Picture this: you’re 80-years-old, sitting peacefully in a rocking chair, flipping through a book filled with old movie tickets, handwritten notes and vintage postcards. Each piece of paper in this book tells a story from your younger years. In a world where memories are often stored on cloud drives and social media feeds, junk journaling offers a hands-on, creative approach to preserving the past while giving everyday materials the chance to tell a story of their own.
Sterre de Weerd is a social media influencer on Instagram who discovered the joy of junk journaling as a way to preserve memories of her travels around the world. Today, she’s an avid junk journalist who said she sees it as a “low-effort, low-expectation hobby.”
“It’s about the memories, not necessarily about the finished product,” said de Weerd. Junk journaling is a fun and creative way to preserve memories, blending crafting and sustainability. By repurposing and recycling everyday materials like old books, photos, postcards, tickets, maps or receipts, junk journalers transform mundane items into stories accumulated into a handmade keepsake.
The roots of junk journaling trace back to the 19th century, evolving from scrapbooking traditions in the Middle Ages. Families often used Bibles to record significant life events, personal stories and mementos. Scrapbooking, as many know it today, gained significant popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, creating numerous stores dedicated to the craft. However, as scrapbooking supplies became more expensive and less eco-friendly, a new form of creative expression emerged: junk journaling.
Junk journals started as a form of ‘rebellion’ against the idea that you needed to buy expensive papers and supplies to store memories or create personal artwork, said Justine Jenkins, an author who writes about junk journalism on her House of Mahalo craft blog, YouTube channel and Etsy shop.
Instead of purchasing pricey materials, junk journalers embrace the idea of reusing everyday items — things most people would typically throw away. This included ticket stubs, cereal boxes and old envelopes, all of which could be repurposed into something both beautiful and meaningful.
How Junk Journaling Works
De Weerd, who is from Columbus, Ohio, said she began journaling when she was young but said it didn’t become a habit until she saw someone doing it on TikTok.
“I thought it would be perfect because I always hang onto maps, brochures and tickets,” said De Weerd.
For some, it’s a way to craft a daily planner, with each page adorned with unique decorations and personal touches. For others, it’s a memory book where an everyday item — whether a concert ticket, a receipt or a photograph — holds sentimental value. Junk journaling can be themed to reflect personal experiences, such as travel journals filled with photos, maps and ticket stubs from trips. The beauty of junk journaling lies in its versatility, allowing each person to make their journal unique to their personal experiences.
Beyond being a fun hobby, junk journaling is an affordable and eco-conscious alternative to traditional scrapbooking. Instead of buying new materials, junk journalers recycle and repurpose items they already have, minimizing waste and reducing their environmental footprint.
Getting Started
Chelle Stein, an art journalist, said there are five key steps to creating a junk journal.
The first is deciding on the journal’s purpose or theme — whether it’s to document memories, a gift or serve as a creative outlet. The theme can even be no theme — randomness works too. This helps establish focus and direction so the process doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Next, choose a book-binding method. There are several options, including sewn bindings, where you stitch pages into the cover, or binder rings, which are a popular and simple choice. Alternatively, you can repurpose an old notebook or book, giving it new life as a junk journal.
Once you’ve decided on the binding, it’s time to collect materials. These can include anything — old postcards, fabric scraps, vintage buttons and even discarded receipts. Tools and supplies may include glue, scissors, sewing needles and decorative elements like washi tape or stamps.
After gathering your materials, it’s time to assemble the base of your book. From there, the fun begins — filling the pages with memories, designs and creative expression. Many feel pressure when starting to make every page perfectly aesthetic. Don’t sweat it. The beauty of using junk removes that pressure, allowing yourself to release all creative mayhem into those pages.
The Popularity
Social media played a significant role in spreading this craft, particularly during 2020 when COVID-19 forced people to stay at home. Junk journaling became a popular creative outlet for many during those isolated times. It allowed people to immerse themselves in an engaging, low-pressure hobby that also provided a sense of achievement and self-expression.
Social media apps like TikTok and Instagram allow junk journalers to share their creations however they would like. Individuals began creating accounts to post videos or photos of their junk journals, which sparked a ripple effect where others were inspired to try it out too.
Why People Love Junk Journaling
“It’s a space where you can express yourself with anything you want,” said Sy Wendy. “There is no guideline to what you can or cannot use in your junk journal.” Wendy said that junk journaling offers endless possibilities to store both memories and ideas.
Junk journalers say it’s a great activity for relieving stress and unwinding because it requires little effort. Beyond just a creative hobby, junk journaling has therapeutic benefits. Studies have shown that engaging in creative hobbies can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being. Many use the practice as a way to manage stress or anxiety.
“’It’s like meditation for me,” said de Weerd. “When I focus on sticking paper or creating designs, my mind calms down, and the noise fades away. It’s a form of self-care, allowing me to unwind and reflect without pressure.”
Whether it’s a planner, a memory book, or a themed collection, junk journaling is a creative way to capture life’s moments while giving old materials a second life.
“I love collecting things and being able to look back on them. I also love to be creative, but I feel like drawing or painting is too much effort sometimes and takes up a lot of mental capacity,” said De Weerd.“I sometimes just like the idea of sticking things on the page and creating something, versus having to come up with an idea and drawing it myself.”
Junk journaling is more than just a creative hobby — it’s a personal and sustainable way to document memories. In the modern world, where digital photos or memories can feel fleeting, junk journaling provides a meaningful method to preserve thoughts, personal experiences and creativity.
In a world of mass-produced, throwaway culture, many enthusiasts say junk journaling provides a hands-on alternative that gives them an environmentally-friendly way to preserve memories.
Where to Acquire Your Junk
Junk journaling is all about embracing the beauty of otherwise discarded objects. As you go about your day, keep an eye out for these easy places to find junk in your everyday life.
- Tickets from fast food restaurants can be a fun way to display your big back tendencies. And the sticker paper they’re printed on makes them easy to paste to your pages.
- Stickers are a cute and easy way to make and spread more personalized. Free stickers are often available around campus, or you could buy a pack for less than $10 on Amazon or at Target.
- Commemorate your college days using flyers from events on campus. Every snippet brings a different vibe and splash of color to your spread through their unique branding.
- Food packing like wrappers or boxes are often overlooked, but they can add a unique aesthetic to your pages while also providing an inadvertent snacking habit tracker.
- Wherever you buy groceries, movie tickets, train passes or go out to a restaurant, always say “yes” to a printed receipt. Be careful, though, as receipts fade over time. Counteract this by going over the important details with a pen or think marker.
words_rebecca peikes & samuel rotenberg. photo_lizzie kristal. design_charlotte deangelis.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2025 print issue.
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