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In another thread, Poppydarling mentioned her "junk journal." Having no idea what this was, I did a quick Google search. I looked at photos, read comments and, after much confusion, came to the conclusion that a junk journal is whatever you want it to be.
Here's what I found when I went searching for "junk journals" on the Internet:
Some people say a junk journal is made with found junk. Other journals were obviously created with purchased stuff. Some had lots of writing, like a journal. Others had no words, except maybe what was printed on a magazine scrap.
What is a junk journal for?
This too was unclear. Some people just made pretty pages, others made weird pages--pages that seemed to be for no purpose or reason at all. Others used their pages like haphazard mini scrapbook or a cookbook or a place to put pictures of things that reminded them of their childhood.
I'm intrigued. I want to make one.
This can be part of my craft therapy that I mentioned in another thread ... a time for me to cast aside my practicality and craft simply for the sake of crafting. Maybe I'll make a book of uplifting quotes or maybe pictures of craft techniques that I want to try but never remember when I actually sit down to play.
Tell me about your junk journal ... materials, content, techniques and what you do with yours after you're finished.
I love that it's whatever you want it to be, and doesn't have to have a purpose either! Sometimes I just like to flip through and look at pretty paper, interesting designs, and cool junk! I have saved stuff like that for ages as inspiration, and now I can just bind it together
Here are just a few of the journal-ers that I follow on YouTube, because I think their journals reflect the best of junk journaling (for me):
The ones I make have more blank paper/space rather than ephemera, because I am a writer (guess that's where my practicality comes in). I call mine a hodgepodge journal too because I use my dies to cut all sorts of interesting paper shapes from printed and plain paper, and I usually stamp on the page bottom or corner and attach a few embellishments. Then I cut old ads out of a couple of old National Geographic pages I saved from an art course, or insert some colorful/interesting food packaging cut with my dies, postcards, old cards, card fronts, etc.
I put pockets on some of the pages and insert plain and decorated tags for journaling or small photographs, and I also bind in envelopes with trinkets inside. Tuck spots and hidden spots are really great!
I made a garden-themed junk journal for a friend who gardens and printed out some sayings about gardens and gardening and inserted those as well. Themed junk journals are super fun as well!
Thanks for the links! I can already tell that this is going to be a slippery slope for me.
In addition to my other ideas, I think I want to make one with food labels and ads then include some family recipes and anecdotes about how much my boys loved (or hated) the recipe when they were growing up.
Hey melissa59,
I love Junk Journals! I was in a Christmas jj swap and not only was it so fun to create but the jj I received sat on the coffee table and someone was always flipping through it.
Basically, it was stuffed with vintage/snow themed everything. Lotsa pockets. Blank pages for lists, notes, etc. Just about anything ... ex. bingo card with the number 25 highlighted, old dictionary page with the word Christmas, pages from a old German book, and on and on. Tucked in die cuts and postcards and trinkets.
I started one last night and dug out my Bind-It-All today to put it together. I haven't used that tool in ages! So fun to finally get some use out of it again. I have not done anything to it other than ink a few pages and add some paper edges to others. I'll do more stamping and gluing as I put it to use. I plan to make it my craft idea journal.
I may have to "borrow" the idea of a snow/Christmas junk journal. My mother would love something like that on her coffee table during the holidays.
A JJ is perfect for a craft idea journal! I think your Mother would enjoy a Christmas one, mostly because you made it for her! From experience, I can say family and guests loved ours. Oh, everyone can leave a Christmas message in the JJ ... that would be fun.
This is a PERFECT idea for some of the things that I've been hanging onto for years! I have stickers and labels and note cards and all kinds of things that I want to keep for various reasons. None of them are ever going to go on a card, and I like to look at them periodically, so this is the perfect solution to the "what do I do with this?" dilemma. Thanks so much for the idea and the links!
I wish I could just post these in-progress pictures as one entry in the gallery (does anyone know if that's possible?) But here is the cover of my fall/Christmas junk journal that I'm working on for my friend, plus some pages. Would love to see what you all are working on!
poppy, your pages look awesome! What an fabulous gift for your lucky friend!
Haven't made a JJ for years and after seeing your work in progress the bug is biting!
You asked about posting in your gallery. A friend often does a 'split screen' showing both the front and back of her project in one gallery posting. She uses a free program called Picasa, through Google. Maybe that would work for you.
poppy, your pages look awesome! What an fabulous gift for your lucky friend!
Haven't made a JJ for years and after seeing your work in progress the bug is biting!
You asked about posting in your gallery. A friend often does a 'split screen' showing both the front and back of her project in one gallery posting. She uses a free program called Picasa, through Google. Maybe that would work for you.
Thank you! And great idea. That reminds me that I might spend a wee bit more time on my photos before posting, like making sure they're right side up :rolleyes: So much crafting to get done, so little time...
OK, I just found out about Junk Journals through a private message with Melissa, and she directed me to this thread. This sounds exactly like what I've been looking for. Only I need to do three, or let the grandkids fight over it. I want to do something to let them know that their Nana and Pops were more than just grandparents. But I don't want to do just a journal or a scrapbook. This is gonna be perfect!
And now for any of you who like free printables, I have a link for you. You'll need to set aside some time to look through everything... a day or three. I love the stuff this woman finds at antique shops and flea markets. Then she makes it available for us:
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
OK, I just found out about Junk Journals through a private message with Melissa, and she directed me to this thread. This sounds exactly like what I've been looking for. Only I need to do three, or let the grandkids fight over it. I want to do something to let them know that their Nana and Pops were more than just grandparents. But I don't want to do just a journal or a scrapbook. This is gonna be perfect!
And now for any of you who like free printables, I have a link for you. You'll need to set aside some time to look through everything... a day or three. I love the stuff this woman finds at antique shops and flea markets. Then she makes it available for us:
Junk journal = bulletjournal.com is one of the new craze things we do---It can hold not only a monthly calendar...but sketches, swatches, etc...anything that you might be working on or need notes to remember things......I was going to start one this week! If you go to Youtube and plug in bulletjournals....a bunch of creative ideas pop up!
__________________ I love creating something...from nothing! Susanne
Junk journal = bulletjournal.com is one of the new craze things we do---It can hold not only a monthly calendar...but sketches, swatches, etc...anything that you might be working on or need notes to remember things......I was going to start one this week! If you go to Youtube and plug in bulletjournals....a bunch of creative ideas pop up!
I'm a list maker. I often have to write things down so they don't stay locked in my head--keeping me awake, causing me worry, etc. I have a grocery list, a daily to-do list, a long-term to-do list, a craft wish list and lots of little notes (all over the house) listing things I need to add to my lists. (I wish that last part was a joke--sadly, it's true.)
I think a bullet journal is just what I need! A place to keep everything in one place, and with an index. Yeah baby!
Some great ideas! However, I'm not liking the 'junk journal' descriptor since much of what we create is definitely not junk but a thing of beauty. Initially, I was not inclined to read this thread because of the title, but I'm glad I did because it is full of wonderful ideas! Perhaps a more appropriate name would be an Anything Goes journal, The Skys the Limit journal, My Creative Muse, Topic journals, In the Moment journal...........anything but a 'junk journal'. Ha. I'd love to see more photos of your endeavors in this area!
I'm a list maker. I often have to write things down so they don't stay locked in my head--keeping me awake, causing me worry, etc. I have a grocery list, a daily to-do list, a long-term to-do list, a craft wish list and lots of little notes (all over the house) listing things I need to add to my lists. (I wish that last part was a joke--sadly, it's true.)
I think a bullet journal is just what I need! A place to keep everything in one place, and with an index. Yeah baby!
I have to write things down BECAUSE they don't stay locked in my head...! I might also be addicted to Post-It notes.
Some great ideas! However, I'm not liking the 'junk journal' descriptor since much of what we create is definitely not junk but a thing of beauty. Initially, I was not inclined to read this thread because of the title, but I'm glad I did because it is full of wonderful ideas! Perhaps a more appropriate name would be an Anything Goes journal, The Skys the Limit journal, My Creative Muse, Topic journals, In the Moment journal...........anything but a 'junk journal'. Ha. I'd love to see more photos of your endeavors in this area!
Totally agree! I've been calling it a hodgepodge journal or "anything and everything" journal. I don't use tons of trash or junk in mine, though some definitely do. Let's empower ourselves to call it whatever we want ;) That's the whole point of these journals anyway.
Some great ideas! However, I'm not liking the 'junk journal' descriptor since much of what we create is definitely not junk but a thing of beauty. Initially, I was not inclined to read this thread because of the title, but I'm glad I did because it is full of wonderful ideas! Perhaps a more appropriate name would be an Anything Goes journal, The Skys the Limit journal, My Creative Muse, Topic journals, In the Moment journal...........anything but a 'junk journal'. Ha. I'd love to see more photos of your endeavors in this area!
I completely agree! We don't even call our junk "junk" when we want to sell it. We have estate sales and say the items are vintage or retro or gently used. So why would we call our artistic, creative journals "junk"?
I vote we start a new "Anything Goes Journal" movement and see if we can change how others perceive our handmade books of art.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Junk Journal??? Tell me about yours!
