can close.
- Do not wait until a page is perfect. Layers added later make it look better over time.
- Keep a scrap bag with you when you go out, so tickets and receipts do not get lost.
- Write the date on every spread. The memory is the point, not just the look.
Questions people ask
What do you put in a junk journal?
Paper scraps and keepsakes you would normally throw out: envelopes, tickets, receipts, tea tags, old book pages, maps, labels and photos. Add pockets for small notes, and leave space to write about what each item means to you.
How do I start a junk journal for beginners?
Collect scrap paper for a week. Fold 12 to 20 mixed sheets in half, add a cereal box cover, poke three holes along the fold and sew it with string. Or simply glue scraps into an old notebook. Start with one pocket page and one collage page.
What is the point of a junk journal?
It turns everyday paper into a book of memories. It is also a relaxing, low cost craft, since almost everything you need is free. Many people use it as a creative diary where tickets and receipts tell the story of their days.
What glue is best for junk journals?
A glue stick works for most thin papers because it does not wrinkle them. Double sided tape is good for photos and heavy card. Use liquid glue only for fabric, lace or heavy items, and let it dry with a book on top.
What is the difference between a junk journal and an art journal?
A junk journal is built mostly from found paper and keepsakes and often tells the story of your days. An art journal focuses on painting, drawing and mixed media. Many people combine the two.
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