What Are Junk Journals? A Beginner’s Guide: Part 1

When you hear the words junk journal, what comes to mind? If you're picturing a book full of discarded scraps, you’re not alone! The name can be a bit misleading, and that’s why we’re launching our Keepin’ It Simple blog series—to share our knowledge and inspiration about junk journaling in a way that’s easy to understand.

Before we dive in, here’s the most important thing to remember: a junk journal can be anything you want it to be!

A Brief (Unofficial) History of Junk Journals

Junk journals were originally crafted by hand using a mix of vintage and recycled materials—things like handmade paper, packaging, envelopes, and scraps of fabric. They became a place to store memorabilia, photos, personal reflections, and creative ideas, often blending writing with artistic expression.

Over time, this original "junk" style evolved into a fusion of vintage and modern textiles, prints, and embellishments. Today, digital junk journal kits make it easy to download, print, and assemble pages, while scrapbook paper collections have become a popular addition.

At Country Craft Creations, we’ve taken junk journaling a step further with our hybrid junk journal collections—professionally printed, edge-to-edge designs that eliminate the "white border" issue of at-home printing. These collections provide the look and feel of a traditional junk journal, but with the ease and convenience of ready-to-use pages, making the craft more accessible than ever.

Junk journals have also taken on a "hybrid" approach, seamlessly incorporating scrapbook techniques and interactive elements into their pages. Pop-ups, hidden pockets, flaps, and folio-style layouts—once reserved for mini albums—are now making their way into junk journals, blurring the lines between papercrafting styles and offering even more creative possibilities.

While junk journals have evolved, the heart of the craft remains the same—a deeply personal and creative way to document stories, memories, and artistic expression, creating keepsakes that can be cherished for generations.

So, if your journey brings you across a "true" junk journaler who’s adamant about using only junk and vintage materials, don’t worry—it’s okay! That’s the beauty of junk journals— there’s no right or wrong way to create one!

In the next article in this series, we’ll explore the many uses of junk journals and the different types you can create—so stay tuned!

Have you heard about our NEW Heritage Product Line? Check it out here:

• Heritage Line Introduction 
  

   

• Frequently Asked Questions