October Newsletter

Crafting Beautiful Junk Journals from Household Items!

Hello Fellow Junk Journal Newbies!

If you’ve ever wanted to get into junk journaling but felt overwhelmed by where to start or what materials to use, this edition is for you! You don't need to buy expensive supplies—just take a look around your home. There are so many hidden gems waiting to be repurposed into unique and personal pages in your junk journal.

Here’s how you can create a stunning junk journal from items you already have around the house:

1. Paper Products: Turn Trash into Treasure

Old Envelopes: Use them as pockets to store small items like tags, notes, or photos.
Receipts & Bills: These make excellent background papers, adding a personal and vintage feel.
Packaging & Wrappers: Think of cereal boxes or tissue boxes! They can be cut into sturdy journal covers or used as decorative elements.
Newspapers & Magazines: Cut out interesting headlines, pictures, or patterns to create a collage. Newspaper print also works great as a base for pages or as a layering effect.

2. Fabrics & Textures: Add Depth

Old Clothes: Cut up worn-out clothes or fabric scraps for textures. Think lace from an old blouse or denim from torn jeans—perfect for fabric pockets or page borders.
Ribbons & String: From gift wraps or old shoelaces, these are perfect to bind your journal or add decorative touches.
Towels & Burlap: Got an old dish towel? Cut it up to add texture, layers, or covers that make your junk journal tactile.

3. Nature Finds: Bring the Outdoors In

Dried Flowers & Leaves: Next time you go for a walk, collect a few flowers or leaves. Once dried, these natural elements can be pressed between pages for a lovely vintage feel.
Twigs & Pebbles: Small twigs can be glued on the cover for a rustic look, while flat pebbles can be used to weigh down pages or as bookmarks.
Feathers: Perfect as page markers or glued onto pages for a whimsical touch.

4. Random Ephemera: Use the Unlikely!

Old Postcards & Stamps: Add a nostalgic element by including old postcards or stamps you have lying around. These can serve as journaling spots or decorative borders.
Buttons: From your old sewing kit, buttons can be sewn into pages or used as accents on covers.
Takeout Menus or Business Cards: Great for journaling prompts—where did you eat that day? What did you order?

5. Stationery & Craft Bits: Don’t Overlook the Basics

Scrap Papers: Notebooks, sketch pads, or leftover craft paper can be torn up and used as the base of your pages.
Stickers: If you have any leftover stickers from other projects or packaging, incorporate them into your journal for some pop and color.
Ink & Paints: Even if you’re not an artist, a splash of color or a smudge from an ink pad adds character and charm to any page.

6. Personal Touches: Make it Yours

Old Photos: Print out a few or dig through your old albums for pictures that resonate with your journaling theme.
Notes or Letters: Old notes or personal letters can be tucked into pockets or even used as background material for your pages.

DIY Junk Journal Binding Tips

If you have old string or ribbon lying around, these can be used to bind your pages together.
Use cardboard from packaging as the cover and punch holes along the edges to tie everything up!
Experiment with folding, tearing, and stitching pages together.

Final Thoughts Junk journaling is about expressing creativity with whatever you have on hand. It's less about perfection and more about the joy of creating something personal, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind. Next time you're tempted to throw something away, think twice—could it find a new home in your journal?

Until next time, happy journaling!

Keep creating, and let your imagination lead the way!

Junk Journal Newbies

Junkjournalnewbies.com