Beginner Junk Journal Series — Part 7: The Finale

We made it!

If you've been following along with my Beginner Junk Journal Series, you started with some paper, scissors, glue and maybe a recycling pile that suddenly became suspiciously valuable.

And now?

You have a junk journal.

Or at least the beginnings of one.

You've gathered papers, made pockets, created little pieces of ephemera and learned how to decorate pages without analyzing the placement of one tiny scrap of paper for 45 minutes.

That's progress. 😂

But there's one more beginner junk journal question we need to answer before I officially wrap up this series:

Now what do I actually DO with all these pages?

That's what Part 7 is all about.

But first, look at everything we've done together.

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Our Beginner Junk Journal Journey

When I started this series, I wanted to make junk journaling feel simple and approachable.

Not another craft where you think you need $300 worth of supplies before you're allowed to begin.

Quite the opposite.

We started with what you already had.

Part 1: How to Make Your First Junk Journal

This was our starting point.

We talked about what a junk journal actually is, gathered supplies, chose a cover, folded papers into signatures, bound everything together and made an actual BOOK.

No fancy supplies required.

Just paper and a willingness to play.

Part 2: 25 Things You Can Put in a Junk Journal

Then we went shopping...

in our own houses.

We looked at ticket stubs, receipts, postcards, pretty junk mail, maps, greeting cards, coffee sleeves, tags, photos, handwritten notes and all those little paper treasures we normally throw away.

This is also approximately when your family may have started asking why you're saving envelopes from the mail.

Tell them Teresa said it's fine. 😂

Part 3: Make a Junk Journal From Recycled Papers

 

Next, we leaned all the way into using what we already had.

Old papers, packaging, envelopes, book pages, brochures and other everyday items can become some of the most interesting pieces in a junk journal.

You don't need everything to coordinate perfectly.

In fact, the imperfections are part of what makes your journal interesting.

Part 4: 6 Easy Junk Journal Pockets & Tuck Spots

 

Once we had pages, we needed places to hide things!

We made simple paper pockets and tuck spots that could hold tags, notes, journaling cards, photos and little treasures.

And suddenly those flat journal pages started becoming interactive.

Part 5: 7 Easy Junk Journal Ephemera Ideas

Then we needed goodies to put inside all those pockets.

We explored easy handmade ephemera like tags, journaling cards, mini notes, altered playing cards and little booklet pieces.

This is where those tiny scraps you couldn't bring yourself to throw away finally got their moment to shine.

See? You weren't hoarding.

You were planning ahead.

That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Part 6: How to Decorate Junk Journal Pages Without Overthinking It

Finally, we tackled one of the biggest beginner problems:

Where do I put everything?!

We talked about focal points, layering, clusters, repeating colors and patterns, leaving breathing room and knowing when your page has enough.

My highly scientific decorating formula was:

Pick one.
Add 2–3.
Make one.
Repeat one.
Leave some.
Then PUT DOWN THE GLUE STICK. 😂

And that brings us here.

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Part 7: How to Finish Your First Junk Journal

Your journal doesn't need every page to be a masterpiece.

Actually, please don't even make that the goal.

Some pages can be beautiful.

Some can hold memories.

Some can be places to write.

Some can be covered in scraps.

Some might have one photo and a sentence.

And some might simply make you happy when you flip past them.

That's enough.

So if you're staring at a bunch of blank junk journal pages wondering what to do next, here are 10 easy page ideas to get you creating.

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1. Create a Memory Page

Start with something you want to remember.

It doesn't have to be a major life event, either.

Maybe it's a day at the beach, lunch with a friend, your granddaughter's birthday, a great book you read, a concert, vacation or simply a really good Tuesday.

Add a little piece from the day if you have one:

A receipt.
Ticket stub.
Photo.
Napkin.
Business card.
Brochure.
Handwritten note.

Then write a few sentences about why you wanted to remember it.

Years from now, those little everyday memories may be some of your favorite pages.

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2. Make a Quote Page

Have a quote, phrase, song lyric or saying that you love?

Give it an entire page.

Write it by hand, print it out or cut words from magazines.

Then decorate around it with scraps, flowers, paint, stamps or whatever happens to be sitting on your craft table.

And yes...

“Put down the glue stick” is absolutely available for consideration. 😂

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3. Create a Pocket Page

Remember those pockets and tuck spots we made in Part 4?

Let's use them!

Add a pocket to your page and fill it with little pieces you've collected.

Try adding:

• A tag
• Journaling card
• Tiny note
• Photo
• Receipt
• Ticket
• Quote
• Little piece of ephemera

You can even tuck something inside and forget about it for a while.

Finding it later is half the fun.

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4. Make a Photo Page

You don't need to become a scrapbooker to use photos in a junk journal.

Choose one photo.

That's it.

Let the photo be your focal point and add just a few simple layers behind it.

Maybe a piece of book paper.

A torn scrap of scrapbook paper.

A little strip of washi.

A date.

A few handwritten words.

Done.

This is a perfect example of why simple can be beautiful.

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5. Make a List Page

I LOVE lists in journals because there's practically no pressure involved.

Your list could be:

Books I want to read
Things making me happy right now
Places I want to visit
Favorite songs
Things I'm grateful for
Movies I want to watch
Things I want to create
Things I want to remember about this season

Or make a wonderfully random list.

Things currently on my craft table could probably keep some of us busy for several pages. 😂

If you need a place to start and alot more guidance, check out my Junk Journal Hive membership. Each month you get at least 4 step by step projects and 4 digital download kits! 

Join the Sweetest Swarm in the Creative Junk Journal & Paper Crafting World!

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6. Create a Collage Page

This is where you stop worrying about whether something has a purpose.

Gather a handful of scraps you like.

Choose one larger piece as your starting point and begin layering.

Add:

Paper scraps.
Book pages.
Tissue paper.
Magazine pieces.
Fabric.
Labels.
Stamps.
Paint.
Washi tape.
Little words.

Let pieces overlap.

Let edges show.

Don't line everything up perfectly.

You're creating a page that feels interesting rather than trying to create something "correct."

And remember our Part 6 rule:

Leave a little breathing room.

Not every square inch needs something glued to it.

 

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7. Add an Envelope Page

Envelopes are basically junk journal magic.

Glue an envelope directly onto a page, tuck one behind another piece or attach just part of it so it flips open.

Then put something inside.

Maybe it's a private note.

Maybe it's a photo.

Maybe it's journaling.

Maybe it's something from a special day.

You could even write yourself a little letter and seal it:

Open next October.

Now you've turned one journal page into a tiny time capsule.

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8. Make a Gratitude Page

This doesn't need to be deep or profound.

Write down five things you're grateful for today.

Sunshine.

A good cup of coffee.

Someone who made you laugh.

A quiet morning.

A creative afternoon.

Your dog sleeping beside you.

Finding the scissors you were looking for while holding them in your hand.

Whatever is true for you.

Add a few simple decorations and date the page.

These pages become wonderful snapshots of ordinary life.

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9. Add a Little Painting or Doodle

You know I wasn't going to finish an entire junk journal series without sneaking some PAINT in here somewhere. 😂

Paint directly onto a journal page.

Make a tiny flower.

A heart.

A pumpkin.

A simple landscape.

A little abstract patch of color.

Or doodle around the edges of a page with a pen.

You don't have to consider yourself an artist.

This isn't fine art.

We're playing.

That's the point.

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10. Make a "Use the Scraps" Page

And finally...

Look at what's left on your craft table.

You probably have tiny strips of paper, bits of book pages, little pieces of washi tape, flowers, labels and all kinds of things that don't seem big enough to save.

Use them.

Make one last page using ONLY scraps left over from creating your journal.

Layer them.

Tear them.

Make a cluster.

Create a border.

Turn a strip into a tab.

Add a little word or quote.

Don't think too hard about it.

This page doesn't need a plan.

In fact, that's exactly why I love this idea for the final page.

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Your Junk Journal Doesn't Have to Be "Finished"

Here's one more thing I want you to know before we wrap up this series.

There is no official finish line.

Your journal can evolve with you.

You can leave blank pages.

Come back next month.

Add something six months from now.

Stick a ticket into a pocket two years later.

Paint over something you don't like.

Add another layer.

Or decide a page is finished with nothing more than a beautiful piece of paper on it.

It's YOUR journal.

There are no Junk Journal Police coming to inspect your pockets.

Thank goodness, because I'm pretty sure we'd all have some explaining to do. 😂

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If You're Still Stuck, Do This

Don't try to finish your entire journal today.

Choose ONE page.

Then choose ONE idea from this list.

That's it.

Maybe today you make a quote page.

Tomorrow you tuck a photo into a pocket.

Next week you make a collage while you're watching TV.

Tiny creative moments count.

Ten minutes counts.

One page counts.

One little tag counts.

The goal isn't to race to the end of the journal.

The goal is to enjoy making it.

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We Made a Junk Journal! ❤️

When we started this series, I wanted to show you that junk journaling doesn't have to be complicated, expensive or intimidating.

You can start with the paper already sitting in your house.

You can make a journal from things other people might throw away.

You can learn one little technique at a time.

And you absolutely do not have to know what you're doing before you begin.

Over these seven parts, we've gone from:

Gathering the paper → building the journal → finding things to put inside → making pockets → creating ephemera → decorating pages → filling the journal.

And now?

YOU MADE A BOOK.

More importantly, you made something that's yours.

Imperfect.

Creative.

Personal.

And probably containing at least one piece of paper that a normal person would have put in the recycling bin.

Welcome to junk journaling. 😂

But We're Not Done Creating Together...

This may be the final installment of my Beginner Junk Journal Series, but we're definitely not finished junk journaling.

In fact, I think we're ready for the next step.

Instead of just talking about how to make these things, I want you to pull up a chair and make them with me.

I'll be sharing more Junk Journal With Me projects on YouTube where we can take everything we've learned in this series and actually create together.

We'll make pages.

We'll make pockets.

We'll use our scraps.

We'll decorate.

We'll probably glue something down and immediately wish we'd moved it half an inch to the left.

And we'll survive. 😂

Because that's what this whole series has really been about:

You don't need perfect supplies.
You don't need perfect pages.
And you definitely don't need to know everything before you start.

You just need to give yourself a little time to create.

Create. Relax. Enjoy. ❤️

— Teresa
Teresa's Spot for Creativity