“Have you taken a tissue paper?” my husband asks before we leave a restaurant or a milk tea place. Yes, I have become that person — the one who takes things home for my junk journal.
I don’t recall when I first heard or learned about junk journaling but I was determined to make it one of my things when 2025 rolled in.
What is junk journaling?
There’s no one way to describe a junk journal. Like any other type of journal, it’s very personal! But at its core, it’s a log of memories in “junk” form.
You take bits and pieces from your day — whether that’s a resto receipt, a button you found while walking in your neighborhood, a sticker your daughter got for you — and place them all together on a page or pages of your journal.
The great thing about it is it’s super chill. You don’t need to plan ahead like you would with scrapbooking. It’s straight-up memory-keeping but with tangible things.
Some prefer to go the more curated way (think: specialty paper, stickers, and more), while others keep it strictly limited to found objects. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. (I do a bit of both!)
What do you write in a junk journal?
Anything… or nothing. There are no hard rules. I’ve seen many junk journals with zero text on them, except for cut-outs from paper bags and receipts. My journal has text though. I keep it short. Just the date and the highlights. Something to remember the day with.
What should you write? Whatever floats your boat!
What are the benefits of junk journaling?
The two main benefits of junk journaling for me are 1) memory-keeping (of course) and 2) time away from a screen.
Part of the reason why I started my junk journal is to do something with my hands — and keep my eyes off my damn phone screen.
There is also, of course, the deeper appreciation for what may be deemed as mundane. The normal becomes eternal.
It also helps you practice art and design. And while your junk journal doesn’t have to be ~Instagram-worthy, the practice still helps you take a better look at what materials or elements work together visually.
How to get started in junk journaling
It’s incredibly easy to get started! Get a notebook, keep random things you find while living, place the pieces together on the pages of your notebook. That’s it.
Junk journaling ideas list
I go by the “whatever-you-feel-like-it” mantra when it comes to my journal. But if you’re looking for a little bit of guidance and don’t intend to keep it as a daily (or special occasion) log, here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Vintage vibe spread
Take old paper scraps, tickets, and ads and give them a second life. These elements add instant nostalgia and charm.
2. Travel collage
Gather your boarding passes, train stubs, and metro cards and put them together to showcase memories from your adventures.
3. Mixed media mood board
Combine paint, washi tape, magazine cutouts, and doodles to visualize your dreams and plans.
4. Found objects field
Use random items like clothing tags, pressed flowers, or sugar packets. The goal is to find beauty in the ordinary.
5. Theme of the month
Focus on one theme (like “coziness” or “wanderlust”) and curate everything around it.
6. Song lyrics and playlists
For my music lovers: Let songs inspire your layout. Add printed lyrics, doodles of album covers and other musical elements.
7. Book page flip-in
Fold, glue, or staple a book page or quote as a flap. Or if you don’t want to do this to one of your books, write the quote down on a piece of paper and use it to decorate your page.
8. Pocket pages
Create little envelopes or tuck spots. This is great for keeping notes you wrote for yourself or from others.
9. Polaroid or faux photo corners
Document a day with instant photos or printouts, layered with scribbled notes and tape.
10. Gratitude collage
Find images or words that represent the things you’re grateful for and immortalize them on your journal’s pages. It’s like gratitude journaling but more visual!
11. Color of the day
Pick a color and use only things that are in that tone. Remember: limits harness creativity!
12. Doodle frame
Hand-draw a funky border or doodled frame, then fill the center with your thoughts or a material you kept from the day.
13. Washi tape sampler
Showcase your favorite washi strips like a rainbow and use it as a backdrop for your other materials or thoughts.
14. “This Week In Scraps”
Each day, add one found item or scrap. It’s like a scrapbook diary, one piece at a time.
15. Secret code or puzzle page
Ooh, a secret. Hide a message in symbols, folding flaps, or a code only you understand.