Junk Journaling Is The Low-Maintenance Hobby That Your Analog Era Needs

Can't let go of the cute paper napkin from that one resto? How about those receipts and bus tickets deep in your bag? Maybe all you needed was to finally put all that hoarding to good use.

Junk journaling is a less brain-intensive way of journaling, where you can use everyday items and stick them onto your journal as your entry for the day. Amid emerging trends on social media, junk journaling reinvents the concept of journaling.

It's messy. It's simple. It's straightforward. It binds you to no rules and urges you to let go of your perfectionist tendencies! Ready to try it for yourself? Read on for tips on how to start a junk journal:

Junk journaling turns everyday clutter into something personal. Instead of tossing receipts, tickets, packaging, or random scraps of paper, you piece them together into pages that capture a memory, a mood, or even just a really good day. What looks like "kalat" to other people becomes a mini time capsule you made yourself.

While junk journaling (or scrapbooking) existed even as far back as the 19th(!) century, the rise of this trend started early in 2025 when social media users began advocating to go analog. Now, it has extended to journaling clubs and workshops where people gather together to learn the latest techniques of junk journaling.

From A5 binders, old class notebooks, or even a completely new journal, you can start with literally anything. The key component of junk journaling is upscaling old items or junk, if you'd have it.

Do you want to do this daily? Weekly? Set a clear goal and stay committed! Perhaps you can even view this more like a scrapbook, where important events are categorized—from parties, test days, and dinners with friends.

Not everything needs to have a reason, though. You could also just start this for fun and pick it up whenever you feel like it! That way, it becomes more like your creative outlet.

Gather everything from receipts to pamphlets in your bag, or collect them as you go. Just make sure you don't mistake them for actual junk. 😅

Are you approaching this with precision, or do you want your inner chaos to drive you? You can paste them as they are or even cut them up into cute shapes. Some even buy a stamp puncher to ensure consistency in their journaling.

Junk journaling has a growing community of eager individuals who want to go into the hobby together. Journaling clubs help in easing the learning process and allow you to have someone to share your latest entry with.

While their sessions are not exclusively on junk journaling, Journal At Kape hosts monthly journal hangouts over a cup of coffee. But if you want a more guided experience, Sheereen Tibajia-Esquivel frequently offers paid workshops with all the materials you need.

So if you're still having second thoughts, attend a session and see if the interest sticks!