Things You Can Put in a Junk Journal

A junk journal is all about personal expression and collecting memories. There’s an element of intuition when you pick out the tip-in’s, textures, and other elements that you paste in.

The things that catch your eye and appeal to you end up saying a lot about when you flip back through the pages. And there’s nothing more satisfying than going back through the pages crinkly with glue (and love!) Here are lots of ideas for things you can put in your junk journal!

Journal Pages

Leave lots of space for yourself to write in things afterwards! Leaving blank pages will allow your junk journal to continue capturing new thoughts and experiences over time.

You might include extra note cards with journaling prompts to foster reflection, like “What made you happy this week?” or “Three things I’m grateful for.” Especially if you’re making the journal as a gift, this gives the recipient an easy space to add their own touches to the journal.

Our printable junk journal pages include decorative pages plus pages with lots of space to write in or paste in your ephemera.

Pockets / Folios

Get creative by sewing or gluing pockets, envelopes and folios onto pages. Pockets can be made with a thicker paper like card stock to give them structure and durability. They’re fun to fold, and give you extra spots to tuck things into.

Envelopes make great pockets to hold ticket stubs from a favorite show, and other found or printed ephemera. Or, glue a folio into a two-page spread opening to safely display especially fragile souvenirs.

Having hidden nooks and folding flaps adds an extra level of discovery and tactile fun for flipping through your treasured book of memories.

Fussy Cut Ephemera

Add extra interest to your pages by gluing in delicate shapes you’ve fussy cut from materials like magazines, or shop printables specifically for the purpose.

Snip out images, letters, advertisements and more from old magazines, books, pictures and paper scraps. Try using this careful cutting technique to form a collage. Fussy cut letters and words can spell out meaningful quotes.

Play with layering and composition to make each inclusion a unique piece of visual interest. With scissors and patience, fussy cutting allows you to customize found paper textures into truly personalized adornments for your junk journal pages.

Journal Words

Spice up pages by incorporating meaningful words cut from paper or magazines. Favorites could be words reminding you of people, places, feelings or inspirations. Glue words individually, or arrange them artistically into thoughtful phrases.

Tucked-in words elevate visual interest and add extra depth to document life’s tidbits. Consider cutting out descriptive verbs to prompt future memories. If you have access to a typewriter, you can type words on any kind of interesting paper you find.

Journal words allow layers of deeper personal symbolism to shine through on each page – crafting a unique lexicon within your special keepsake book. They also provide a visual anchor for the eyes as they scan through the pages.

Mini Journals

Most journaling printables, including pages and ephemera, can be made miniature by printing them on a smaller scale setting.

Mini journals are so much fun to make and to tuck inside of a larger junk journal! They’re adorable and just as much fun to flip through as a regular sized junk journal.

Some people even use their mini notebooks as a dangle on a larger junk journal.

Stamps

Junk journals are a great place to make use of your stamps and ink you’ve collected over the years.

Stamps can add extra visual interest to the page, and look great under or over paper collage pieces.

At the very least, stamping the date and your initials somewhere into the front of the junk journal can add to its value as memorabilia and sentimentality.

Stamps with letters on them can also help you add your own journal words as you see fit.

Photographs

Try tucking in your printed photographs from your current life to personalize your junk journals!

Junk journals are also a great place for memorabilia like old family photos. Rather than using the original photos, you may want to simply scan them to your computer and print them onto a separate piece of paper.

Even vintage photographs of people you don’t know fit can right into a junk journal, especially one with a vintage theme.

Letters/correspondence

Scan or glue in any meaningful letters, postcards, greeting cards you’ve received. Letters can allow a more personal glimpse into relationships and experiences, and let us dive in to a particular page or spread and get detailed.

Showcasing someone’s handwriting always has a beautiful and touching effect, as the pages yellow with time.

Fabric scraps

Add texture and richness to pages with snippets of fabric. Tie in sentimental swatches like lace from a grandmother’s tablecloth or quilt scraps. Scraps of clothing hold memories of loved ones or special outfits.

Including fabric scraps can add texture that it fun to touch and feel, and also visual interest. It can help bulk up your junk journal if you find it lays too flat.

Whether nostalgic or whimsical, fabric scraps become non-traditional embellishments that add layers of visual interest and nostalgia to your one-of-a-kind junk journal.

Natural items

Pressed flowers, dried leaves, and ferns give a touch of the outdoors. Pressed plants capture ephemeral beauty that would otherwise fade. Leaves and ferns preserve shape and color when dried.

Miniature pressed botanicals create intricate collages when arranged. Natural items act as subtle connections to places and memories made outside—a walk in the woods or time spent at the shoreline.

Their preservation shows appreciation for the simplicity and detail in nature. Over time, these organic embellishments only deepen in rich patina and sentimental associations woven throughout your journal.

Paper Scraps

Including extra scraps of paper can help you fill pockets, write extra notes and give an extra surprising touch when hidden behind tip-ins and tuck spots.

Ribbons & Lace

Ribbons can make great bindings if you’re making your junk journal from scratch. They also work well as page trims. Try using ribbons around your cover and thicker section divider paper.

Experiment with all kinds of tucked-in trinkets that evoke a nostalgic response. Your junk journal is a special personalized time capsule of your experiences, thoughts and moments that truly matter.

A Keepsake to Discover Again and Again

The possibilities are endless when it comes to personalizing your own unique junk journal. As you collect mementos and trinkets that spark joy or reminiscence, this book will become a living archive of your memories and story.

Don’t be afraid to experiment – each page is a chance to celebrate cherished moments through art, photographs, textures and mixed media. As time passes, returning to peruse filled spreads will be like catching up with an old friend holding your life’s chapters.

A junk journal preserves the small treasures that comprise a life and makes them accessible always. May your book bring smiles of remembrance for many journeys around the sun.