How to Start a Junk Journal: A Step-by-Step Guide + 15 Inspiring Page Ideas

ashlina kaposta October 22, 2025

There’s something so beautifully nostalgic about putting pen to paper.

As a mom, I find that documenting my life — the little moments, the seasons, the random notes and photos that don’t make it into an album — feels grounding and almost sacred.

Over the years, I’ve realized that junk journaling isn’t just a creative hobby. It’s a mindfulness practice. It’s a way to slow down and actually see your life as it’s unfolding, similar to bullet journaling.

In a world that constantly asks us to go faster, do more, and scroll endlessly, junk journaling has become one of my favorite ways to unplug and return to myself. When I sit down with a cup of tea, surrounded by paper scraps, ribbons, and dried flowers, I instantly drop into the present moment. I’m not worrying about my to-do list or what’s next — I’m simply playing, creating, and reconnecting with my feminine, intuitive energy.

This little ritual has taught me so much about slow living — that beauty really does live in the small details, that imperfection is part of the charm, and that making something with your hands can be deeply healing.

Whether I’m gluing down an old coffee sleeve from a special morning, a love note from my son, or a page torn from a favorite book, junk journaling reminds me to honor the simple, ordinary magic of daily life.

That’s how I fell in love with this craft — and why I think every woman should have a journal that’s perfectly imperfect and completely her own.

🌸 What Is a Junk Journal?

A junk journal is a handmade book created from a mix of new and recycled materials — think old book pages, envelopes, lace scraps, packaging, tickets, paper bags, and anything else that inspires you.

Unlike a traditional scrapbook (which is often neat, themed, and photo-driven), a junk journal is intuitively creative. It’s messy in the best way possible — filled with textures, layers, doodles, and found treasures.

Your junk journal can be whatever you want it to be:

A gratitude or manifestation journal
A memory keeper for your kids
A seasonal inspiration book
A creative outlet for when you need a little me-time

✂️ Junk Journal Supplies You’ll Need

The beauty of junk journaling is that there are no rules — you can literally use anything you already have at home. But here are a few essentials that will make the process extra fun:

Basic Supplies:

An unlined notebook, old book, or spiral art book
Scissors (or decorative craft scissors)
Glue stick or double-sided tape
Pens, markers, and stamps
Washi tape (always!)
Stickers and labels

Buy on Amazon

Optional but dreamy:

Vintage paper scraps, postcards, or maps
Old photos, cards, or love notes
Fabric pieces, lace, or ribbon
Dried flowers or leaves
Ephemera (tags, tickets, receipts, menus, wrappers)
Wax seals, paper clips, buttons, or charms

Buy on Amazon

Pro tip: I keep a pretty basket on my desk just for “junk” that might find its way into a journal — bits of ribbon, packaging from a candle, little notes from my son. It’s such a sweet ritual to pull from it when I’m journaling.

🪶 How to Make a Junk Journal: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Choose Your Base

You can start with a blank notebook, an old book you no longer read, or even bind your own pages using rings or ribbon. There’s no wrong way — choose what feels fun and easy to work with.

Step 2: Gather Your Materials

Go on a little scavenger hunt around your house — grab old mail, magazines, wrapping paper, or even product tags. Look for textures, colors, and words that speak to you.

Step 3: Create Your First Page

Start simple. Add a background layer using scrapbook paper, an old map, or a brown paper bag. Then glue or tape a few pieces on top — maybe a receipt from a special day, a Polaroid, or a pressed flower.

Step 4: Add Journaling + Texture

Write a note, a quote, or your thoughts of the day. Add layers with lace, washi tape, stickers, or stamps. Let it be imperfect — that’s what makes it soulful.

Step 5: Keep Building

Over time, your journal becomes this beautiful, thick, tactile time capsule — filled with your creativity and heart. You’ll find yourself flipping through it months later, smiling at how much life you’ve lived.

💡 15+ Junk Journal Page Ideas & Inspiration

01 | Favorite things page

Make a favorite things page ☕💖
Collect little treasures from your daily life — a napkin from your favorite coffee shop, the tag from a new shirt, a receipt from a fun day out. Layer them together with notes about why you love each one. It’s such a simple, beautiful way to capture everyday moments that make you happy. 🌷

**02 | a fashion inspiration spread 👗✨**

Design a fashion inspiration spread 👗✨
Cut out your favorite looks from magazines or print screenshots from Pinterest and style them together like your own personal mood board. Add fabric swatches, tags, or notes about pieces you’re loving right now. It’s such a fun way to express your evolving style and capture your current aesthetic. 💕

03 | Lyrics I love

Create a lyrics you love spread 🎶
Take screenshots of your favorite songs’ lyrics on Spotify and print them out to add into your junk journal. Layer them with torn book pages, washi tape, and pressed flowers for a page that captures the soundtrack of your life right now. 💌

**04 | Stickers I adore 🍒**

Create a stickers you adore page 🍒🌸
Fill a spread with all the cute stickers that make you smile — cherries, flowers, hearts, bows, stars. Mix and layer them over pastel paper or doodle little borders around them. It’s such a playful reminder that your journal doesn’t have to be serious — it can just be pure, creative joy. ✨

**05 | Romanticize your coffee moments ☕💌**

Take the little things from your favorite café visit — the coffee sleeve, sugar packet, receipt, or even the wrapper from your pastry — and turn them into a cozy collage. Add a photo, a pressed flower, or a note about what you were thinking that day. It’s the perfect reminder to savor the simple rituals that make life sweet. 🌷

**06 | Make bucket list pages 🗺️🍂**

Create themed bucket lists in your junk journal — like “Fall Adventures,” “Places to Visit,” or “Self-Care Goals.” Write them on pretty paper, add doodles or washi tape borders, and check things off as you go. It’s such a fun way to dream big while keeping your intentions beautifully visual. ✨

**07 | Create a self-care moments page 🕯️🌸**

Fill a spread with little images, stickers, or drawings of the things that make you feel cared for — a hot bath, journaling, flowers, your favorite tea, or time alone. Add tiny captions or notes about how each one helps you recharge. It’s a beautiful way to remind yourself what self-care really looks and feels like for you. 💖

**08 | Make a monthly memories spread 📆💫**

Print out a few favorite photos or screenshots from the month — little moments, not just the big ones — and collage them together with notes or doodles about what made this month special. Add receipts, dried flowers, or snippets from your planner to capture the energy of this season of your life. 🌷

**09 | Make a pet love spread 🐾💖**

Dedicate a page to your furry best friend — add photos of your pet, little paw-print stickers, and even a tag with their name. Write down funny memories, favorite cuddles, or the ways they’ve brought joy into your life. It’s such a heartwarming keepsake that will make you smile every time you flip through your journal. 🐶🐱✨

**10 | Create a My Dream Space spread 🏡✨**

Cut out photos of furniture, lighting, and accessories that capture your vision for your dream home. Mix in fabric swatches, paint samples, or textures you love. Let it feel like a mini interior design mood board — a place where you can manifest your next home or simply romanticize the one you’re in. 🌸

**11 | Design an About Me page 🌷💌**

Create a spread that celebrates you. Add a photo, your name in pretty lettering, and a few fun facts or things you’re loving right now. This page can evolve as you do — a snapshot of who you are in this season of life.

Here are a few ideas to include:

🌸 Favorite quote or mantra
☕ Your current morning ritual
💖 Things that make you happiest
🎶 Favorite songs or artists
✈️ Dream travel destinations
🕯️ What self-care means to you
💋 A list of your favorite little luxuries

It’s such a special way to anchor your journal with your essence — your energy, your story, your sparkle. ✨

**12 | Start a tea tag collection page 🍵🌸**

Save the tea tags from your favorite blends and glue them into your journal — write a little note beside each one about the moment you enjoyed it. Maybe it was a slow morning, a cozy afternoon, or a quiet night before bed. Add dried flowers, washi tape, or watercolor splashes to give it that calm, tea-stained charm. It’s such a soothing way to document your slow living rituals. ☕✨

**13 | Create a travel memories spread ✈️🌍**

Gather little treasures from your trip — tickets, receipts, postcards, photos, and even the napkin from that café you loved. Layer them together with maps, stickers, and handwritten notes about your favorite moments. Add a few reflections about what the trip taught you or how it made you feel. It’s the perfect way to relive the magic of your travels every time you flip through your journal. 💕

**14 | Make a vision board spread 💫🌸**

Print or cut out images that represent everything you want to manifest — the home, the career, the love, the lifestyle. Add words, affirmations, and colors that capture the feeling of your dream life. Let this page become a sacred visual reminder of what you’re calling in every time you open your journal. ✨

**15 | Set monthly intentions 🌙🕯️**

Dedicate a page each month to your goals, affirmations, and the energy you want to embody. Write down what you’re calling in, how you want to feel, and small actions that align with your intentions. Add stickers, washi tape, or quotes that match your vibe for the month. It’s such a grounding ritual for mindful, intentional living. ✨

🌸 Tips for Beautiful Junk Journals

Mix textures: Combine fabric, paper, and lace for a layered look.
Use a color palette: Pick 3–4 tones per spread to keep it cohesive.
Add hidden pockets: Slip in notes, quotes, or photos.
Play with layers: Stack torn paper edges or overlapping frames.
Embrace imperfection: The charm is in the messy details!

🌷 Junk Journaling vs. Scrapbooking: What’s the Difference?

While they overlap, junk journaling is more artistic and expressive, while scrapbooking is more organized and theme-based.

Scrapbooking: Focuses on neat layouts, photo albums, and cohesive designs.
Junk journaling: Embraces imperfection, layering, and randomness.

Think of junk journaling as scrapbooking’s free-spirited sister — she doesn’t follow the rules, but she always looks effortlessly creative.

💬 Junk Journaling FAQs

1. What is the main purpose of a junk journal?
A junk journal is a creative space to document life, express emotions, and preserve memories — using both meaningful and random materials.

2. What do people put in junk journals?
Everything from receipts and photos to dried flowers and poetry. There are no limits — that’s the fun part!

3. Is junk journaling the same as scrapbooking?
No — junk journaling is more spontaneous and artistic, while scrapbooking is more organized and structured.

4. Can you use a regular notebook?
Absolutely! Any notebook, planner, or old book can become your junk journal.

5. What’s the best glue for junk journaling?
A simple glue stick or double-sided tape works great. For heavier pieces, use craft glue or Mod Podge.

6. How do you make a junk journal look cohesive?
Stick to a color palette or theme per page, and repeat certain textures or motifs (like lace or florals).

7. How often should I work on it?
As often as you want! Some people journal daily, while others add to it weekly as a creative ritual.

🕊️ The Art of Slow Memory-Keeping

In a world that moves so fast — junk journaling feels like a pause button.
It’s about savoring your life in real time, one beautiful, imperfect page at a time.

As a mom, I love that years from now, my son will be able to flip through my journals and see not just photos, but pieces of my heart — the pressed flower from our walk, the coffee sleeve from our morning date, the recipe we made together.

And that’s the magic of junk journaling.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about preserving your presence. 🌿

5 Unusual Signs You’ve Quantum Leaped Into Your Manifestation {podcast ep. 365}

ashlina kaposta October 22, 2025

Have you ever felt like something big was about to happen—but your entire world suddenly felt off?
You can’t sleep. You’re crying out of nowhere. Friendships fall apart. Appliances break.
It’s almost as if the Universe is rearranging your life overnight.

That, my love, is what’s known as a quantum leap—the energetic jump into your next-level reality.
And sometimes, before your manifestation arrives, you’ll experience what I call the quantum crumbling: when your old identity starts to dissolve to make space for the version of you that aligns with your new timeline.

Listen to the full podcast episode here:

🌙 What Is “Quantum Crumbling” (and Why It Matters for You)

Before your manifestation fully lands, there’s often a phase that feels like everything is falling apart — emotionally, energetically, and even physically.
This is what I call the quantum crumbling — the sacred dismantling that happens right before your next-level reality clicks into place.

When you’re quantum leaping, your energy shifts first. You’re no longer aligned with the old version of yourself, but your external reality hasn’t quite caught up yet.
That “in-between” space can feel confusing and even painful because everything built from your old vibration starts to dissolve — jobs, relationships, habits, even the structure of your daily life.

It’s not punishment. It’s purification.

Your soul is rearranging your reality to match the new timeline you’ve already energetically stepped into. The fridge breaking, the friend disappearing, the unexpected tears — they’re all signals that your energy is no longer a match for what was. The Universe is simply clearing the way.

✨ Why This Matters

Because when you understand this process, you stop fighting it.
Instead of spiraling into fear, you soften into trust — knowing that what’s falling apart is actually making space for what’s meant for you.

The quantum crumbling is the Universe’s way of saying:

“I heard your manifestation. Now I’m reorganizing your world to make room for it.”

When you can stay grounded and surrendered through this phase — instead of rushing to rebuild the old — you move through the leap with grace and speed.
It’s in the crumble that your identity recalibrates.
It’s where you shed the outdated version of you so that your new frequency, your new vision, and your new life can emerge.

So the next time life starts feeling shaky or uncertain, remember:
You’re not being tested — you’re being transformed.

These aren’t just coincidences—they’re signs. Let’s talk about the five most common, yet unusual, ones to look out for when your manifestation is close.

5 Unusual Signs You’ve Quantum Leaped Into Your Manifestation

1. You’re Experiencing Insomnia (Especially Around 3 A.M.)

When you’re quantum leaping, your energy field is expanding faster than your mind can keep up.
You may find yourself waking up in the middle of the night—usually around 3 a.m., the “spiritual hour” when the veil between worlds is thinnest.

You might be receiving intuitive downloads, vivid dreams, or sudden bursts of clarity about your next steps.

✨ What to do:
Keep a dream journal by your bed. Write down your thoughts and dreams as soon as you wake up. Those messages often hold clues, affirmations, or guidance from your higher self.

Instead of being frustrated about not sleeping, see this as a sacred invitation from your subconscious and the Universe to communicate with you.

2. A Friendship Ends Suddenly (and It Feels Devastating)

This one can sting.
When you quantum leap, you’re not just changing your outer world—you’re shifting your vibration.
That means people who resonated with your old frequency may no longer feel aligned with the new you.

It might look like a friendship suddenly ending or growing distant. It can feel confusing, like, “What just happened?” But it’s not random.
The Universe is clearing space for relationships that match your next level.

✨ What to do:
Bless that person with love and gratitude. They were part of your journey up until this point.
Trust that as you elevate, new aligned friendships and soul connections will appear.

Remember: when you change, the people around you will too. Let it unfold naturally.

3. You’re Suddenly Very Emotional (Crying, Feeling Deeply, or Grieving)

This one might surprise you.
When you’re in the middle of a quantum leap, you’ll often feel waves of emotion—crying for no reason, deep grief, or moments of nostalgia.

That’s because your old identity is dying.
You’re letting go of old emotional patterns, subconscious fears, and stories that no longer belong in your new reality.
The crying is actually a form of energetic cleansing.

✨ What to do:
Let yourself feel it all. Don’t suppress it.
Journal through your emotions, take long baths, go for a walk, or cry into your pillow if you need to.
Grief is the body’s way of releasing density so your new identity can emerge.

You’re not breaking down—you’re being reborn.

4. Everything Starts Falling Apart Around You (Quantum Crumbling)

You’ll know this one when it happens.
It might be your job ending, a sudden rejection, or literal things in your home breaking down.

For me, it was my refrigerator, toilet, and even my ice maker—all breaking within the same week.
At first, it felt chaotic and frustrating. But then I realized: the external world was simply reflecting my internal shift.
Everything that was built on the “old energy” was dissolving so that new structures could be rebuilt from a higher vibration.

✨ What to do:
When life starts to feel like it’s falling apart, don’t panic.
Say to yourself: “This isn’t a breakdown—it’s a breakthrough.”
You’re being repositioned. The Universe is redirecting your path to something greater than before.

5. You Feel Disoriented, Unmotivated, or Like You Don’t Recognize Yourself

This is the quiet side of the quantum leap: when you feel almost “in between worlds.”
You might wake up and feel… off. Like you’re not quite you anymore, but you’re not yet the new you either.

You might lose interest in things that once excited you, or feel like you’ve outgrown old goals and habits.
This “void” space is where the recalibration happens.

✨ What to do:
Don’t rush to fill the void. Rest in it.
Spend time in stillness, meditate, visualize your next level, and practice being okay with the unknown.

The new version of you is loading—she’s just not fully online yet.

You’re Not Falling Apart—You’re Leveling Up

Quantum leaps are rarely comfortable. They demand that you surrender, let go, and trust what’s coming next.
But when you start seeing these signs—sleepless nights, emotional releases, shifting friendships, things breaking down—it’s actually proof that your manifestation is near.

Your external world must rearrange to match your new energetic alignment.

So take a deep breath. You’re not losing control—you’re becoming the woman you’ve been manifesting all along.

✨ Want Help Navigating Your Quantum Leap?

If you’re resonating with this and craving support while your life is shifting, this is exactly what I guide women through inside Manifestation Queen Academy.

In the Academy, we dive deep into:
💫 Reprogramming your identity for next-level manifestations
💫 Understanding energetic alignment + quantum crumbling
💫 Releasing resistance and embodying your future self
💫 Creating rituals, mindset tools, and journaling practices that help you stay grounded during transformation

Because you’re not meant to navigate this evolution alone.
You’re meant to be supported, guided, and empowered through it.

👉 Learn more about Manifestation Queen Academy — and step fully into the next level of your becoming.

ASHLINA KAPOSTA

… A creative, work from home, mom-entrepreneur who is passionate about all things blissful. Here you’ll find musings on decorating, slow living, self-development, manifestation, femininity, mindset, wellness, business, organization and lifestyle!

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🌸 What Is a Junk Journal?

✂️ Junk Journal Supplies You’ll Need

🪶 How to Make a Junk Journal: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Choose Your Base

Step 2: Gather Your Materials

Step 3: Create Your First Page

Step 4: Add Journaling + Texture

Step 5: Keep Building

💡 15+ Junk Journal Page Ideas & Inspiration

01 | Favorite things page

02 | a fashion inspiration spread 👗✨

03 | Lyrics I love

04 | Stickers I adore 🍒

05 | Romanticize your coffee moments ☕💌

06 | Make bucket list pages 🗺️🍂

07 | Create a self-care moments page 🕯️🌸

08 | Make a monthly memories spread 📆💫

09 | Make a pet love spread 🐾💖

10 | Create a My Dream Space spread 🏡✨

11 | Design an About Me page 🌷💌

12 | Start a tea tag collection page 🍵🌸

13 | Create a travel memories spread ✈️🌍

14 | Make a vision board spread 💫🌸

15 | Set monthly intentions 🌙🕯️