Article: 8 unique ideas for your junk journal pages
8 unique ideas for your junk journal pages
I like to think of my junk journal as both a memory keeper and a mixed media piece of art. Each spread becomes a tiny archive of a theme, or evolves naturally, where prints, stickers, scraps, and real materials sit together to highlight the beauty of everyday things.
This guide gives you 8 ideas for pages in your junk journal, to help your spreads become a collection of moments, happy accidents, and playful discoveries that you can revisit and treasure again and again.
This guide gives you 8 ideas for pages in your junk journal, to help your spreads become a collection of moments, happy accidents, and playful discoveries that you can revisit and treasure again and again.
Edit the Cover
The cover of a junk journal might feel scary so might be something you come back to once you've start telling your story on the inner pages. On this cover, I added a ribbon along the edge for a subtle detail, and another ribbon threaded with tiny heart trinkets to bring a playful touch.
A thin piece of silver string adds an unexpected shimmer, while a washi tape bookmark peeks out, ready to mark the next page of inspiration. I even included an embroidered name badge from the 80s for a little piece of nostalgia that gives the cover character and makes it uniquely mine.
Study of Themes
A “study of a theme” simply means exploring one small subject in different ways on a spread.
I think of it a bit like an artist’s sketchbook study, but done with collage, paper, stickers, and found materials.
For example, in this study of ribbons:
- One page might show bow stickers with different illustrations, motifs, and textures.
- The facing page features ribbon samples — vintage trims, dyed scraps, and pieces from gift bags.
Together, the spread explores the idea of ribbon through both imagery and texture.
The goal isn’t perfection or symmetry. It’s more about curiosity and appreciation — gathering little examples of something I love and seeing how they interact on the page.
Recreate the Moment
I love recreating a detail or atmosphere from a place. Instead of documenting the entire scene, I focus on the elements that made it memorable.
For instance, the spread on the left captures the feeling of a visit to a restaurant with a starry ceiling and a delightful purple and red colour scheme. I brought that moment back to life using a receipt and an interesting paper coaster from the visit, layered alongside rich red ribbon and star stickers.
By gathering small pieces connected to the experience and pairing them with colours and textures that echo the space, the spread becomes a quiet recreation of the moment. It doesn’t need to be exact; it simply needs to capture the feeling.
These spreads are often works in progress, with details added over time as the right pieces are found.
For instance, the spread on the left captures the feeling of a visit to a restaurant with a starry ceiling and a delightful purple and red colour scheme. I brought that moment back to life using a receipt and an interesting paper coaster from the visit, layered alongside rich red ribbon and star stickers.
By gathering small pieces connected to the experience and pairing them with colours and textures that echo the space, the spread becomes a quiet recreation of the moment. It doesn’t need to be exact; it simply needs to capture the feeling.
These spreads are often works in progress, with details added over time as the right pieces are found.
Play with Colors and Shapes
I start with a simple palette and let shapes guide the page. I layer circles, stripes, blocks, and unexpected cut-outs, moving pieces around before committing. Some of the most interesting pages come from playful arrangements rather than careful planning.
In this example, tissue paper from a gift became the starting point for the spread. Its soft texture and colour set the tone for the page. The brilliant yellow from the cookie box that wrapped the gift was added to complement it, bringing warmth and contrast to the composition.
A few yellow stickers help tie the colours together, while a houseplant sticker adds a cosy touch that echoes the feeling of receiving the present. By letting colour and shape lead the design, the page becomes a cheerful little reminder of the moment.
The spread on the right shows a playful arrangement of stickers and vellum cut into different shapes, creating a burst of confetti across the page. The layering of colours and shapes brings energy and movement, turning the spread into a lively celebration of design.
In this example, tissue paper from a gift became the starting point for the spread. Its soft texture and colour set the tone for the page. The brilliant yellow from the cookie box that wrapped the gift was added to complement it, bringing warmth and contrast to the composition.
A few yellow stickers help tie the colours together, while a houseplant sticker adds a cosy touch that echoes the feeling of receiving the present. By letting colour and shape lead the design, the page becomes a cheerful little reminder of the moment.
The spread on the right shows a playful arrangement of stickers and vellum cut into different shapes, creating a burst of confetti across the page. The layering of colours and shapes brings energy and movement, turning the spread into a lively celebration of design.
Create Intriguing Details
Intriguing details are the little surprises that reward a closer look. I like to cut small openings into my pages to reveal something hidden beneath. A window might frame a pattern, a tiny illustration, or another layer of paper. These little reveals create surprise and invite the reader to look closer.
In this example, a study of dainty stickers becomes more playful through cut windows in the page. Openings along the middle and sides reveal parts of the next page, offering brief glimpses of what lies beneath.
The dainty stickers also fill the windows themselves, creating layers that feel delicate and encouraging the reader to pause and explore the spread.
The book on the right is filled with bright colours and playful elements, creating a lively page that feels like a small celebration.
In this example, a study of dainty stickers becomes more playful through cut windows in the page. Openings along the middle and sides reveal parts of the next page, offering brief glimpses of what lies beneath.
The dainty stickers also fill the windows themselves, creating layers that feel delicate and encouraging the reader to pause and explore the spread.
The book on the right is filled with bright colours and playful elements, creating a lively page that feels like a small celebration.
Enhance with Texture
Texture brings a page to life. I like to add ribbon, thread, fabric scraps, crinkled paper, tape, or embossing. Mixing smooth surfaces with rough or soft elements creates contrast that you can both see and feel.
In this example, holes were torn into the page, revealing delightful prints and patterns on the page below. The edges were then stitched with thread, with small cross-stitch details added to create extra texture and interest.
The spread on the right features handmade wrapping paper paired with complementary stickers, along with a colourful washi tape display. A small lift-up panel reveals a cheerful little face hidden underneath.
In this example, holes were torn into the page, revealing delightful prints and patterns on the page below. The edges were then stitched with thread, with small cross-stitch details added to create extra texture and interest.
The spread on the right features handmade wrapping paper paired with complementary stickers, along with a colourful washi tape display. A small lift-up panel reveals a cheerful little face hidden underneath.
Work in Progress Ideas
Sometimes ideas for pages appear before I know exactly where they will lead. Leaving space for these unfinished concepts can be part of the fun of junk journaling.
In the book on the left, the right page has had the edge of the paper cut away and replaced with patterned vellum to add an interesting detail. This page will likely become an exploration of colours and shapes, but the final direction is still undecided.
Allowing pages to stay unfinished for a while gives me the freedom to return later when the right materials or inspiration appear.
In the book on the left, the right page has had the edge of the paper cut away and replaced with patterned vellum to add an interesting detail. This page will likely become an exploration of colours and shapes, but the final direction is still undecided.
Allowing pages to stay unfinished for a while gives me the freedom to return later when the right materials or inspiration appear.
Deconstruct and Recreate
Deconstructing everyday objects can lead to playful and unexpected pages.
In the book on the left, a handmade bow from a gift was taken apart and reused to create a confetti page. The small pieces move and shift when the page is shaken, turning a simple wrapping decoration into an interactive and joyful spread.
By breaking something down and rebuilding it in a new way, familiar materials can take on a completely different life inside my journal.
In the book on the left, a handmade bow from a gift was taken apart and reused to create a confetti page. The small pieces move and shift when the page is shaken, turning a simple wrapping decoration into an interactive and joyful spread.
By breaking something down and rebuilding it in a new way, familiar materials can take on a completely different life inside my journal.
Each spread is an opportunity to explore the beauty of everyday things, to collect little moments, and to play with materials in ways that are uniquely yours. It doesn't have to be perfect. By embracing curiosity, experimentation, and happy accidents, you’ll create a book that is truly your own.
Written by Moonbow Creative
