A junk journal is not a diary with better paper. It is not a planner with washi tape trim. It is something closer to an archaeological site — a book built from fragments: old letters, ticket stubs, stained receipts, pressed flowers, and the torn edges of paper that most people throw away. The term junk refers not to quality but to source material. You are working with the discarded, the forgotten, the already-lived.
If you have ever kept a box of movie tickets, saved a wine label because the typography was beautiful, or hesitated before throwing away a handwritten envelope, you have already been collecting the raw material of a junk journal. You just haven't glued it down yet.
What Is a Junk Journal?
A junk journal is a handmade book — often bound with string, fabric, or wire — filled with layered paper, ephemera, and mixed media. Unlike a bullet journal, which organizes the future, or a scrapbook, which preserves the past in neat rectangles, a junk journal does neither and both. It collects objects without requiring them to explain themselves. A bus ticket does not need to document a trip. A piece of floral vellum does not need to match the season. The page gains meaning from density, not narrative.
The defining feature is intentional imperfection. Pages are coffee-stained on purpose. Edges are torn, not cut. Handwriting is allowed to slope. The goal is not to make something beautiful but to make something true — a physical record of attention paid.
Junk Journal vs. Scrapbook vs. Bullet Journal
|
|
Junk Journal |
Scrapbook |
Bullet Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Core purpose |
Collect and layer found objects |
Preserve memories chronologically |
Organize tasks and plans |
|
Materials |
Mixed: ephemera, vintage paper, fabric |
Photos + acid-free paper + stickers |
Blank dotted pages + pens |
|
Aesthetic |
Distressed, layered, chaotic |
Clean, chronological, framed |
Minimal, systematic, functional |
|
Time orientation |
Timeless / non-linear |
Past-focused |
Future-focused |
|
Skill required |
None — curating > creating |
Basic photo cropping |
Consistent handwriting |
|
Goal |
Density and texture |
Preservation and storytelling |
Productivity and clarity |
The difference between a junk journal and a scrapbook is the difference between a cabinet of curiosities and a photo album. A scrapbook asks: What happened? A junk journal asks: What did you notice?
Where Did Junk Journaling Come From?
The practice has roots in several traditions. Victorian women kept commonplace books — bound collections of pressed flowers, copied poems, and newspaper clippings. In the 1920s, European artists like Kurt Schwitters built Merz collages from streetcar tickets, candy wrappers, and discarded wood. During World War II, soldiers and civilians alike filled journals with whatever paper was available — ration cards, maps, letters — creating improvised books out of necessity.
The modern junk journal community emerged in the early 2000s through craft forums and YouTube channels, where creators began sharing techniques for distressing paper, binding books by hand, and layering found objects into spreads. The term itself became a searchable category around 2015, and by 2020 it had grown into a recognized subculture with its own vocabulary: ephemera, layering, focal point, clustering, clustering.
Today, junk journaling sits at the intersection of craft therapy, visual art, and sustainable creativity. It requires no formal training, no expensive materials, and no permission to begin.
What You Need to Start a Junk Journal
You do not need everything on this list. You need a surface to work on and something to stick things down with. Everything else is preference. But if you are building your first kit, these are the categories that matter.
1. A Book to Work In
Any book will do: a half-used notebook, a ring-bound planner, a handmade signature sewn with dental floss. Some journalers prefer the loose structure of a ring binder because pages can be removed and reordered. Others prefer a sewn signature that locks the sequence in place, creating a permanent archaeology.
If you are starting from absolute zero, a simple kraft-paper insert or a small ring-bound notebook is enough. The book will change shape as you fill it. The cover will soften. The spine will thicken. This is not damage. It is the journal becoming itself.
Full-Grain Leather Travelers Notebook
2. Paper and Ephemera
This is the soul of the practice. Ephemera means things meant to last only a short time — tickets, labels, envelopes, postcards, handwritten notes, old book pages, maps. The more varied the paper weight, the richer the texture: thin vellum over thick cardstock, smooth printer paper next to rough watercolor stock.
A single vintage postcard can anchor an entire spread. A fragment of old text in a language you do not read adds mystery without requiring explanation. The goal is visual variety, not thematic consistency.
Product to try: The Timeless Almanac Vintage Vellum Ephemera Book — 366 Pages.
3. Adhesive
Washi tape is the primary adhesive of junk journaling because it is repositionable, translucent, and tears by hand. It functions as both glue and decoration. A narrow 10 mm tape is ideal for border lines and tab edges. A wider 15–20 mm tape works for collage bases and page divisions.
Glue sticks work for heavier items. A glue runner is faster for large surface areas. Avoid liquid glue that warps thin paper.
Product to try: Whispered Archives Slim Washi Tape Set — 8 Rolls
Product to try: Autumn Whisper Washi Tape Set - 5 Rolls | 12 Botanical Themes
4. Stickers, Stamps, and Printed Elements
Stickers in junk journaling are not decorative accents. They are structural. A single vintage sticker can bridge two mismatched papers. A botanical stamp pressed into a corner can anchor an otherwise floating composition. The key is restraint: one strong element is better than twelve competing ones.
Product to try: The Curator's Master Collection Vintage Sticker Block — 320 Pcs
5. Tools for Texture and Shape
A corner rounder transforms sharp rectangles into soft curves, which immediately ages a piece of paper. A border punch adds lace or perforated edges to plain cardstock. A hole punch lets you insert pages into a ring binder. These are finishing tools, not starting tools. You do not need them on day one, but they change the feel of a page once you have built a habit.
Product to try: Perforated Stamp Punch — Vintage Postage Edge Cutter
Product to try: 4-in-1 Corner Rounder for Photos, Cards, and Laminated Paper
Product to try: Lace Border Punch | Mini Paper Edge Cutter
6. Clips and Holders
Metal clips serve two functions: they hold pages open while you work, and they add weight and texture to the finished spread. A heavy enamel clip pressed onto a corner is both practical and sculptural.
Product to try: Vintage Enamel Paw Journal Clip — Heavyweight Desk Clamp
How to Make Your First Junk Journal Spread
You do not need a plan. You need a surface, two pieces of paper, and one piece of tape.
Step 1: Ground the page. Take a piece of textured paper — kraft, vellum, or a torn page from an old book — and press it onto the center of your spread. This is your base layer. It does not need to cover the entire page. A fragment is enough.
Step 2: Add a focal point. Place one object that draws the eye: a vintage postcard, a pressed flower, a handwritten envelope. Do not center it perfectly. Place it slightly off-axis. The tension of asymmetry is what makes the eye stay.
Step 3: Bridge the gap. Use a strip of washi tape or a narrow paper border to connect the focal point to the edge of the page. This creates a visual path. The viewer's eye travels from the edge, along the tape, to the focal point.
Step 4: Write if you need to. If words come, write them. If they do not, leave the page silent. A junk journal is not a confession. It is a collection.
Step 5: Stop before it feels finished. The best spreads are the ones that still have room. A half-empty page invites you back. A fully saturated page is a closed door.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a junk journal and a scrapbook?
A scrapbook preserves memories in chronological order, usually with photos as the primary element. A junk journal collects objects without requiring chronology or explanation. A scrapbook is a story. A junk journal is a site.
Do I need to know how to draw?
No. Drawing is not part of the practice. You are a curator, not an illustrator. Your job is to select, arrange, and attach. The materials provide the aesthetic. You provide the attention.
What is ephemera?
Ephemera means items designed to be used briefly and then discarded: tickets, receipts, labels, postcards, handwritten notes. In junk journaling, these temporary objects become permanent artifacts. A movie stub that would have been thrown away becomes a texture on a page that lasts for years.
Can I use a store-bought notebook, or do I need to make one?
You can use anything. A spiral notebook from an office supply store is a valid junk journal. The binding does not determine the practice. Your willingness to attach something to the page does.
How do I start if I have no vintage paper?
Start with what you have. A grocery receipt. A train ticket. A leaf from a houseplant. The back of an envelope. The practice is not about owning rare materials. It is about assigning value to ordinary ones.
Is junk journaling expensive?
No. The core materials — paper, tape, glue — cost under $20. Expensive supplies can be added later, but they are never required. The most compelling junk journals are often built from the cheapest materials: free newspapers, discarded packaging, and found paper.
What size should my journal be?
A5 (5.8 × 8.3 inches) is the most common size because it is portable, holds standard printer paper, and provides enough surface for layered spreads without overwhelming the maker. Pocket sizes (A6, A7, passport) are lower-pressure options. Large formats (A4, 8×10) are better for collage-heavy work.
Final Note: Start Before You Are Ready
The most common barrier to starting a junk journal is the belief that you need the right materials first. You do not. You need a book, a piece of tape, and the willingness to attach something that has no obvious purpose.
The page does not judge. The page does not require talent. The page only requires that you show up, place something down, and accept that it does not have to be beautiful to be true.
Explore the full junk journal supplies collection at PaperLooms →
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