Welcome!
Here are some junk journal ideas to help you get into that creative and cozy mood.
A junk journal is a handmade book made from scrap papers, special papers, music sheets, maps, postcards and anything that makes the creator happy.
A junk journal keeps memories organized while still maintaining creativity.
This organization includes notes, thoughts, keepsakes, favorite recipes, doodles, artwork, planning notes, or something as special as a piece of lace from your grandmother's wedding dress.
Do you remember that romantic restaurant date? That dinner receipt goes right into your journal too! Just tuck it right in with a little note to remember what you loved about that night.
The beautiful thing with a junk journal, is that there are no rules. You can use your junk journal (aka smash book) for whatever you want.
The only thing that matters is the overwhelming feeling of happiness and contentment with every turn of each lovely page in your own junk journal.
A custom junk journal is usually created with a mixture of crafting supplies like washi tape, vintage paper, junk mail, fabrics, and/or ephemera images.
And of course, no junk journal is complete without perfect charm accents.
The best junk journals are extremely chunky and made to look like it's had decades of wear and use. It also gives you lots of tucked away spots and empty spaces to write personal notes.
This takes a good eye and the ability to use a multitude of materials and design to bring it all together.
Crafters use all kinds of items to make their junk journals. Ephemera packs are extremely popular as well as vintage sticker packs.
Create junk journal pages with what you have on hand like old maps, coffee-stained paper, and paper bags.
How To Stain Paper With Coffee
You know, creating coffee-stained paper is easy and a fun craft you can make right at home!
Follow our tutorial below to start making your own papers.
This is a fun and easy DIY that you can start making right away with all types of papers you might already have in your craft room.
Washi tape adds decorative flair to junk journals without adding bulk. It's easy to tear by hand and reposition, making it ideal for quick adjustments.
Plus, it comes in countless designs and colors, allowing for endless creativity.
ACEO art cards are a fantastic way to add some cute accents to your junk journals. Glue them right in, or put them away in your tuck spots.
These ACEO art cards from Moonlight Art Parlour are so cute. They are all handmade and some have hand painted accents.
There are many places you can find items and ideas for your junk journals. One of our favorite places to find junk journal material is in the thrift store!
You can find some old picture frame mats, which you can turn into beautiful frames for your junk journals.
See our junk journal page tutorial here
Picture mats make fun windows for your journals. And you can also stain them with coffee for a vintage look.
Roller tape is a must have for making a junk journal. You just have to roll the tape onto the paper and stick it in. It makes it quick and easy.
Doodling in a junk journal can be a fun and relaxing activity for a number of reasons.
For one, doodling allows you to tap into your creativity without the pressure of creating something perfect or polished. You can simply let your pen flow and see where your mind takes you.
In a junk journal, you have the added benefit of using unconventional materials as your canvas, such as old book pages, vintage postcards, and other ephemera.
Junk journal charms can be used to mark special pages or just add extra to your junk journals. They can be small or large and even have themes to go with your pages.
Extra long junk journal charms will give those extra special touches to your journals. Make your own or purchase a handmade one from an Etsy seller.
If you want to make you own, see our list of jewelry making supplies.
Use Tombow Dual Brush Pens as watercolors to give a beautiful, painted effect on the mediums we paint on. Our preferred medium? Old book pages found in old bookstores!
We love the whimsical, dreamy effect that these create, and you can use this idea for your own junk journal.
Here is our junk journal page tutorial
We have a huge selection of FREE, printable junk journal paper that your can print right from your home printer.
Printable paper is a fantastic option for junk journaling for a few reasons. It offers a wider variety of designs and patterns to choose from compared to traditional store-bought paper.
You can find printable paper with unique designs & vintage patterns.
You can also buy premade junk journals or blanks to start you off. Etsy is where many of the junk journal makers are. They have everything from starter journals to full chunky journals.
Add handpainted gold accents and watercolor flowers using handmade watercolor paints.
If you are selling your junk journals, you can mention to your customers that they are also supporting other Etsy shops that you buy from.
Make your own vintage lace buy browsing through thrift store and staining them with coffee or tea. These can be used on the ends of pages or for adding depth to the inside or covers.
How To Dry Flowers Inside Books
Dried flowers are a great way to add interest to your pages. Dry your own flowers inside books and then seal them with Mod Podge so that they don't fall apart.
Having some wooden flower stamps on hand are fantastic for stamping your pages with some really great flowers or decorative borders.
There's many uses for hot wax seals. You can use different color wax to go with your pages. And you can also embed flowers into clear wax seals for extra nature inspired accents.
Download and print your own coloring pages for your junk journals. You can use heavy watercolor papers and then color them with alcohol markers or even watercolor paints.
The nice thing about printables is that you can resize them to make them fit your pages.
In closing: There is so much time and care that goes into each junk journal you create, they become treasures of beautiful, tangible memories. Every junk journal is its' own unique piece of art and made to last for a lifetime of enjoyment. A treasure to be passed down.
Make a junk journal for your wedding, one for each of your babies or pregnancies, birthdays, or just lovely moments in your life.
💖 We hope you learned plenty about what junk journals are and that you are ready to start your own junk journal or smash journal!
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We would love to hear from you if you are starting a junk journal: what you will be using as a junk journal, how you plan to decorate it and if you used any of our ideas!
Thanks Maria
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Steph
October 08, 2018
Beautiful Journal! I’m inspired now.