Last Updated: November 12, 2026
Quick Summary
A junk journal is a handmade book filled with paper scraps, ephemera, and found materials to record memories, practice creativity, and slow down. People use it to keep tickets, pressed flowers, notes, and small objects in one place. Pages never need to look perfect.
- Junk journals hold paper scraps, tickets, pressed flowers, and other keepsakes in one handmade book.
- Start with everyday materials like patterned scrapbook paper, envelopes, and receipts.
- Pockets, tags, and envelopes hold loose finds and keep bulky items from warping the binding.
- Work one page at a time, since finishing a single page counts as real progress.
- Choose a book based on your purpose: sturdier altered books for memory keeping, watercolor journals for art.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Junk Journal?
- Why People Make Junk Journals
- What to Put in a Junk Journal
- Junk Journal Ideas for Everyday Use
- Junk Journal vs Scrapbook: What Sets Them Apart
- Junk Journal for Beginners: A Simple Starting Workflow
- Choose a Junk Journal Made for Your Purpose
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Junk Journal?
A junk journal is a handmade book filled with paper scraps, ephemera, and found materials. Handmade junk journals carry their own mix of papers, textures, and small surprises. The name sounds messy, but the result is anything but junk.
Most junk journals start as a blank book or a set of loose pages. The maker adds tickets, pressed paper, envelopes, and patterned scraps. Then they tuck in notes, photos, and small objects. Every page becomes a place to record something.
Think of it as a scrapbook that never has to look finished. There are no rules about neat layouts or matching colors.
Why People Make Junk Journals
People make junk journals for creativity, memory keeping, and a little calm. The work is easy to start and easy to pause. Nobody expects a perfect page.
Many people say the hobby helps them slow down. Tearing paper, layering scraps, and choosing what goes where can feel relaxing. It gives the hands something to do while the mind rests.
Junk journals also keep memories in one place. A ticket from a trip, a handwritten grocery list, or a pressed flower can say more than a photo. Each item holds a small piece of a day.
What to Put in a Junk Journal
A junk journal works well with everyday materials. Start with paper, since paper makes up most of the book. Good choices include:
- Patterned scrapbook paper
- Old maps and sheet music
- Envelopes and paper bags
- Tickets, receipts, and tags
- Pressed leaves or flowers
Hand-torn paper adds texture that flat paper lacks. Hand-torn and hand-cut papers, as used in hand spiral-bound journals, add texture that flat paper lacks. The soft, uneven edges catch light and invite touch.
Keep your supplies simple at first. Glue, a few pens, and some tape are enough. For a clear list of the supplies you actually need, see a practical guide to starting supplies. You can add more materials as you learn what you enjoy.
!Hands arranging handmade journal pages, tickets, and pressed paper scraps on a wooden desk beside a hand-stitched journal
Junk Journal Ideas for Everyday Use
A junk journal can hold far more than art. You can also try practical printable pages you can use right away. The trick is to match the idea to a page structure, so you are not staring at a blank spread wondering what goes where. Here are everyday uses, each with a concrete page setup you can copy.
A daily log of small wins. Use one page per week. Write the date in the top corner, glue a small scrap behind the entry, and leave the lower third open. At the end of the week, add a tag with the best moment and tuck it into a corner pocket.
A travel record. Build a two-page spread per trip. Put a map scrap or postcard on the left page and leave the right page for writing. Add a small envelope for ticket stubs and a paper band to hold a folded brochure. The envelope keeps bulky items from making the book bulge.
A recipe book with family notes. Give each recipe one page. Write the recipe on a torn paper scrap and glue it down, leaving a margin for handwritten notes like “Grandma used less sugar.” A small pocket at the bottom holds a copied index card you can pull out while cooking.
A gratitude journal with one tag per day. Cut tags from cardstock or use shipping tags. Write one line per tag, then stack them in a pocket or stitch them along the page edge. Thirty tags make a visible record of a month without filling the page with writing.
A reading log. Glue a torn page from an old book as the background, then write the title and a quote on a smaller scrap layered on top. Add a library-style due-date card in a pocket so you can stamp or write the finish date.
A memory-keeping page for one object. If you have a single ticket, pressed flower, or note you want to keep, build the page around it. Glue the object to a paper mat first, then attach the mat to the page. This protects the page and lets you remove the item later if you want.
Pockets, tags, and envelopes are what make these ideas work. A pocket holds loose finds until you are ready to use them. A tag gives you a small writing surface you can move around. An envelope hides private notes or bulky keepsakes. Gluing bulky objects directly to the page can warp the binding, so mounting thick items on a card and attaching the card is a safer approach.
You can change the focus whenever you like. A book that starts as a daily log can become a travel record halfway through. The page structures stay the same; only the content changes.
Junk Journal vs Scrapbook: What Sets Them Apart
A scrapbook usually follows a plan. Photos sit in neat spots, and the layout tells a clear story. A junk journal is looser. Pages grow as you add items, and nothing has to match.
Scrapbooks often focus on photos. Junk journals mix photos with paper, writing, and objects. That mix gives a junk journal a more personal, layered feel.
Both formats keep memories. Choose a scrapbook if you want order. Choose a junk journal if you want to play.
Junk Journal for Beginners: A Simple Starting Workflow
Starting a junk journal does not need much time or money. Follow these steps:
- Pick a base book, such as a blank notebook or a spiral-bound journal.
- Gather a small pile of paper scraps and ephemera.
- Choose one page to start, and glue down a background paper.
- Add two or three items, and write a short note.
- Tuck a pocket or envelope on a later page for future finds.
Work one page at a time. Finishing one page counts as progress. Over time, the book fills itself.
If you want a deeper walkthrough, see our guide on how to start a junk journal for beginners.
The steps below cover the basic workflow for starting a junk journal.
| Step | What to do | Time or frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Pick a base book | Choose a blank notebook or spiral-bound journal | Once, at the start |
| Gather scraps | Collect a small pile of paper scraps and ephemera | Before you begin |
| Prepare first page | Glue down a background paper | One page |
| Add items | Add two or three items and write a short note | One page |
| Add a pocket | Tuck a pocket or envelope on a later page | Later pages |
| Work steadily | Finish one page at a time | One page at a time |
Choose a Junk Journal Made for Your Purpose
The right junk journal depends on how you plan to use it. Before you pick a book, decide what you want the journal to do. Most people fall into one of four purposes, and each one asks something different of the paper and binding.
Memory keeping. If you plan to glue in tickets, photos, and pressed flowers, you need sturdy pages and a binding that can take bulk. A vintage book altered journal works well here because the existing cover and spine give the book structure, and the pages can handle layered collage. Look for a book with a sewn or stitched text block rather than a glued one, since glued spines crack when pages swell.
Art and mixed media. If you want to paint, stamp, and layer, choose paper that can take wet media. A watercolor journal is the better fit, and a spiral binding lets the book lie flat so you can work across a spread. Spiral-bound Little Golden Books are a good option for watercolor work.
Writing and reflection. If the journal is mostly for words, lighter paper is fine and a spiral binding keeps the book open on a desk. A handmade notebook or a hand spiral-bound journal with hand-torn papers gives you a soft writing surface and a book that stays flat while you write.
Planning and lists. If you want to track tasks, budgets, or schedules, choose a book with pages that can take erasing and rewriting. A handmade notebook with smooth, hand-cut pages suits this better than a heavily textured journal, because texture interferes with pencil and fine pens.
A quick way to decide: hold the book in your hand and ask what you will do on the first page. If the answer involves glue and bulky items, pick a sturdier altered book. If it involves paint, pick a watercolor journal. If it involves mostly writing, pick a notebook or spiral-bound journal.
Butterfly Bunny Studio makes vintage book altered junk journals, hand spiral-bound journals with hand-torn papers, watercolor journals, including spiral-bound Little Golden Books, handmade notebooks, and sketchbooks. Matching the book to your goal makes the hobby more enjoyable from the first page.
Pick the purpose first, then the book.
For more on how these bindings work, read our guide to handmade junk journal binding methods. Or see how to make a vintage junk journal from an old book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of junk journaling?
The point of junk journaling is to turn everyday paper into a personal record. Makers collect receipts, tickets, cards, and scraps, then glue, tuck, and write on them inside a handmade book. Many people find the process relaxing because it has no fixed rules and no need for perfect drawing skills. The finished journal becomes a keepsake of daily life, travels, or a season, which is why the hobby appeals to people who want to preserve memories without a formal scrapbook layout.
What is a junk journal used for?
A junk journal is used for memory keeping, creative self-expression, daily journaling, and collage art. Some people record a trip or a year, while others use pages to plan, reflect, or practice mixed-media techniques. Handmade junk journals made by a maker such as Butterfly Bunny Studio often start with altered book pages or hand-torn papers, giving you a ready-made base to fill with your own ephemera and writing.
What is the difference between a junk journal and a scrapbook?
A scrapbook usually follows a planned layout with photos, captions, and coordinated page designs. A junk journal is looser: pages are filled with found paper, pockets, tags, and handwritten notes, and the book often keeps growing over time. Scrapbooks tend to be built around photographs, while junk journals focus on ephemera and texture. Both preserve memories, so the best choice depends on whether you want structure or spontaneity.
What can you put in a junk journal?
You can put almost any paper or small keepsake in a junk journal. Common additions include receipts, ticket stubs, postcards, patterned scrapbook paper, sheet music, envelopes, maps, pressed flowers, and handwritten notes. Pockets and tags help hold loose items. Start with materials you already have, and avoid anything that is wet, sticky, or likely to damage neighboring pages.
