110 Unique Items to Use in Your Junk Journal

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Feeling overwhelmed by what to put in a junk journal? Don’t worry, friend—I’ve got you! Here’s a list of creative, unexpected, and easy-to-find items that will add texture, personality, memories, and fun to your journal pages.

Junk journals are homemade, anything-goes books filled with a mix of papers, materials, and textiles—all bound together in a perfectly imperfect way. My favorite junk journals are the ones bursting with unexpected treasures—threads unraveling, pages poking out, layers spilling over—basically, the rebel cousin of a traditional, tidy notebook. Maybe junk journals represent me more than I’d like to admit… a little messy, rough around the edges, and overflowing with extra!

But you might be wondering, What’s the purpose of a junk journal? Oh, friend, there are so many reasons to make one! First and foremost—creating just for the joy of it. There’s something deeply satisfying about working with your hands, layering papers, and bringing something unique to life. You can read my number one reason for making junk journals here (spoiler: it’s a good one!).

Beyond the joy of creating, junk journals can be scrapbooks, memory keepers, day planners, bullet journals, travel logs, and so much more. Their potential is limitless—and that’s the beauty of them! Ready to dive in? Let’s talk about all the amazing things you can add to yours!

Vintage & Antique Items

1. Old book pages
2. Vintage postcards
3. Antique letters or envelopes
4. Sheet music
5. Old maps
6. Vintage dictionary pages
7. Postage stamps
8. Old ledger paper
9. Vintage advertisements
10. Handwritten recipe cards
11. Retro magazine pages
12. Victorian calling cards
13. Vintage wallpaper scraps
14. Old tickets (train, bus, movie, carnival, etc.)
15. Telegrams
16. Vintage seed packets
17. Antique playing cards
18. Old greeting cards
19. Vintage wrapping paper
20. Library checkout cards

Collectibles & Found Objects

21. Foreign currency (bills & coins)
22. Old keys
23. Broken jewelry pieces
24. Mini skeleton keys
25. Wax seals
26. Old buttons
27. Lace doilies
28. Vintage brooches
29. Cameo pendants
30. Antique watch faces
31. Perfume sample cards
32. Stamps with unusual designs
33. Matchbox labels
34. Pressed flowers and leaves
35. Old sewing patterns
36. Vintage game pieces (Scrabble tiles, playing cards, etc.)
37. Metal tags or luggage tags
38. Old typewriter ribbon containers
39. Lace appliqués
40. Vintage coasters

Unusual or Unexpected Items

41. Coffee-dyed paper
42. Tea-stained fabric
43. Dried orange or lemon peels
44. Movie or concert ticket stubs
45. Puzzle pieces
46. Broken bits of china or pottery (flat enough to glue in)
47. Old bingo cards
48. Wax paper with pressed flowers
49. Old candy wrappers (vintage or artistic)
50. Scraps of embroidered fabric
51. Perfume bottle labels
52. Old lottery tickets
53. Foreign-language newspaper clippings
54. Old bus passes
55. Fortune cookie fortunes
56. Coffee filters or tea bags (dyed and flattened)
57. Disposable chopstick sleeves
58. Small skeleton leaves
59. Vintage ice cream or soda bottle labels
60. Decorative wine bottle labels

Household & Everyday Items

61. Brown paper bags
62. Junk mail (with artistic elements)
63. Envelopes with security patterns inside
64. Wrapping paper scraps
65. Paper towel or toilet paper rolls (flattened and cut)
66. Clothing tags (from new clothes)
67. Recipe clippings from food packages
68. Cereal box cardboard
69. Magazine cut-outs
70. Expired planner or calendar pages
71. Old greeting card fronts
72. Wallpaper scraps
73. Paper doilies
74. Scraps of fabric from old clothing
75. Old sheet music pages
76. Used postage stamps
77. Ribbons from gift packaging
78. Old tulle or netting
79. Dried paint wipes or paper towels
80. Security envelopes

Office & Stationery Items

81. Old business cards
82. Graph paper
83. Index cards
84. Sticky notes (decorative or colored)
85. Notebook paper (lined, grid, or blank)
86. Page dividers from planners
87. Hole reinforcements (colored or plain)
88. Binder clips (flattened)
89. Paper clips (decorative ones work great)
90. Old file folders (cut up and used as tags or pockets)

Natural & Organic Materials

91. Pressed leaves
92. Feathers
93. Birch bark
94. Seeds (flattened in a small envelope)
95. Dried herbs (lavender, rosemary, etc.)
96. Sandpaper (for texture)
97. Dried flower petals
98. Small sea shells (thin enough to glue in)
99. Pine needles (embedded in wax paper)
100. Driftwood slivers

Textiles & Sewing Notions

101. Fabric scraps (lace, muslin, denim, etc.)
102. Old quilting squares
103. Snippets of embroidery thread
104. Zippers from old clothing (used as decorative elements)
105. Sewing pattern tissue paper
106. Pieces of burlap
107. Crocheted lace trims
108. Old curtain swatches
109. Ribbon scraps
110. Safety pins with small charms attached

Tell me – what did I miss? You can tell me in the comments! Want to download and print this list! Tell me where to send it: