What I love about junk journaling is that there is no wrong way to express yourself. Your only goal is to capture a feeling, or a memory, or a moment. And those are always uniquely personal to you.
Today, I want to share some junk journal inspo with you all using my very own pages and journal ephemera. I tend to do what I feel like, but with this latest journal, I’ve been testing out different journaling techniques. I can’t wait to share my pages to inspire you. Maybe I can even get you started on your first junk journal!
For starts, let me share my junk journal supplies list.
The Setup and Supplies
I absolutely love all of my crafty supplies surrounding me on a table when I journal. It might be a pain to take down from the shelf every time I want to journal, but I think it’s a much more immersive experience that way. Unfortunately, I don’t junk journal as often anymore, so dedicating time and space to an hour or two of crafting is well worth it for me.
My main supplies are of course large scraps and sheets of print paper, glue, scissors, washi tape, and stickers. I film some of my journaling processes, so you can see how I use them on my YouTube channel soon!
How Do I Get Junk Journal Ephemera?
A signature feature of junk journaling is the lovely ephemera attached to the pages. Ephemera include all types of paper of all kinds of shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. Some arts and crafts stores will actually sell packets of pre-prepared ephemera to save you some time. They can be die cuts, multi-sized sheets, or scraps you’ve collected from anywhere.
Personally, I enjoy saving receipts, cards, gift bags, etc. and upcycling them for my junk journals. You’d be surprised how many lovely photographs, illustrations, and fonts are completely free and practically jump into your hands.
Ephemera doesn’t have to be only made of paper, though. It can be fabric, pressed flowers, buttons, and more!
What Kind of Journal Do I Use?
I’d LOVE to make a post about all the different brands of journals I’ve tried over the years. The short answer here is that you can really use any kind of journal with any kind of binding. It really depends on what style of junk journaling you do.
If you like adding a lot of texture and thick papers, you may be better off with paperback journals with less pages. Traveler’s journals are surprisingly flexible and would be appropriate here. Dollar stores are great for carrying small and thin journals. My love for junk journaling started with dollar store journals actually, and they still hold up.
On the other hand, if you like to collect smaller ephemera like sticker sheets and have a preference for smaller images, a regular book with more pages would work. You really don’t need anything expensive to start if you don’t want to.
Over the years, I’ve personally liked to use the Leuchtturm1917, which are incredibly robust. I’ll tell you I’ve really tested these books to their limits, and they are still holding up after 5+ years.
How Often Should I Junk Journal?
As often as you want! It’s as simple as that! If you’re as busy as me, I find that when I want to journal about a moment that just happened, I try to save whatever scrap I might be able to take with me (like a receipt or something) and a photograph or two. Later, I’ll find more images or scraps I think capture the feeling better and just run with it.
Whether you’re looking for travel journal inspo or just want to peruse aesthetic journal pages, I think you’ll find something here that may get your creative juices going.
Without further ado, here are some junk journal page examples.
The Spreads
Elevate an Existing Image
I can’t draw very well, so I appreciate the artists who can. Some of their images inspire me so much that they actually help me tell my own story.
I try not to think that a perfect illustration can’t be personalized for my own emotions. Any beautiful image I can connect to deserves a place in my memories. Here, I added an over-layer of flowers over the original image to convey more depth.
Preserve Your Favorite Pictures
Similarly, you can save your own art or photographs. This is definitely a more minimalist approach, but I think it still has its impact. You can add neutral textured ephemera to the background and borders. This way, there is a balance to the whole page with added interest and interactivity.
This is a simple page idea that is great for highlighting one big thing. This is great for saving small paintings your kids make for you. Or a note or card from someone you love.
Add Souvenirs From the Past
Sometimes, only you know what a piece of junk means to you, and that’s the best feeling. I used to have a favorite paper bag I would use to hold everything. I just so happened to experience a lot of memories during this time, so I just couldn’t throw it away when it became unusable.
I ended up turning it into the background to this page spread and added more elements of that era in my life over it. Now, I can look back on fondly on that moment in my life whenever I want.
Layer It Up with a Theme in Mind
I was experimental with this junk journal page layout. All I kept in mind going into it was the word “vintage” and I let the creativity run wild. I gathered all the materials I thought screamed “vintage,” and tried to make a cohesive spread from it.
I really love how I ended up creating multiple points of interest here, but it still screams “vintage.” When it comes to layers, you can add continuity to your junk journaling by cutting a image in half and gluing it in two different parts of the page.
Go With a Color Theme
I really love this blue, white, and gold color theme. Blue really instills a sense of calmness and relaxation for me. Other colors instill different vibes. What I really love about this technique is that it brings together different scraps I’ve collected that I wouldn’t think to combine otherwise. Yet it still ends up gorgeously cohesive, since they end up being different shades of the same color.
Conclusion
There you have it! I hope these pages helped spread some creativity to you. These are good ideas for beginners or even the experienced one looking for new techniques.
Junk journaling can really be a fun and relaxing way to spend your free time. I love hearing the sounds of paper tearing, or feeling the textures of different ephemera. And it’s just therapeutic to express myself this way.
Till next time, xo.
Note that am not affiliated with any of the brands, authors, or organizations mentioned in this post.