TL;DR version: Getting to grips with how to start a junk journal is honestly as simple as getting inspiration, gathering supplies, and diving into the cutting and sticking. It’s pretty much impossible to get it wrong!
You’ve cooed over the YouTube videos, you’ve admired the Instagram feeds, you’ve drooled at the Pinterest boards… so you’ve finally taken the plunge and decided to try making your own. How to start a junk journal really isn’t that complicated, but it can feel a bit overwhelming just like any new hobby, so don’t feel embarrassed! There’s all the exciting supplies you might want to buy (vs the budget you actually have to buy them, of course…), getting stoked for an all-new hobby, kicking your creative brain into gear… but then you’re staring at a heap of empty paper. So, now what?
- Collate your inspiration: follow those Youtubers, make that Pinterest board, or just bookmark all the stuff you like in your browser! Some people do tutorials, while others just do showcases or ASMR videos for all the crinkly paper noises. Whatever your taste, log it all somewhere so you’re never short of inspirational ideas.
- Assemble your stuff (the bare basics are covered in this post about junk journal supplies for beginners): at the very least you’ll need some paper or a notebook, some glue, scissors, and some “junk” to stick, like cuttings from magazines or newspapers, or ticket stubs, or anything else like that. You don’t need to buy a ton of stuff to get going!
- Get sticking! If you’re starting with a pre-made notebook rather than literally making your own journal (which I’d recommend for beginners anyway) you can literally just start cutting and sticking your “junk” right off the bat. There’s no right or wrong way, really. Use repeated patterns as backgrounds, layer up with more detailed pieces, add blank “bulk” pieces like tags or labels… or just go wild and see where your creativity takes you.
- Experiment with more materials. Once you’ve got your first few spreads down you might want to try adding stitching, for example by sewing together paper or fabric scraps to create interesting shapes or texture combinations. Add in different matte or glossy finishes. Stick (or sew) on things like buttons, lace, ribbon, seashells, feathers, pressed flowers… whatever you like.
- Add to your hoard. Once you get going you’ll find that all kinds of potential junk will start catching your eye as potential additions to your collection for future spreads and pages. That crappy junk mail? Those supermarket newspapers? Old receipts? Interesting sweet wrappers? It can all go into your stash for future use, and that’s just the free stuff – you can also look into collecting stickers and deco paper and other ephemera “stuff to stick” on places like Amazon or Etsy or eBay (and many more) if you want to expand your options and lean into certain aesthetics or themes. You can also get printable digital things to cut out and add to your journal.
- Branch out and try different types, sizes or themes of journal. You might have more than one on the go at once. Maybe one is a bit 12×12 scrapbook type size and one is a tiddly little mini journal only a couple of inches high. Maybe one is vintage botanical and another is nouveau modern art. Vary it up and challenge yourself with different shapes, sizes and types of spreads or layouts to keep your creativity fresh.
- Share with the community! You may not be equipped (or inclined) to start your own YouTube ir Tiktok video channel, but you can share pics of your journal easily on platforms like Pinterest, Instagram and other platforms. Look for obvious hashtags like #junkjournal or #journaling to find even more ideas from fellow journalers.
- Organise your supplies. Rather than just chucking it all into a drawer or box, some people find just as much enjoyment from organising and arranging their journaling stash as from the journaling itself. You can get expanding folders and boxes and files and all kinds of things to nicely arrange and display your supplies and journals, especially if you’re lucky enough to be able to set aside some kind of designated crafting space where you live.
- Expand your repertoire of related skills. Maybe you’ve got a hankering to make your own stickers, dye your own paper, or create your own die cuts, and want to explore specialist machines or techniques for broader papercraft. Perhaps you’ve been hit by the sewing bug and want to learn some new stitch types or patterns to liven up your spreads or booklets. Maybe you even want to try selling your journals on sites like Etsy or eBay so other people can enjoy your creations (and help fund your hobby). Whatever has taken your fancy, there are tons of ways to learn more with a quick search for tutorials or ideas, so go forth and get even more creative.
- Keep at it! If you’ve made it to the end of this to-do list you’re already well on the way to making the most of junk journaling as a hobby, and hopefully have picked up plenty of creative skills and enjoyment along the way. Maybe you’ve split off into scrapbooking too, or delved into the more involved world of book binding. Either way, remember that as long as you’re having fun, you’re definitely not doing it wrong.
