Junk Journal for Beginners – Everything You Need to Get Started

So you keep seeing these gorgeous junk journals all over Pinterest and Instagram and you’re thinking… I want to make one of those. But then you look closer and they seem so intricate and layered and you wonder if you even have the skills for it.

Here’s the honest truth: you absolutely do. I made my first junk journal with printer paper, a cereal box, and some old magazines I was about to recycle. Was it pretty? Not really. Was it fun? Ridiculously. And that’s kind of the whole point.

If you’re brand new to this, start with our what is a junk journal guide for the full overview. But if you’re ready to just jump in, keep reading – I’m going to walk you through everything you need to make your first one today.

What Makes Junk Journaling Perfect for Beginners

I’ve tried a lot of paper crafts over the years – scrapbooking, card making, art journaling – and junk journaling is hands down the most beginner-friendly of all of them. Here’s why:

• There are literally no rules. No standard page size, no “right” way to arrange things, no archival requirements. If it makes you happy, it goes in the journal.
• Mistakes become features. Glued something crooked? That’s charm. Paint bled through to the other side? Now you’ve got a cool background. Tore the paper? Even better.
• Your supplies are free. Old envelopes, junk mail, napkins, tissue paper, paper bags, cereal boxes – your recycling bin is basically a craft store.
• No special skills needed. If you can use scissors and a glue stick, you can junk journal. That’s it. That’s the bar.

Your First Junk Journal Supply List

I know you’re going to see elaborate supply lists online with 47 items on them. Ignore those. Here’s what you actually need to make your first journal:

The essentials (you probably already own these)

• Paper – 8-10 sheets of literally any paper. Printer paper, old book pages, brown paper bags, scrapbook paper scraps – mix different types for more interesting pages.
• Something for the cover – A cereal box, piece of cardboard, manila folder, or heavy cardstock. Anything sturdy enough to protect your pages.
• Glue stick or tape – A regular school glue stick works fine. Washi tape is also great because it’s decorative AND sticky.
• Scissors – Any pair will do.
• Something to bind it – A stapler, some string, a rubber band, or even binder clips. Don’t overthink this.

Nice-to-have supplies (for when you’re hooked)

• Stamps and ink pads – Even one background stamp transforms plain paper into something special.
• Stickers and ephemera – Check our free junk journal printables page for downloadable ephemera you can print at home.
• Paint or ink – Acrylic paint, watercolors, or even coffee (seriously) for background washes.
• A craft knife – Handy for cutting windows and pockets, but not essential.

For the complete supply breakdown, check out our junk journal supplies guide. And if you want everything coordinated and ready to go, monthly craft kits like Hip Kit Club deliver curated papers, embellishments, and exclusive materials that work beautifully for junk journals.

How to Make Your First Junk Journal (The 15-Minute Version)

I could give you a complicated tutorial with 27 steps, but honestly? Your first journal should take about 15 minutes to assemble. Here’s the fast version:

1. Gather 6-8 sheets of paper. Different sizes, types, and colors make it more interesting, but all the same paper works too. Don’t stress about this.
2. Cut or tear two cover pieces from cardboard, a cereal box, or heavy cardstock. Make them slightly bigger than your largest paper sheet.
3. Stack everything together. Covers on the outside, papers in the middle. It doesn’t need to be perfectly aligned – wonky edges are part of the look.
4. Bind it. The easiest way is to fold everything in half and staple along the spine (3-4 staples). Or punch two holes and thread string or ribbon through them.
5. Decorate the cover. Glue on some patterned paper, stick on a label, stamp a title – whatever makes you smile. Or leave it plain and decorate it later.

That’s it. You have a junk journal. For a more detailed walkthrough with binding options and techniques, our how to make a junk journal tutorial covers everything step by step.

Easy First Pages to Fill

OK so you’ve got your journal. Now what do you actually put in it? Here are my favorite beginner-friendly pages that require zero artistic talent:

The “about me” page

Grab a magazine and cut out words and images that represent you – things you love, colors that speak to you, little phrases that make you laugh. Glue them in a loose collage on your first page. It doesn’t need to look like anything specific. Think of it as a vision board in miniature.

The ticket stub and receipt page

Start saving your movie tickets, coffee receipts, concert stubs, parking passes – all those little paper scraps you normally throw away. Glue them onto a page with a quick note about the memory attached to each one. This is the most effortless junk journal page that exists and it’s always one of the most meaningful.

The washi tape sampler

If you’ve got any washi tape, tear off strips in different lengths and stick them across your page in a pattern – rainbow rows, a grid, diagonal stripes, or just random. Write notes or doodle in the gaps between strips. This looks way cooler than it has any right to for how easy it is.

The envelope pocket page

Glue an old envelope onto your page with the flap facing up. Now you’ve got an instant pocket for tucking in small ephemera, notes, or photos. Decorate around the envelope with stickers or stamps. This is my go-to trick because it adds that interactive element people love – they can’t resist lifting the flap.

The tea-stained vintage page

Brew a cup of tea or coffee, dip a plain white page in it (or just brush it on), and let it dry. The staining gives it this beautiful aged, vintage look instantly. Once it’s dry, stamp or write on it. My craft desk permanently has a jar of cold coffee for exactly this purpose.

5 Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

• Buying too many supplies before starting. I know the craft store haul is tempting. But your best first journal uses stuff you already have. Buy more supplies after you know what you actually like using.
• Comparing your journal to ones on Pinterest. Those journals have 200+ hours of practice behind them. Your first one is supposed to look like a first one. It’s still going to be awesome.
• Being afraid to start. The blank page paralysis is real. Here’s my trick: glue something – anything – on the first page within 5 minutes of making your journal. A ticket stub, a sticker, a torn piece of patterned paper. Once that first thing is stuck down, the pressure evaporates.
• Making your journal too big. Start with something small – A5 or even A6. A smaller journal fills up faster, which feels really satisfying. You can always make a bigger one next time.
• Thinking you need to fill every page perfectly. Some pages in my journals are elaborate mixed media masterpieces. Others are literally just a napkin from a restaurant I liked with a date written on it. Both are valid. Both make me smile when I flip through later.

What to Do After Your First Journal

If you made it through your first journal and you’re already thinking about the next one (welcome to the addiction), here’s where to level up:

• Try a themed journal. Pick a single theme – travel, recipes, a specific color palette, a season – and build your whole journal around it. Check our junk journal themes guide for tons of ideas.
• Experiment with binding. Now that you’ve got one journal under your belt, try a coptic stitch or pamphlet binding. They’re easier than they look and give your journals that handmade book feel.
• Upgrade your covers. Fabric-wrapped covers, altered book covers, shaker covers with sequins inside – our junk journal cover ideas page has techniques for every style.
• Explore mixed media. Start layering paint, gesso, and texture paste into your pages. Art journal techniques translate beautifully to junk journals.
• Browse our idea collection. Our main junk journal ideas page has 75+ project ideas organized by theme, technique, and skill level.

The best thing about junk journaling is that every journal you make teaches you something new. Your fifth journal will look completely different from your first one, and your twentieth will blow your mind. But they all start the same way – with a stack of paper, a glue stick, and the willingness to just try stuff.