What Goes In A Junk Journal

Hello Everyone!

If you were to tell me junk journals and scrapbooks are the same, I would tell you yes and no. First off, scrap books are made for specific occasions and memories. They’re more coordinated than a junk journal. A junk journal tends to be scraps of anything and everything, whether it be a cinema ticket or a postcard, anything and everything goes into a junk journal (notice the emphasise there?), but how do you make one? Where do you even start? Let me explain. Here are 7 things that can go into your junk journal.

1.    Inspiration Collages

First of all, it depends on what your junk journal is used for what you put in there. It’s not just a journal for scraps and memories. It can be used for inspiration too. You can decorate your journal’s pages with inspiration for whatever it is you want to do or make. It’s not just about putting old stationery, washi tape and stickers in a book, you can make the pages in your junk journal be inspiration for a larger project.

2.   Moodboards

One of the best ways I use my junk journal is as moodboards. I put together stickers, washi tape and images that I think work well together, and give those pages a name, as you’ve probably seen on my social media channels and as shorts on my YouTube channel. Normally, these moodboards help me decide what colours and design styles go well together, and it ranges from celestial bodies to floral themes, to coffee aesthetics. Now, there are a number of things that these moodboards help me with, least of all my bullet journal and Sims builds. That’s why I create my junk journal.

3.   Travel Memorabilia

This is why I say junk journals are pretty much the same thing as scrapbooks. For both, travel can be the main theme of the book or journal. Most travel memorabilia get stored in a box somewhere, never to really be seen again, so why not put it in your journal and immortalise it, with beautiful stickers and washi tape? You can even add a few journal entries to remind you why it’s in your journal, or to help you recall exactly what it was you did the day you acquired that piece of paraphernalia.

4.   Learning Material

As someone who is still learning about a lot of things, like languages, ancient civilisation and even about other cultures, one of the best uses of a junk journal is for learning. I used to have a junk journal dedicated to the definition of words I didn’t know, and it’s helped me improve and expand my vocabulary. Another journal I used to keep was a languages journal, where I wrote one word or sentence in that other language, as an entry for that day. A junk journal doesn’t just have to be saved for scraps, or as an art piece to admire. They can have a purpose or a function, if you want it to.

5.   Gratitude Diary

Ok, so our junk journal is now crossing over into other journal types and diary types, and that’s ok. Junk journals and all other types of journals can bleed into each other, because for every individual who owns one, it’s not a “one size fits all” deal. In fact, a junk journal can also function as a bullet journal if you want it to, or an actual diary. It’s up to you. In this case, it can be used as a means to help you stay humble and grateful for the things you have. Gratitude diaries don’t need to be massively complicated, nor do you need to write essays for them, one line should do, and that’s why they’re perfect for junk journals.

6.   Progress Diary

If you’re working on a long project, say for example you’re working on a crochet blanket, you can post pictures of your progress, or write a couple of sentences on how far you managed to progress. Making your junk journal a progress diary can help you remember where you left off on your project, if you had to put it to one side for an extended period of time. It’s not all about working through your emotions, you can use it for pretty much anything. It is only up to your imagination and creativity.

7.   Art Diary

This one’s for the artist in you. If you’re looking to practice a particular art style, then you can use your junk journal as an art diary. For example, if you’re learning to sketch, or if you’re practicing watercolour or oil painting. Your junk journal can act as an art book, since you’re already creating half the art through your sketches, doodles, or paintings. Just remember keep the entries small. You don’t want to do a large landscape piece. That most likely wouldn’t fit. You’ll want to make your pieces small enough so that you still have plenty of space for your washi tape, stickers and notes, if you decide to add some.

So, What Goes In A Junk Journal?

Anything can go in a junk journal, really. You’re only limited by your imagination and creativity, and if your options seem overwhelming, or you just don’t get the idea of some of its uses, then stick to the uses that work for you. Like I said earlier, journals aren’t a “one size fits all” sort of deal, it’s a “whatever works for you” deal, So, don’t expect your journal to look exactly like someone else’s. A junk journal is whatever you want it to be, so keep playing around with it, something will eventually click.

Well, that’s it from me today, I’m going to go and finish setting up my next junk journal video for you guys. While I go do that, please don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment, share and follow me, here on Feather’s Charm, on my YouTube channel, on my other social media channels (Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok) and on Patreon. Your support really does help me make more content like this, for you guys.

And as always, be kind, be creative, and be unique.

I’ll see you later!

Feather, out!