Junk journaling is all about transforming everyday scraps into meaningful, creative keepsakes.
This page comes from popular junk journal artist Margarete Miller.
There are few things in life that have little or no down side – like maybe watching a sunrise or listening to your favorite music. Junk journaling may very well belong on that list. It’s calming, low cost and highly satisfying.
At its most basic, junk journaling is the act of mindfully recording the stuff that fills up and enriches our day-to-day lives, like wrappers, photos, stamps, brochures, ribbon and clothing tags. And unlike many craft pursuits, the barriers to entry are laughably low as to be almost non-existent: a notebook or journal, a glue stick, scissors, and whatever bits of ephemera that make you feel a certain way.
Is junk journaling just scrapbooking with a funky name? Junk journaling is definitely reminiscent of scrapbooking but they can be vastly different.
An article in Apartment Therapy aptly calls junk journaling “scrapbooking’s less intense cousin.”
Traditional scrapbooking is all about planning each page, building on a theme and creating a beautiful aesthetic, while junk journaling is loose and unstructured, at times messy and cluttered. In fact, junk journaling’s no-holds-barred vibe is a large part of the appeal.
Exponential Growth
Junk journaling is definitely having a moment. When a topic gets covered by media outlets as wide-ranging and well-known as Rolling Stone, Martha Stewart, Vogue, Apartment Therapy, Harper’s Bazaar, and CNN, it has clearly gone from fringe to mainstream. The factors are widespread, but to be sure, junk journaling is benefiting from a perfect storm of social, economic and creative forces. Since many of us are looking for ways to not only cut down on screen time and excess spending, junk journaling offers an appealing, tactile respite, that can cost next to nothing and forces us to be mindful and present.
The Art of Memory Collecting has become a touchstone for Gen Z junk journalers.
An overview of junk journaling isn’t complete without mentioning Martina Calvi, a junk journal celebrity of sorts, who is attributed with jump starting the practice with her 2024 book The Art of Memory Collecting. With her approachable vibe and feminine aesthetic she has struck a chord, particularly with Gen Z journalers. Recently The Art of Memory Collecting was listed in Vogue as one of nine best niche hobby books of 2025. Her second book, A Year of Junk Journaling, comes out in October – it will undoubtedly generate lots of buzz.
Mind and Body Benefits
The data on the positive health effects of using our hands to craft and create is growing. All indicators point to stress reduction, improved cognitive functioning and emotional regulation when we’re engaged in hands-on, creative pursuits. For many, junk journaling can be a mindful path to a feeling of well-being, particularly because the pressure is off – no pattern to follow, no training required, and no need to be a skilled artist.
Enjoyment
Margarete Miller, an accomplished junk journaler, has built a following of more than 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. She notes that junk journaling isn’t just gluing things together, but rather it’s the process and how it makes you feel. She validates the process of junk journaling as she emphasizes using it for self-expression, self-confidence and as a path to joy. “People can derive happiness and joy out of the process rather than the finished product. Enjoyment and peace are really valuable.” Plus, she adds, “the only thing you have to do is remember to put the cap on your glue stick.”
Social
A fabulous byproduct of junk journaling’s popularity is the community connection through an abundance of junk journal workshops, clubs and meet-ups. Lauren Clark, a Boston-based designer and founder of the junk journaling company Found and Flowered, emphasizes the fabulous connections that blossom in her workshops. “People always say it’s so beneficial for them to not be near their screens to just play and be with others who share the same creative interest.”
Lauren’s workshops attract people from various generations who are incredibly supportive of each other.
“It’s very easy to make this craft sound small and little but for a lot of people it’s empowering. It feels very much bigger than just this journal.”
For Margarete Miller, junk journaling is less about the finished page and more about joy, self-expression, and the creative process itself.
Junk or No Junk?
Although the theory behind junk journaling emphasizes using found objects rather than buying new, many journaling fans are open to all sorts of stuff in their journals, new or old. Junk journaling purists, however, believe there is a right and a wrong way to junk journal and are adamant that junk journals should consist of found, not purchased, items that contribute to excess spending and waste.
In a recent article in Rolling Stone, “Can junk journaling be an answer to digital fatigue?,” author CT Jones notes the popularity of junk journaling as a way to unplug and be creative. Yet there is an inescapable irony to the internet’s hold on us: users are getting back online to purchase all sorts of items for their “junk” journals and, not surprisingly, the algorithms double down and serve up products to encourage more spending. Jones explains, “digital trends that seem like a way to escape the internet often incentivize people to jump back on the platform where they first found the trend.”
Lauren Clark, from Found and Flowered, isn’t so strict and likes to call her journaling practice creative journaling rather than junk journaling. She appreciates repurposing existing junk and turning away from capitalism and over-consumption but thinks it’s fine for journalers to purchase stuff.
“I’ve found that there’s a huge rise in small business support and buying local in the junk journaling community.”
Lauren Clark, founder of Found & Flowered, brings people together through creative journaling workshops that emphasize connection, play, and community. Photos courtesy of Voravut Ratanakommon.
Hosting Junk Journal Events
Holding a junk journal meetup might be a smart and economical way to expand your craft business’s customer base, increase name recognition and create a third space in your community. Because there are few rules to follow, you don’t need to be a junk journal expert to hold a workshop. Some basic supplies, a spot to meet and eager participants are just about all you need for a fun session.
Here are a few ideas for running an effective junk journal session without breaking the bank:
- Find a venue for your workshop that charges only a nominal fee or no fee at all, like a public library or community center. Or perhaps a local brewery or bookstore would agree to a co-promotional event in their space. “Scrap & Yap” sessions are currently trending at breweries across the U.S.
- Encourage participants to bring their own “junk” from home to use in their journal. If you want to supplement with some low-cost supplies, head to a dollar store for notebooks, stickers, ribbon and wrapping paper. Charging your participants, a small fee to join the session is another option.
- If you have a robust online following, consider holding a Zoom junk journal session.
Junk Jounaling’s Future
The consensus seems to be that junk journaling has all the ingredients for a fulfilling and enriching craft: hands-on, relaxing, cheap, fun in groups and perhaps most of all, a way to put our phones aside and go all analog for a bit. If you tap into this trend now, your craft business might just benefit from the junk journal wave.
Paula Wilson
contributor
