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The transition from high school to college last year was something that I really struggled with. Leaving my family, living on my own, and adjusting to new surroundings — the list can go on and on. The one thing I really struggled with, though, was the amount of free time I suddenly had on my hands. Scrolling and lying around did nothing to help with the transition, and it became clear I needed to redirect my focus to healthier habits.
The solution just so happened to fall into my lap. A happy accident while scrolling TikTok provided me with a new hobby; something to devote my time to. It was called junk journaling, and it immediately caught my attention. I spent the next few days researching and even created a Pinterest board dedicated to organizing my thoughts. Then I bought a journal.
What is a junk journal?
A junk journal, similar to a scrapbook, is a creative journal that utilizes images, stickers, markers, and stamps to create a memorable spread of an experience or event. What really made junk journaling stand out to me in particular, though, is how it encourages you to use personal and recycled materials to store your memories. I found this idea super interesting for many reasons.
For starters, I feel like collecting “trash,” so to speak, and turning it into something sentimental is a fantastic way to recycle. So not only are you getting creative, but you are also helping the planet, which I found is a great way to fill your bucket.
Another great thing that I love about junk journaling is that there are no rules to what you can create. I feel like when a hobby becomes popular on social media, there is a lot of societal pressure to create something that everyone will like, even if it’s something that is just for you. But I found that because I was using “junk,” it was easy to throw all those unspoken rules out the window and just make the journal messy and unique, no pressure added.
My junk journal has become something I hold very close to my heart, and over the past year, it has really become a part of who I am. I love that I can create whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want, and it is uniquely my own. Some of my favorite spreads that I have done in the past are album reviews, junk collages, and “Things I Love” charts.
How can you start your own?
If you are looking to pick up this hobby but don’t know where to start, here is my advice: start with a journal. The journal doesn’t even have to be new. If you have any old journals, used or not, lying around that you want to repurpose, junk journaling is a great way to do just that. Another great way to start if you don’t have an old journal is to use a book you have finished reading, or, of course, you could purchase a blank journal. Mine was around $12 from Amazon.
Once you have your canvas of choice, the world is your oyster. My most frequently used tools are scissors, double-sided tape, and glue. However, you can put as little or as much effort into it as you want, as long as it’s something uniquely yours. I love to use stickers and scrap paper in mine, but I know other people like to use theirs more to organize their thoughts or capture moments in their lives.
Something I did — a good idea, especially if you don’t know where to start — is purchased a scrapbook starter kit from Amazon. This is something I found super useful to make my journal pop.
My recommendations
First, I recommend using a book with one of those elastic straps to help the book stay closed. I’ve noticed that as you create in your journal, it becomes bulky and often can’t stay closed without help. If you did want to invest in a blank journal, I like the ones from PAPERAGE on Amazon. They all have the recommended elastic and a lot of fun color options, if that is something you are looking for.
Something else I noticed as I grew more into the hobby is that it’s important to know when to use a glue stick versus double-sided tape. If you use the tape on something flimsy, like a receipt, it often doesn’t lie flat on the page, and if you use glue on something rigid, like a business card, it just doesn’t stick to the page as well as it should. Along with this, it is important to keep anything rigid and bulky away from the spine of the book. If you don’t, the book becomes incredibly difficult to close, even with an elastic.
Something else to keep in mind is that you don’t need fancy junk to add to your journal; use things that you use every day. If you are unsure where to start, utilizing what you have at home is great. Things like fruit stickers and drink labels are some of my favorites — plus, who cares if you repeat junk?
Finally, keep it simple! Not every page has to be over the top with meaning. It’s okay to keep pages silly and fun, and it’s even more okay to leave some pages unfinished. You can always go back and add more, but don’t stress yourself out trying to keep everything neat and serious, especially with something so creative and fun.
With digital media playing such a big role in our society today, I was afraid that my phone would be the only archive I had of my youth. With my junk journal, I now have something that I will cherish forever as a token of my teenage years.