Junk journal supplies: what is free and what is worth buying
Start with paper from the house, a glue stick, scissors, a needle and waxed thread. Buy a bone folder, a craft knife and an awl once you know you will finish a journal.
Start with 40 pages free. No card needed.
Shop lists for junk journals run to fifty items. Five do the work, and most of the rest are already in a drawer or the recycling.
The table sorts each supply into what costs nothing, what is worth buying, and what replaces it when the journal is made on a screen.
See also: what comes in a junk journal kit, a junk journal kept on a screen, scrapbook embellishments, what ephemera is, with examples.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages. Make a digital scrapbook online.
| Supply | Free version | Worth buying | Digital version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | Old book pages, envelopes, paper bags | 90 to 105 gsm copy paper for printed pages | A scanned page used as a background |
| Glue | None | A glue stick and double-sided tape | Layering one image over another |
| Binding | Thread from a sewing box | Waxed thread, a needle and an awl | A page order you can change |
| Cover | A cereal box or an old hardback | Book board or a ready-made cover | A photo of real fabric or card |
| Ephemera | Post, tickets, labels, tea bags | A themed ephemera pack | Your own scraps, photographed and cut out |
| Ageing | Cold tea or coffee on the edges | An ink pad for darkening edges | None; a scan keeps the stains |
The five that do the work
These finish a first journal. Everything else makes the work faster or the pages prettier.
- Scissors that cut cleanly to the point.
- A glue stick for paper and tape for card.
- A needle, waxed thread and something to pierce holes.
- A ruler and a pencil for fold lines.
- A box to keep the collecting in.
What to buy second
A bone folder gives sharp folds, a craft knife cuts tuck spots and windows, and a corner rounder softens tags. Buy each one when a page asks for it.
Glue that lasts in a thick book
Junk journals get fat and handled. Wet glue wrinkles thin paper, so a glue stick suits book pages and tape suits card. Glue copies of photographs, never the originals.
Steps
Empty the drawer first
Gather scissors, tape and thread from the house before any shopping.
Buy waxed thread and an awl
These two are the hardest to replace with something at home.
Sew one signature
Finish it before buying any decoration.
Shop for one theme
If you buy a pack, match it to the next signature rather than every theme at once.
Questions
What do I need to start a junk journal?
Paper, scissors, a glue stick, a needle and thread. Everything past that is optional.
Where can I get free junk journal supplies?
The post, packaging, charity shop books and the inside of cereal boxes. Ask friends for their used envelopes and stamps.
Do I need a sewing machine?
No. A three-hole pamphlet stitch by hand binds a signature with one needle in a few minutes.