Creative Junk Journaling

Embrace the scrappy side of creativity and turn your treasured junk into a charming book of memories.

If you’re more interested in treasuring keepsakes than crafting them to perfection, the mindful practice of junk journaling is for you. In Creative Junk Journaling, Natasha Ahmed (@natashahmedx) shows you how to create your own less-polished scrapbook, transforming “junk” into playful works of art that capture moments big and small. Random objects—sticky notes, flower petals, ticket stubs, receipts, stickers, photos, and more—now have a place in your journal with this accessible and crafty how-to guide.

Follow guided prompts and crafts to craft your own junk journal, including advice on what items to gather, stickers to collect, paper to find, notebooks to use, digital software to try, and more. Creative Junk Journaling is not only an accessible guide for beginner crafters with materials to get started, but for expert crafters, it’s an opportunity to discover new techniques, amazing crafts, inspiring prompts, and materials for your projects. Explore helpful tips and content, including:

20 inspiring junk-journal prompts, like travel memories, “What’s In My Bag,” and vision boards.5 creative crafts to customize every day objects, such as phone cases and makeup tins. 2 sticker pages full of customized art by Natasha.12 pages of collage images to cut out and paste into your junk journal.9 pages of backing paper to use as backgrounds or frames for photos.A guide to digital journaling for those who don’t collect everyday tokens but still want to collect memories.

As you immerse yourself in the process, free from judgment and the mind-numbing screen, you will discover a nurturing new way to unwind and express yourself. By taking time to slow down, look around you, and connect with your emotions, you can find and appreciate the small joys in everyday life. The pleasure of junk journaling lies in the act itself.

Enjoy a fresh take on journaling as you write down your thoughts and capture extraordinary memories with ordinary ephemera.