Junk Journaling: Inspiring Masterpieces

A few weeks ago, I broke down what junk journaling is and what you need to get started. In case you missed it, you can read it here. I am a visual learner, though, so I wanted to share some of my spreads and my favorite creators to help offer some inspiration!

My Spreads 

I would describe my style with junk journaling to be a little more simple than others, but I try to take elements that are most important to me in telling the story of my experience.

Below is an example of a trip I journaled, and one of my favorite spreads to date! To make this spread, I first looked for a color scheme to make the spread cohesive. Using that as a framework allowed me to determine what junk to use from everything I collected. I made the map of the city we explored as the background, and then added photos, receipts, stickers, and my other junk on top. Lastly, I'll add in decorative elements, like other stickers I have and washi tape.

I love this spread because it is simple, but I still feel like it accurately tells the story of my day. I also got creative with where I sourced my junk rather than just using receipts - for example that Gummi Dinosaurs piece is from the packaging of candy we bought.

Junk journal spread to Wilmington, VT

Another type of spread I make a lot are "junk dumps." These are spreads that are a "dump" of all the junk I have left that maybe didn't constitute a full spread or are left over from other spreads. I find these to be a fun way to still conserve memories from the smaller moments. Below are two examples of junk dumps I've done.

The spread on the left was a dump from a group trip to Vermont, and it was mostly inspired by these fun photos we took that didn't fit anywhere else. Then I added miscellaneous receipts and food wrappers on top. My second spread is a monthly dump, which is all the junk I had collected from December and the holiday season, both in gifts I received and gifts I gave. Featured on that December spread is the DIY advent calendar I made, which I spoke about on my podcast. Once again, I used the same process as before. I found a common color theme, laid down a background, and added in my junk and embellishments. With junk dumps, I find there is usually a lot more junk to work with it, so more room for creativity to tell a story!

My Favorite Creators

My junk journal is reflective of my style - and maybe that doesn’t match with yours! There are so many talented creators that share their junk journals, and they have their own unique styles and concepts. Below are a few of my favorites to watch and draw inspiration from!

1. Felicia (@feliciabottos)

This Canadian journaler is one of my favorites to watch. She uses some creative pieces of junk, like cutting up plastic coffee cups. Her spreads differ from my style, but that challenges me to think creatively of what I can do. I love watching her videos to get ideas of different junk to consider picking up and incorporating, plus she has such an infectious personality.

2. Jill (@jill_cimorelli)

Jill is based out of my home area of Los Angeles. I love her videos not just because of her upbeat personality, but because she gets really creative with her spreads. Her style of journaling tends to lean on the more cutesy style, which I think matches mine the most so I draw lots of inspiration from Jill. You can also never forget the star stickers in her spreads!

3. Courtney (@courtneygerads)

Courtney is a teacher from Minnesota. Her spreads are always vibrant and full of color, just like her personality. Her style is more maximalist than mine, but she is such a joy to watch and it’s fun to see creativity that works in a way that is very different to mine.

So Many More...

Those are my top favorite creators, but there’s so many more I enjoy watching and get to see completely different styles to push me out of my comfort zone. Below is a rapid fire list of some others to check out if you are still looking for some more inspiration. 

• @kalli.likethestate

• @create.with.mindy 

• @hannahburr 

• @caiti_mackenzie 

Find Your Inspiration!

Hopefully one of the creators listed above can offer some inspiration for you spreads. If not, that is perfectly fine! Tiktok and Pinterest are filled with so many talented creators, keep searching for the creators and inspiration that speaks to you. Use it to learn what you like and how to develop your own personal style. Remember, there is no right or wrong with crafting. Happy crafting!