Are Junk Journals Still Popular?: 15 Reasons Why People Love Them

Are Junk Journals Still Popular?: 15 Reasons Why People Love Them

Since I discovered the world of junk journals a few years ago, I have made a huge variety of different themed ones and I love coming up with new ideas for them.

I have been asked if junk journals are still popular, they are still extremely popular, with more people discovering them daily and falling in love with not just how beautiful they are, but also the fact that they are an actual journal to write in and make wonderful unique gifts

Why Are Junk Journals So Popular?

As we all know, most people are living hectic lives with all the stress that goes along with it, but to be able to get into your craft space, (and crafting mindset) is an escape from all of that.

The reason junk journals are so popular is because there are no rules to follow, which mean you can really let your imagination run wild and design something beautiful and quirky. You can work on the whole book, or just little snippets of it when you get time, like some tags, pockets or belly bands.

Why Do People Make Junk journals?

There are many reasons why people like to make junk journals, and those reasons can vary for each individual, but after spending years making junk journals, and chatting to other makers of them, I’ve compiled a list of 15 of most popular reasons.

1) The word “junk” is associated with old, unwanted items. When people use these types of materials to create something new (like a journal), it’s considered more unique than just using paper and sketching pens from your local art supply store. So to be able to use junk, to make something so beautiful is quite a skill, and recycling at it’s absolute finest.

2) Junk journals usually involve a lot of time-consuming craft work, which can be very satisfying when it is finally completed. Makers can use a lot of their different crafting skills all in one project, but it is also suitable for people who have never crafted before, and is a great introduction to the world of crafts.

3) Junk journals are one-of-a-kind items that will never be replicated by anyone else again in quite the same way, even the person that made it will never be able to make another exactly the same, because there is such a huge variety of mixed media used in making each one unique.

4) Making a junk journal really does get the creative mind flowing once you start to realise the variety of materials you can use in them.

Here’s a few ideas of things to look for if you want to get started right away:

• Use old magazines and newspapers, you don’t even need scissors, as torn paper really is a thing with these journals.

• Collect anything that inspires you from around the house (magazines, paper scraps, wrapping paper)—even if they’re not pretty things like ribbons and glitter glue pens.

• Cut up little pieces of fabric for embellishments. The colors and designs aren’t important, just cut or tear them into small pieces and then layer them with buttons, lace, dried flowers or paper to make a lovely little snippet.

• Use markers, stamps and pens to add doodles or words on the pages—or just let your creativity flow in any way it wants.

5) Junk journals can be used as a therapeutic tool for creative individuals who want a form of expression with no pressure to produce anything that has to fit into a certain style.

You don’t need fancy tools or expensive materials, It’s all about having fun while making something beautiful from junk!

6) The variety of materials we can use is one of the reasons why Junk Journals are so popular to make, there really is no limit when creating one.

Broken costume jewellery which might have been thrown in the trash can add a bit of bling to the cover of a junk journal.

Old books that have come to the end of their natural life, are perfect for junk journals. If you feel that books should never be cut up, you might find this article interesting… Is It OK To Cut Up Books To Use In Junk Journals?

You will honestly never look at junk in the same way again once you start turning it into journals. My husband has long since stopped giving me a quizzical look when I say, “Don’t throw it away, I can use that!” … Although it did take him quite a long time to get to that stage! HAHA!!

7) Some people call them “Happy Journals,” and for good reason! They are filled with pretty lace, pictures and ephemera which then make them very tactile as well as pretty.

When friends and family are in my craft room, 9 times out of 10, it’s the junk journals on the shelves that they will pick up and look through because they all look so different to anything they have seen before.

8) People are often unsure what to do with some of the things lying around the house, because there just doesn’t seem to be the right place to put them.

Things like, photographs from family members a couple of generations back, memorabilia from that great festival they went to, or that four leaf clover that held so much meaning.

A junk journal is the perfect home for all of those type of things and it keeps them safe.

I’m not saying any of those things are junk, they are the more decorative parts of the journal that give it its vibrancy and ‘specialness!’

9) The DIY nature of these journals makes them perfect for kids to get involved with too because there are no rules with junk journals and the kids will have fun decorating them with all the scraps of fabric, lace and stickers.

They make a fun project for parents and kids to work on together and the adults can keep an eye on the little darlings so they don’t make too much of a mess with all that glue and glitter!

10) A lot of us that make junk journals, often do lots of other types of crafts, and will usually have more craft supplies than we like to admit.

Junk journals are a great way to use up some of those craft items that we haven’t yet found a use for, or are left over from the project we bought them for, now they can be used to make something that is personal and beautiful as well as functional.

It really does work out very well because it makes room in our craft space to buy more craft supplies!

11) Junk journals have actually brought a lot of people together, where they have created some great little communities on Facebook, because of their shared love of making junk journals and swapping ephemera, and even swapping completed junk journals.

It’s something I love doing, and I know lots of other people do too!

These communities are growing daily, so it does sometimes get difficult to keep up with everyone… But that does show that junk journals are still very popular.

It’s amazing how social media has been a huge contributor to the popularity of junk journals because it is what keeps people connected with one another, even when they’re on opposite coasts or in different countries.

12) In some cases, the world of junk journals has changed lives! It has enabled people to create successful businesses from them.

Not just making and selling the journals, but they have started to create workshops or teaching other people how to make them.

They create and sell beautiful downloadable kits and papers for crafters to print out at home to make their own junk journals with.

And of course, there is the good ole YouTube videos that we all know and love so much.

All these things have helped a huge number of people (including stay at home moms) create a full time income from the comfort of their own home whilst doing something they love!

So to say that junk journals have changed people’s lives is by no means an exaggeration.

I buy printables from Creative Fabrica because there is a massive choice on there and it is where a lot of small business owners sell, so I like to help them out too. I have the monthly subscription, because for me it works out as the best value for money… I pay the monthly fee, and then I can download anything on the site… and I do use a lot!

13) During the times when people were forced to stay at home because of the lockdown situation, many people started new crafting hobbies, and a big percentage of those people discovered junk journals for the first time.

There was a big influx of people that wanted to craft, but had never done it before, the ‘no rules’ junk journals really appealed to them and there was no shortage of YouTube tutorials for them to learn from.

This sent the popularity of junk journals up even higher, and most of the people that discovered you could actually make a journal out of ‘trash’ (or printables and new stuff too) were soon hooked on the craft.

14) Junk Journals are still popular because people want uniquely designed items that represent themselves or the person that gave them as gifts.

More people are moving away from giving gifts that can be found in the traditional shops and are looking for something a little more original.

A fun and quirky book that also happens to be a journal fits that bill perfectly.

It’s so much fun to turn each page and find a little pocket with a note tucked inside, or some beautiful vintage lace with a hidden journaling spot behind it, to find drawings, quotes or bits of writing that are just for you.

I’m sure most people would be delighted to receive a gift like that.

15) There are a lot of free images online, so if you haven’t got anything already that you can use to make junk journals, or you prefer something that isn’t made out of used items, then there is a ready supply of printable supplies that you can use.

This is great if you haven’t got enough of something to go with a particular theme, because you can just print some out and use them… no need to go out to the shops, or wait for something to be delivered before you can carry on with your project!

I have some FREE printables right here on this website that you can print as many times as you like, there are lots of them that I have created especially for making junk journals.

I am constantly adding more, so feel free to come back any time and check out the new ones.

What Is A Junk Journal?

If you are unsure exactly what a junk journal is, I answer that question here; What Is A Junk Journal?: The best place to start