I get asked some version of this question a lot: “is junk journaling just scrapbooking with a different name?” I get why the confusion happens. Both hobbies involve paper, glue, photos or mementos, and a finished page you’re proud of. But once you’ve tried both, the differences are actually pretty clear, and knowing them upfront…

Most autumn junk journal round-ups give you a long list of ideas and leave you to work out the order yourself. I found that overwhelming when I started mine last year, so this time I am building it page by page, in sequence, from the cover to the closing spread. If you are new to…

When I first got into junk journaling, I assumed I’d need to buy a big bundle of “ephemera packs” just to get started. It turns out that’s one of the most avoidable expenses in the whole hobby. Most of what fills a beautiful junk journal page is either already sitting around your house or free…

I’ll be honest with you: the first time I searched “junk journal supplies,” I closed the tab within about thirty seconds. Die-cut punches, three different weights of washi tape, a whole drawer of specialty adhesives, vintage ephemera packs that cost more than my weekly shop. It looked like a hobby for people with a spare…

You’ve decided you want a planner. You’ve scrolled through what feels like seventeen hundred options, and now you’re staring at two sizes that look very similar but somehow feel completely different when you hold them. A5 or A6 — which one is going to work for your life? This is one of those decisions that…

You’ve probably seen them on social media—those gorgeous, layered journals bursting with vintage papers, old receipts, and bits of lace. They look like handmade treasures from another era, yet they’re being created by crafters just like you. This is the world of junk journaling, where nothing is too ordinary to become art. Junk journaling takes…