Everything I Use for Junk Journaling: Tools, Supplies & Must-Haves
Hi fiends!
If you're even a little bit into crafting, scrapbooking, or hoarding pretty paper (it’s me, i’m guilty for hoarding pretty paper haha), then junk journaling might just become your next favorite obsession like it became mine! I didn’t plan to become the kind of person who geeks out over collecting trash, keeping receipts, getting excited for buying washi tape or having my husband point out trash to keep when we are out of the house… but here we are and I have zero regrets!
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned junk journaler looking for new ideas, I put together a complete list of everything I use for junk journaling—from the everyday essentials to the extras that aren’t necessary but just make it more fun! I also included everything that I reach for to get the pages to look the way that I want, where I find the best paper, how I get pictures for my junk journal pages and more!
Happy reading!
Paper I look for and Try To Keep on Hand
I feel like paper is the most exciting and fun part, I love finding different kinds of paper at craft stores, looking on Etsy, I’ve found cute stuff on Amazon, I’ve found paper at Goodwill and at estate sales which are always a huge score! I also feel like my paper stash grows every time I go to one of these stores and if you’re anything like me, you might also have a growing stash of random paper. These are the things that I reach for when I am junk journaling the most:
Funky Printed Paper - These pages go best with certain junk journal pages in mind, holidays, traveling, color themes, that kinda thing!
Old Book Pages – It can be such a cool look to use pages from old dictionaries, music books, and old books that you thrift.
Vintage Paper – When thrifting, or on Etsy, you can buy things like receipts, library cards, postcards, tickets.
Keep in mind you can also just collect trash like this when you are out and about in your daily life!
Scrapbooking Paper – This feels like a given but paper of all colors and designs!
Magazine Clippings – When I get magazines in the mail I cut out fun or bold fonts, quotes, background pictures, and interesting textures.
You really just want to go into junk journaling with the mindset that anything you find can be put into your junk journal and used as paper or backgrounds on your pages. That’s why keeping a receipt from a store or a coffee sleeve or a napkin can add so much to a page, especially if you are trying to document a special specific day on a page you are creating! Use anything and then make it your own, there are no rules!
My Main Junk Journaling Tools
When I say tools I mean things like the basics that I pretty much use every single time I sit down to work on a junk journal page:
Scissors – I have one pair of scissors that I use for everything but I also have my paper trimmer that I mention below. But for scissors I just use regular kitchen scissors. Some people get more specific with the kind they have but pretty much any kind will do.
Paper Trimmer – My bestie, I love this thing, especially when I am trying to get a straight line on a picture or paper or something. I use this possibly more than regular scissors and I can’t recommend getting one of these enough!
Glue & Adhesives – I use a regular glue sticks for when I am gluing paper to paper or other smooth surfaces, I also have tape that I will make a loop and put down which works well too! I have heard of people using double sided tape but I have never added it to cart!
Hole Punch – I talk about this more below but I use this for extra decor, connecting something with string or ribbon. It is a good thing to have on hand to connect tags or extra embellishments.
My Favorite Decorative Extras
This part might be even more exciting than the paper just because literally anything can become a decorative extra when you are doing a junk journal page, I will list some favorites below!
Washi Tape – I might have a small addiction, I love adding it for borders, tabs, and layering, finishing touches, it really brings a page together!
Stamps & Ink Pads – I have a mix of rubber stamps and clear acrylic ones, I still feel like a beginner when it comes to stamps but it also feels a bit like being in art class in elementary school and going crazy with no rules! I have a black ink pad and a light brown ink pad and love them both for different looks!
Stickers – I have so. many. stickers. Like if I see a sticker page and think for even a second I might want to use one of those stickers in the future on a junk journal page of any kind… I buy it. I love them. I like having a good mix of them as well, vintage labels, florals, holidays, positive messages, letters.. so many kinds!
Paper Edge Punches – I only have a couple of these, one of them has four different corner cuts that it can make and then the other on that I have is more of a hole punch in the shape of a heart which just adds a fun detail to certain pages! I like using the edge cutter on photos so the lines aren’t so blunt.
Storage & Organization
If I am being completely honest, I’m pretty sure that my junk journaling supplies DOUBLED overnight and I quickly had to get some organizational things to keep the stuff organized. I will share some of the things that I have gotten to keep the chaos in order!
I have this tall drawer cart on wheels that I have all of my tools, supplies, paper, junk, my actual journal in and it has worked really well!
I also like that I can move this drawer cart around with me if I want to set up in the dining room, the kitchen table or at our folding table in the living room, it lets me stay mobile which I love being able to do.
For small things that I wanted to keep in order I bought this pack of storage containers on Amazon and it has been helpful with keeping stickers, small paper, tools and scraps and organized! You don’t need to buy a pack of organizers, there are things that I put in the drawers to organize that I already had on hand so if you have things like that laying around the house I would use those first and then assess what you need as you go.
Where I Shop for Supplies
I’m always on the lookout for new and unique supplies to add to my stash! I would say about 80% of the things I haveI found, like a receipt or a pamphlet I picked up on something we were doing on a trip, that sort of thing. But the other stuff I do buy and here are the places that I like to get most of the things in my stash:
Amazon – For basics like glue, stickers, organization, and different kinds of scissors.
Etsy – SO many vintage junk journal supplies shops. A few favorites:
Thrift Stores – I scan the book section, old photo albums, and stationery shelves, and bags of craft supplies.
Dollar Stores / Target Dollar Spot – Surprisingly great for seasonal papers and stickers to add to special pages!
You obviously don’t need every single supply on this list, you can have as much or as little that you want for the hobby. That’s one of the cool things about junk journaling, you get to make it what you want and put as much into it as you want. I can’t suggest enough times to start with what you have and slowly you can build your stash. You also get to mix and match whatever you want to, use pretty paper and random receipts, mix lace fabric with comic book clippings. There's seriously no wrong way to do it! Also, if you have any of your own junk journal favorites, please let me know! I’m always up for adding more supplies to my own collection! If you have any questions at all you can also email me at hello@emmatarynjones.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible! Happy journaling! ✨
Emma