In this post, I’ll be sharing a beginner’s guide to junk journaling – including essential materials and inspirational art journal prompts for page spreads.
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New hot girl hobby unlocked: junk journaling!
If you find yourself wanting to spend way more time away from your tech devices and indulging in some screen-free hobbies, stick around because this post is a beginner’s guide to art journaling.
I’ll be diving into the benefits of creating an art journal, my go-to materials and supplies, and sharing some creative art journal prompts for page spreads.
With it’s easygoing “no rules” approach to crafting, this is sure to be my serotonin-boosting summer hobby of choice!
What is an art journal?
Also often referred to as a junk journal, scrapbooking journal, or cut & paste journal, art journaling involves creating a visual diary of your thoughts, experiences, and ideas using various art materials such as paints, markers, and ephemera. You can create mixed media collages, include personal writing, or center each page around a specific theme.
An art journal is a wonderful way to express your creativity and document your life in a unique and personal way. It allows you to combine different artistic techniques and materials to create a visually stunning and meaningful journal. Whether you are an experienced artist or just starting, an art journal can be a great outlet for self-expression and a fun screen-free way to explore your creativity.
Benefits of junk journaling
One of the great benefits of junk journaling is the freedom it offers to experiment with various techniques and styles. Whether you enjoy collage, painting, doodling, or incorporating found objects, there are no rules to limit your creativity. You can let your imagination run wild and create unique pages that truly reflect your personality and interests. This eclectic approach allows for endless possibilities and encourages you to think outside the box.
Junk journaling can also be a therapeutic practice that helps you unwind, de-stress, and practice mindfulness. The process of collecting and arranging different elements in your journal can be a meditative experience that allows you to focus on the present moment and let go of any worries or distractions.
In addition to being a personal creative outlet, junk journaling can also serve as a visual diary or memory-keeping tool. You can document your thoughts, experiences, and memories in a visually appealing way that you can look back on and cherish for years to come.
How to make a junk journal
Before sitting down to create your first art journal spread, you’ll want to start having what I like to call a “collector’s mentality.”
The beauty of a junk journal lies in the eclectic mix of materials you can use to create a truly unique and visually appealing book. So begin by keeping an open mind to anything and everything that sparks inspiration.
Your first time visiting a new city? Consider collecting pieces like coffee shop receipts, museum tickets, and other small keepsakes from the trip. Combine these on a page with a few photographs and memorable quotes for a scrapbook-style spread.
Or, maybe inspiration strikes from a color you’ve been noticing everywhere this season. Mindfully collect objects or images that reflect the color represented in your favorite fashion, food, or home decor pieces to create an eye-catching monochromatic journal spread.
Regardless of your approach, your junk journal should feel welcoming and make you excited to create something.
Tip: stay organized by using a storage bin or set of containers to store all your collected items over time. I suggest keeping this container reasonably sized to avoid going overboard. If you notice your collection of ephemera items is getting large and out of control, it’s time to sit down and create some art journal spreads! Avoid the overwhelm of keeping too much by only holding on to the items that truly spark joy, evoke a positive feeling, or special memory.
Junk journal supplies
You can use a variety of different types of notebooks as the base for your junk journal book such as spiral notebooks, composition books, sketchbooks, or even old textbooks that you no longer use.
I tend to stay away from spiral-bound options and prefer to use a bullet journal or something with stitched binding. This allows me to freely create two-page spreads without having to splice the design down the middle.
Brands like Moleskin, Paperage, and Eccolo have great quality journals to start off with in various colors, sizes, and page styles like dotted, lined, or grid.
For a sturdier option, you could also use a sketchbook, which typically has thicker pages (around 110 gsm) and works best with mixed media materials like paint and markers.
Whatever you choose, there are endless options at any price point to suit your needs.
Once you have your base journal selected, you’ll also need some essential materials like:
- Tape: While any standard double sided tape will do for junk journaling, I love these handy adhesive tape rollers for ease of use.
- Glue: A standard all-purpose craft glue stick is a must for your crafting supply stash. For more heavy duty items, consider using a stronger all purpose tacky glue.
- Scissors: Apart from your typical paper scissors, I recommend investing in a sharp pair of small scissors for more precise cuts.
- Ruler: While any ruler or straight edge will do, I highly suggest a clear graft ruler with grids for exact measuring when needed.
- Pens: You can use any pens but I recommend a set of fineliners that will glide smoothly over many different types of surfaces, as well as a white gel pen to write on darker areas.
- Markers: A great set of markers will help unlock endless creative ideas. This set of Ohuhu alcohol markers is my all-time favorite. Click here for a full review post!
- Printer: You may want to use a standard printer for junk journaling. It comes in handy for page spreads that require specific images, fonts, quotes, or elements that may be hard to source elsewhere. You can even use photo paper to print photos, or labels to make DIY stickers. Alternatively, you could invest in a bluetooth inkless photo printer (I’m totally adding this to my wishlist!) to transfer images from your phone to paper in just a few taps.
- Assorted magazines: Junk journaling is the perfect excuse to dive back into those old magazines. I love to search for fun quotes or interesting typography to layer in my spreads. I find that magazines about fashion, home decor, and gardening tend to have beautiful photography and pages displaying lots of prints, patterns, and textiles – great for adding color and texture to a junk journal! Besides traditional magazines, you can also use store catalogs, brochures, and even coloring books.
- Stickers: Whether you prefer sticker sheets, or individual die cut stickers, there are endless stickers available for any theme, occasion, and use. I also love collecting sticker books like The Botanist Sticker Anthology, or collaging books like Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage as a way to instantly add hundreds of designs to my journal decorating stash.
- Washi Tape: Washi tape is a classic decorative and functional item to keep on hand for junk journaling. You can use them to create borders around a section of the page, as labels, to attach photographs or ephemera, or simply add a pop of color to your spread.
- Binder Clips: This is a tool that you may want to consider once your journal starts filling up. Remember, all the different layers and objects will start to add quite a bit of bulk to your book, so it may be helpful to use binder clips to hold the pages open when creating a new spread.
To add more dimension and layers to your junk journal, you can always incorporate various unconventional materials to your spreads! This will create one-of-a-kind pages and allow you to tap into your creativity with supplies that you may have normally overlooked.
Here are some additional materials to consider adding to your creative art journal spreads:
- Postcards and letters: Incorporate old postcards, letters, and envelopes into your junk journal for a touch of nostalgia and personal anecdotes.
- Greeting cards and envelopes: Place sentimental birthday cards from your loved ones in your spreads for memory-keeping, or use the cover of pretty greeting cards as decorative scrapbook paper.
- Fabric scraps and lace: Add texture and dimension to your journal by including fabric scraps, lace trimmings, ribbons, and buttons to create beautiful and unique collages.
- Nature finds: Pressed flowers, leaves, and feathers can bring a touch of the outdoors to your journal. Collect these treasures during your walks and add them to your pages for a whimsical touch.
- Ticket stubs and ephemera: Save ticket stubs, receipts, and other ephemera from your everyday life to include in your journal. These little mementos can evoke memories and add a personal touch to your pages.
- Packaging materials: Next time you open up a package from an online order, keep your eyes peeled for aesthetic marketing materials like coupons, thank you cards, tissue paper, etc.
- Party decor: Explore the world of confetti, decorative cupcake toppers, or other small party supplies in fun themes and materials to add little embellishments to your pages.
BONUS: Mixed media elements! Experiment with different art mediums like watercolors, acrylics, markers, and colored pencils to create dynamic and visually appealing pages in your junk journal.
Junk journal ideas
Art journal inspiration is always all around us. Technically, anything can be turned into a creative art journal page spread idea. Art is all about perspective and interpretation, so don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild and turn the ordinary into something inspired and exceptional.
If you’re feeling stuck in a creative slump or need a kickstart to get your wheels turning, here’s a list of junk journaling ideas to inspire your next page spread:
- Recipe: Feature a special recipe (either one you know and love or one you’re excited to try) on the page. Consider adding images of the different ingredients, serving suggestions, and a music playlist inspired by the dish.
- Monochromatic: Choose one color and curate different images in various shades for a standout single-color page spread.
- Quotes: Highlight a quote you love from a movie, tv show, or song. You can handwrite it, or use words cut out from magazines to design a collage-style quote over your desired backdrop.
- Memory: Create a classic scrapbook-style page spread with photographs and ephemera from a recent trip, birthday celebration, date night, or any special occasion you want to keep a sweet record of.
- Vision Board: Whether it’s yearly, monthly, or for any given reason, mood/vision boards are my go-to spread when I want to tap into my creative flow. Pair this journaling session with some feel-good music and get lost in the visualization process behind your manifestations.
- Face Collage: This one is fun and simple! Use different facial features cut from magazines to build a unique face design.
- Diary: Write a heartfelt letter to your past or future self. Play around with unconventional ways of writing the letter (like creating a spiral of sentences on the page) or use an envelope glued onto the page to house a folded letter that can be removed and read. Sometimes a more interactive page spread adds to the appeal of junk journaling by creating a tactile element.
- Currently Loving: Make a visual layout of your favorites by genre or category. For example, dedicate a full spread to your all-time favorite books and add coordinating elements like bookmarks, torn book pages, vintage library ephemera, etc.
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When it comes to designing your junk journal, the possibilities are truly endless. You get to have fun experimenting with different supplies and techniques to bring your vision to life.
Remember, there are no rules when it comes to junk journaling – let your creativity flow and enjoy the process!
So grab your favorite art supplies and let your imagination run wild as you fill the pages of your art journal with colors, textures, and stories that are uniquely yours.
Looking for more inspo!? Check out my Pinterest for tons of lifestyle and creative journaling content… updated daily!
This post was all about creative art and junk journaling. If you like this content, check out these posts below!
– 7 Creative Hobbies That Will Make You Forget To Check Your Phone
– Ohuhu Alcohol Markers | Color Swatches and First Impression Review
– 5 Gorgeous Coloring Pages For Adults | Free Download
Xx- Laura
PS – Follow along on Instagram for more posts and stories related to this topic!
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