How to Start a Junk Journal: A Beginner’s Guide to Creative Keepsakes
Oct 19, 2026 / Public Storage
A junk journal is a handmade journal created with found papers, keepsakes, scraps, and everyday materials. Despite the name, it is not about filling a book with actual trash. It is about giving overlooked items—such as ticket stubs, packaging, cards, magazine pages, receipts, maps, and fabric scraps—a creative second life.
There is no single right way to make a junk journal. Some people use them as memory books, travel journals, art projects, writing spaces, or collections of favorite colors and images.
Key Takeaways
- A junk journal combines found papers, keepsakes, recycled materials, writing, and decorative elements.
- Every journal can look different based on its creator’s interests, memories, budget, and supplies.
- Beginners need only a journal, adhesive, scissors, and a small collection of clean paper materials.
- Collect materials slowly, keep unfinished projects together, and save pieces you genuinely want to use.
What Is a Junk Journal?
A junk journal is a creative book made from new, recycled, vintage, or found materials. It may include writing, drawings, photographs, collage pages, envelopes, tags, postcards, and small mementos.
The “junk” in junk journaling refers to ordinary items that might otherwise be discarded. A grocery bag, old calendar page, fabric tag, ticket stub, or piece of wrapping paper can become part of a page.
Junk journals are often less structured than traditional scrapbooks. They can be experimental, layered, and informal, combining carefully designed pages with quick notes, pressed flowers, or everyday receipts.
If you want to include irreplaceable photos, family letters, or personal documents, use copies or scans. This lets you preserve the original while still including the memory in your journal.
Why Start a Junk Journal?
Junk journaling can be a creative way to slow down, preserve memories, and use materials you already have. It can also be a low-cost craft because many supplies can come from your home, mail, travels, or daily errands.
People may start a junk journal to:
- Keep travel memories, event tickets, postcards, and maps in one place
- Create a visual diary of everyday life
- Try collage, drawing, writing, or mixed-media art
- Save family recipes, copied letters, photographs, or meaningful notes
- Make a themed journal around books, music, nature, gardening, or a favorite color
- Enjoy a creative activity without worrying about perfection
A junk journal does not need to be polished or finished quickly. Its purpose can be as simple as giving you a place to collect and create.
What Do You Need to Start a Junk Journal?
You can begin with a few basic supplies. Start small, then add tools or decorative materials only if they fit your style.
| Basic Supply | How It Can Be Used |
| Journal, notebook, or binder | Creates the base for pages and keepsakes |
| Scissors | Cuts paper, images, ribbon, and lightweight materials |
| Glue stick or paper adhesive | Attaches paper pieces and flat mementos |
| Pens or markers | Adds dates, captions, notes, or drawings |
| Paper scraps | Builds collage layers and backgrounds |
| Envelopes or pockets | Holds notes, tickets, and smaller items |
| Optional washi tape or stickers | Adds color, borders, and removable accents |
A blank sketchbook, composition notebook, binder, or inexpensive used hardcover book can all become a junk journal. A binder may work well if you want to move pages around, while a notebook can be a simple choice for a chronological journal.
For envelopes, fabric, or other dimensional pieces, choose a sturdy journal with room to expand; binders and expandable journals work well for layered projects.
Avoid overbuying supplies before you know what you enjoy using. Start with materials you already have, then let your project guide future purchases.
How Can a Junk Journal Look Different for Everyone?
A junk journal can reflect nearly any interest or aesthetic. One person may prefer muted, vintage-style pages with old letters and botanical images. Another may use bright packaging, concert tickets, colorful magazine cutouts, and playful stickers.
Try choosing a loose theme if you want an easy starting point:
- Travel journal: Maps, boarding passes, postcards, photos, and local brochures
- Everyday journal: Receipts, notes, packaging, photos, and small details from daily life
- Nature journal: Pressed leaves, flower images, trail maps, seed packets, and sketches
- Memory journal: Family photos, cards, recipes, copied letters, and celebration keepsakes
- Creative journal: Collage materials, paint samples, song lyrics, quotes, and original drawings
- Seasonal journal: Holiday cards, wrapping paper, menus, event flyers, and seasonal colors
You do not have to follow one theme forever. Many journals naturally change as new interests, memories, and materials appear.
How Do You Collect “Junk” for a Junk Journal?
Start paying attention to paper items you already receive or use. Before recycling something, ask whether it has an interesting color, pattern, texture, image, or memory attached to it.
Possible materials include:
- Gift tags, greeting cards, and wrapping paper
- Ticket stubs, museum brochures, menus, and postcards
- Magazine pages, catalogs, book pages, and newspaper clippings
- Clean packaging, labels, paper bags, and tissue paper
- Fabric scraps, ribbon, buttons, and yarn
- Printed photos, copies of letters, and handwritten notes
- Envelopes, stamps, paper maps, and old calendars
Choose materials that are clean, dry, and easy to attach. Avoid food-stained packaging, damp paper, sharp objects, or items that may damage nearby pages over time.
Keep your collection practical. Instead of saving every scrap, set aside pieces that fit your interests and are likely to inspire a future page.
For ideas on sorting paper, tools, and creative materials into a usable system, see Get Your Crafty Chaos Under Control (and Make it Cute).
How Should You Organize Junk Journal Supplies?
A simple system can make it easier to create when inspiration strikes. Group supplies by type rather than trying to organize every item perfectly. Use one folder for paper scraps, a small container for adhesives and pens, and labeled envelopes for tickets, photos, or themed pieces.
Clear bins, shallow drawers, file folders, and portable craft caddies can all work well. Keep frequently used supplies accessible, and store extras separately so your workspace does not become overwhelming.
For unfinished journals, keep loose scraps, photos, and embellishments in a labeled envelope, folder, or project box with the journal. Store paper flat and dry, and avoid placing heavy items on dimensional pages. Keeping each project together makes it easier to return to when you have time or inspiration.
If your collection grows beyond a small craft box, How Do You Store Scrapbooking Supplies? offers additional guidance on grouping paper, tools, embellishments, and projects for easier access.
How Do You Make Your First Junk Journal Page?
Begin with one page, not the entire book. Choose a few materials that feel connected, such as a photo, ticket stub, patterned paper, and short written note.
- Pick a memory, mood, color, or theme.
- Choose two to five paper items or keepsakes.
- Arrange the pieces before attaching them.
- Add a note, date, caption, or small drawing if you want.
- Glue or tape down the pieces, leaving room for layers or future additions.
For example, a first page could include a coffee-shop receipt, a small piece of the bag it came in, a favorite quote written by hand, and the date. Simple pages can be just as meaningful as heavily layered ones.
Frequently Asked Questions About Junk Journals
Do I need special supplies to start a junk journal?
No. A notebook, scissors, adhesive, a pen, and a few clean paper scraps are enough to begin. Decorative supplies are optional.
What can I use if I do not have a blank journal?
Use a composition notebook, sketchbook, binder, or sturdy inexpensive used book. Choose a format that can hold the materials you want to add.
Can a junk journal include photos?
Yes. Photos can be a meaningful part of a junk journal. Consider using copies of irreplaceable photos if you do not want to cut, write on, or glue the originals.
Do junk journal pages have to match?
No. Pages can follow one theme or have their own styles. The journal should reflect what feels creative and useful to you.
Start With What You Have
A junk journal is a flexible way to collect memories, experiment with creativity, and turn everyday paper items into something personal.
Start with one notebook and a few materials you already have. As your collection grows, keep only the supplies and keepsakes that inspire you. If you need extra room to organize craft supplies, seasonal décor, or household belongings, find a Public Storage location near you to explore self-storage options in your area.
