Junk Journal Supplies: What You Need to Start

The best junk journal supplies are the ones that make you want to begin, not the ones that keep you waiting for a perfect craft haul. A small stack of paper, scissors, a glue stick and one place to put it all are enough for a first satisfying page. Start there, then let your journal tell you what would actually be useful next.

It is easy to see a finished, layered journal and assume it began with shelves of stamps, drawers of trim and elaborate bookbinding tools. Most of those details are optional. A beginner needs a simple base, a way to cut and attach pieces, and a handful of materials with different textures. This guide separates the true essentials from the lovely extras, so your first session can feel inviting instead of expensive.

The short supply list: start with five things

If you have a notebook or a few folded papers, scissors, adhesive, a pen and something interesting to layer, you are ready. A junk journal can be a decorated notebook, a ring-bound stack, a few folded pages in a file folder or a handmade booklet. The format is less important than making it easy to open again tomorrow.

The Library of Congress even offers a Junk Book Journal activity that begins with craft paper or paper grocery bags. That is a useful reminder of the point: use what is available, then give ordinary paper a new job.

1. A journal base or a small page stack

Choose the least intimidating option. A plain notebook is ideal if you want to decorate pages without thinking about binding. A folder, cereal-box cover or sturdy cardstock can become a simple cover for folded sheets. Rings are helpful if you like moving pages around. For a first project, keep the base small enough to finish, perhaps six to ten pages rather than a thick book that asks you to make hundreds of decisions at once.

2. Papers with different jobs

Gather three kinds of paper: backgrounds, smaller layers and sturdy pieces. Backgrounds can be printer paper, book pages, envelopes, wrapping paper, maps or copied documents. Smaller layers might be tickets, labels, packaging, magazine snippets or thin scraps. Save cardstock, file folders and heavier packaging for tags, pockets and covers. Mixing weights makes a journal interesting to turn through, but too many heavy pages can make the spine bulky before you have added a single keepsake.

3. Scissors and one straight edge

One comfortable pair of scissors will handle most early projects. A ruler helps when you want a clean fold, a narrow strip or a pocket that actually fits its card. You do not need a paper trimmer right away. Torn edges are welcome in junk journaling, and a ruler can guide a tear when you want it to feel intentional.

4. A simple adhesive

Use a glue stick for ordinary paper layers. It is inexpensive, tidy and gives you a few seconds to adjust a piece before pressing it down. Add double-sided tape when you want a crisp pocket edge or a clean fold. Liquid glue is useful for fabric, lace and thicker pieces, but a little goes a long way. Too much moisture can wrinkle thin pages, so test on a scrap before committing to a favorite paper.

5. A pen and one way to make a mark

A black, brown or blue pen is enough. Use it to date a page, write a memory, label a pocket or add one quiet word. A pencil, colored pencil, stamp pad or simple rubber stamp can come later. The point is not to make every page look antique. It is to leave room for the page to carry something that is yours.

The Forgotten Garden Junk Journal Pages printable kit cover — A coordinated printable page can give a new maker a calm paper palette, then leave plenty of room for found papers and personal details.

Paper supplies to gather from home

Before buying more, take a slow look through the papers already passing through your home. The useful pieces are not necessarily the prettiest ones at first glance. A lined envelope, a tea box, a book-page photocopy or a small receipt may become more interesting once it sits beside a soft printed background and a handwritten note.

Envelopes, bags and packaging

Envelopes make instant pockets, flaps and hidden notes. Paper grocery bags, kraft packaging and clean product boxes offer sturdy, neutral surfaces for tags and covers. Cut packaging apart at the folds to find panels that lie flat. If a label is too bold, turn it over and use the plain side, or cover it with a smaller paper layer.

Book pages, maps and sheet music

Use damaged books, thrifted paper or copies rather than cutting up something valuable. A page with type, a map fragment or a bit of music notation can bring visual rhythm to a spread without needing much decoration. The Library of Congress Free to Use and Reuse collections are also a thoughtful place to find public-domain-style visual inspiration and images to study before making your own pages.

Receipts, tickets and everyday traces

These small pieces are often the story. A ticket, menu, seed packet, business card, handwritten grocery list or travel tag can become an anchor for a memory. Protect delicate originals by scanning or photocopying them first. The copy can be cut, inked, folded and glued with much less worry, while the original stays safely tucked away.

What to buy only when you know you want it

Extras are fun, but they work best when they solve a problem you have actually met. If you keep making pockets, a bone folder or scoring tool may appeal. If you love fabric, you may enjoy a small pair of detail scissors and a dependable liquid glue. If you often make tags, a hole punch and a little twine can earn their place. Let repetition guide the next purchase.

Optional tools that make repeated tasks easier

A hole punch, corner rounder, paper trimmer, ruler, clips and a simple needle-and-thread set can all be useful. None is required to start. Think of them as comfort tools, not entry tickets. Buy the item that removes friction from the kind of page you already enjoy making, rather than buying a tool because it appears in someone else’s craft room.

Optional decorative extras

Washi tape, stamps, labels, lace, ribbon, fabric scraps, pressed leaves and small charms can add texture. Bring them in one or two at a time. A page usually feels more balanced when one material takes the lead and the others support it. If every new supply makes you feel obliged to use it, the collection has stopped helping.

Rustic Farm Junk Journal Kit printable kit cover — Printable tags, folios and ephemera can be especially handy when you want ready-to-cut details without collecting many separate decorative supplies.

Build a small supply kit that fits your style

A beginner kit does not need to match anyone else’s. Put your five essentials in a tray, basket or shallow box, then add a modest paper mix. Keeping the kit visible and portable is more useful than organizing every craft item you own. When the essentials are easy to reach, a twenty-minute creative break feels possible.

Try this first-session kit: one notebook or folded page stack, ten mixed papers, two envelopes, a glue stick, scissors, a pen, one piece of sturdy cardstock and three personal scraps. That could be a copied photo, a receipt, a small fabric piece or a favorite packaging detail. Make one page with those materials before adding more. You will quickly notice whether you want more backgrounds, more pockets, more writing space or a different kind of texture.

For a more coordinated start, printable collections can take care of the paper-matching part without telling you how to finish the page. You can combine a few pages, tags and ephemera from a BoundToBeChic collection with your own found materials, handwriting and memories. The result still belongs to you, but the first layer is no longer a blank decision.

Choose supplies by the page you want to make

When a supply list starts to feel long, work backwards from one small page idea. Want to make a pocket page? Choose an envelope, cardstock, glue and one card to tuck inside. Want a page that holds a memory? Start with a copied photo or receipt, a background and a pen. Want a decorative spread? Pick one printed page, a tag and a contrasting scrap. A clear page job keeps the supply decisions pleasantly small.

It also helps to make a tiny “use first” pile. Put the pieces that feel most interesting together in a shallow tray, then keep the rest of your paper away for one session. Limiting the visual noise makes it easier to notice which textures belong together. You can always reach for more, but beginning with less gives the page room to find its own shape.

After you finish, make one note about what you wished you had. Maybe you wanted a sturdier tag, a softer background, a better way to make a pocket or another color of pen. That note is the best shopping list you can make, because it comes from your own creative practice instead of someone else’s supply shelf.

Supplies to skip for your first journal

Skip the expensive machine, giant stamp collection and specialty binding equipment until your projects call for them. You do not need every shade of ink, a drawer of embellishments or a perfect vintage stash to make something worth keeping. More supplies can create more choices, and more choices are often what make a first page feel hard.

It is also wise to skip attaching irreplaceable photos, letters or family documents directly to a page. Copy them first, then use the original in a protective pocket or archival sleeve. A journal should feel free to handle, turn and revisit. You will enjoy it more when you are not afraid to touch the page.

Cottagecore Serenade Junk Journal Pages printable kit cover — A themed printable set can be a useful paper starting point, especially when you would rather make a page than spend an afternoon matching supplies.

A simple first-page recipe

Put a background paper on the page. Add one anchor, such as a tag, copied photo, journaling card or envelope. Add one smaller layer behind or beside it. Then write a date, a word or a tiny note. Stop there for a moment. If the page feels calm and you can still see the anchor, it is finished enough.

If you want a little more direction, the beginner’s guide to making a junk journal walks through a simple first book, while the page ideas guide gives you approachable layouts for the supplies already on your table. When you are ready to choose printable pieces, the file guide explains how BoundToBeChic collections are delivered and used.

Frequently asked questions

What supplies do I need to start a junk journal?

Start with a journal or a few papers, scissors, a glue stick and a pen. Add envelopes, paper scraps, packaging or printed pages if you have them. You do not need a special machine, a huge paper collection or advanced bookbinding tools to make a first page.

What kind of paper works in a junk journal?

A mix is more useful than one perfect paper. Printer paper, envelopes, book pages, wrapping paper, grocery bags, cardstock, copied keepsakes and printable pages can all work. Save the heavier papers for covers, pockets and tags so the journal can still close comfortably.

Do I need to buy vintage paper for junk journaling?

No. Use new, found and copied papers that feel good together. If an original photo, letter or old document matters to you, keep it safe and work with a scan or photocopy instead. A page becomes personal through the way you combine the pieces, not through the age of every supply.

What is the best adhesive for a junk journal?

A glue stick is an easy first choice for flat paper layers because it is tidy and forgiving. Double-sided tape is useful for clean edges and pockets, while liquid glue can help with fabric or thicker pieces when used sparingly. Test any adhesive on a scrap first, especially with thin paper.