· 1 min readWhat is a junk journal, really?
Tickets, little envelopes, tea bags and old book pages: you make a junk journal from what other people throw away. Here's how to start.
A junk journal is a diary or scrapbook you make from paper you already have: old book pages, little envelopes, till receipts, tea bags, tickets and scraps of fabric. The word junk says it all: what someone else throws away becomes a page in your book.
Not quite a scrapbook
A classic scrapbook is often all about photos, neatly arranged around a theme or an event. A junk journal is looser. You often make the book itself too, and the pages can be full, layered and a little messy. There are flaps and pockets where you can tuck away even more things.
How to start
- For one week, keep everything you find beautiful: a ticket, a label, an envelope.
- Take an old exercise book, or fold a few sheets in half and stitch them together down the middle.
- Stick, tear and layer. There's no right or wrong.
- Write down what you want to remember, in your own handwriting.
Junk journals often have lots of layers and flaps. Just photograph a page like that as it lies open. If you want to show what's behind a flap, take a second photo with the flap open.
Questions about this topic
What is a junk journal?
A diary or scrapbook you make from paper you already have, such as old book pages, little envelopes, till receipts, tea bags and tickets.
What's the difference between a junk journal and a scrapbook?
A scrapbook is often all about photos, neatly arranged around a theme. A junk journal is looser: you often make the book yourself, and the pages can be full, layered and a little messy.
How do I start a junk journal?
For one week, keep everything you find beautiful, take an old exercise book or stitch a few folded sheets together, and start sticking, tearing and layering. There's no right or wrong.
