Part collage, part diary and part upcycling, a junk journal combines many crafting ideas into one sometimes-bursting book. This trending, multi-media journalling concept is all about self-expression and the freedom to create.
Photos, poems, pressed flowers — anything goes, and everything finds a place on these free-flowing pages. Here are the rules to making a junk journal (kidding — there are no rules!). Still, these guidelines will help you get started on your own journalling journey.
1. Got Junk?
What really differentiates these personalized pages from other journalling endeavours is the focus on repurposing materials. Have a pile of magazines marked for recycling? Tear out the images that call to you and stick them in! Remember those ticket stubs you couldn’t figure out what to do with? In they go!
Ribbon ends, receipts, paper scraps, stamps — anything that was on the way to the trash or recycling bin is up for grabs. Gather your bits and bobs, grab that glue and get sticking. The more layers, the merrier!
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2. Materials You Need
When gathering materials to set up your first junk journal, you will need — you guessed it — a journal. Now, this could be a repurposed sketchbook, notebook, blank journal or even recycled paper that you bind with a tapestry needle and cord.
Tip: If you are planning on buying a fresh, new journal to start your practice, consider one with a spiral binding, such as these NOTA notebooks from Indigo ($4-$15). Their pages are looser, allowing more space for those special 3D pieces so they won’t get squished.
Scissors, glue, a marker that can write on any paper surface, and a storage box or folder for filler finds are also a must. But beyond that, if something is beautiful, sentimental or simply calls to you (and adheres to paper), it’s perfect. And if you’re looking for additional inspiration, here are some ideas to help turn on that “junk to jewel” radar:
- Plane, train and tram tickets
- Handwritten cards and notes
- Rubber stamps and metallic ink
- Washi tape and stickers
- Polaroid photos
- Fabric and lace scraps
- Restaurant menus
- Theatre programs
- Discarded wrapping paper
- Old family photos
- Feathers, leaves and pressed flowers
- Favourite quotes
3. Feel the Flow
While scrapbooks and dairies usually have a linear progression, covering a certain event or timeframe; a junk journal isn’t constrained by time. Make it a daily, weekly or random practice of mindfulness, sitting down and simply letting the creative spirit fill you — and your notebook.
It’s quick, messy and sometimes sticky (glue, remember). But junk journaling is also a surprisingly satisfying way to work through thoughts or memorialize a moment. The non-conformity of materials and the laissez faire nature of the process forces you to be OK with imperfections.
4. Set the Intention
While having the freedom to create whatever comes out sounds liberating, sometimes having a theme, a colour scheme or a goal can help get things going. Start with pieces that have varying shades of a colour that’s calling to you these days. Make it all about your world travels and those place you still hope to see.
Or perhaps this particular book will become one giant manifestation manifesto, filled with images, ideas and ideals you wish to call into your life. This is just the jumping off point; once you start snipping and ripping, who knows where it’ll take you!
5. A Multi-Layered Approach
When you’re ready to begin your mindful Mod-Podge-ian process, start with larger pieces first, working your way down in size. For example, a large fashion-magazine cutout makes an ideal first paper layer. Then add on those smaller scraps of fabric, dried flowers and metallic paint. With each new addition, the page grows in depth and your final image will start to emerge.
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6. It’s Got Pockets
To add a little, surprise interactive moment to a junk journal, incorporate pockets throughout for treasured trinkets or special messages. A pasted-in envelope could hold a sparkly table topper from a friend’s wedding or a graduation note from your mom. If you’re feeling ambitious, test your hand at crafting these memento hidey-holes from decorative cardstock, velvet swatches or woven ribbons.
7. A Touching Transformation
So much of the joy gained from junk journaling comes from the tactile experience — feeling the ripple in a scrap of silk, the rip of the paper, the press of the postcard. Each action requires you to be very present in the moment, all while building something beautiful and deeply personal. Plus, what environmentally minded DIYer doesn’t like the idea of turning trash into treasure?
