I finished the first of many Junk Journals.
I’m hooked on creating handmade journals from recycled materials such as patterned papers, brown paper bags, packaging, cardboard, magazines, and scrapbook papers, to name a few.
Learning to use tea and coffee to stain and acrylic paint on marble paper was exciting and fun as a beginner. I used a small plastic storage bin for dying papers and dried them on paper bags in the living room, my craft space. Here are some samples.
I learned how to decoupage the front cover with scraps of paper and covered it with a napkin to achieve a leathery look. To create pockets or tuck spots for tags, little note cards, note pads, and belly bands, better known as ephemera.
I’ll admit I went a little wild gathering supplies, purchasing a cutting board, scoreboard, ink pads for distressing, pads of scrapbook paper, stickers, washi tape, and silk trim for decorating, among other things.
You can make Junk Journals without these paper craft decorative items and tools, using scissors and whatever you have to recycle. Everything else (scrapbook paper, stickers, silk, washi tape) is the icing on the cake to make it look pretty!
Keep your eyes open; maybe you can find craft supplies to create or beautify your journals at a Thrift Shop, Flea Market, or Yard Sale.
Where Do You Start Making a Junk Journal
I believe the best place to start, where I started, is by gathering your papers.
I scoured the house and found resume paper, copy paper, brown packaging paper, tissue paper, manilla file folders, and cream card stock paper.
It’s great to have ample variety, so gather as many types as possible. You can include greeting cards, postcards, old books, or magazines in your search to use later.
Once you have your papers together, it’s time to learn how to stain them using tea and coffee to achieve a vintage look.
You will need a plastic storage bin a few inches bigger than your papers and approximately three to four inches deep. You can use instant coffee, leftover drip, percolated coffee, and any tea bag.
If you plan on making colored marbled paper, you will need Acrylic Paint. I prefer the FolkArt brand, but you can use whatever brand you wish to achieve the same look.
Other supplies include paper bags for drying, disposable gloves to protect your hands from staining, and a small paint brush for marbling.
I separate and store the various papers in plastic folders in a small cardboard box to make it easy to find what you need when you create your Junk Journal.
