Junk Journals
For those who don’t know much about junk journals, they are similar to scrapbooks - with the major difference being that junk journals are handmade books primarily made with found & recycled (or repurposed) materials. As such, the process makes the books a combination of paper (or mixed media) arts and journaling, whether that journaling is for the written word, drawing or doodling, photos, or some combination thereof.
In the words of Chelle, a junk journal is “a book which is often made through found and recycled materials to be used as a way to collect and record memories, thoughts, ideas, and inspiration.”
If you’ve ever enjoyed flipping through vintage scrapbooks, you’ll love junk journals!
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Shown above are some old scrapbooks as seen in Scrapbooks: An American History by Jessica Helfand.
Below are some pages from one of Zelda Fitzgerald’s scrapbooks, described by Jessica Helfand as “a series of marvelous makeshift collages that combine fund matter with drawing & writings,” and a “compendium of letters, photographs, clippings, reviews, invitations, gossip, and idle chatter.”
Yummy!
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Who knows, one day, someone may be as enchanted by turning the pages of your junk journal as many of us are looking at Zelda Fitzgerald’s scrapbook!
Because you create junk journals, the books are as individual as you are. Junk Journals can be shades of vintage ivory & white, full of crazy wild pop art color, soft & romantic - they can be about journaling your travel, planning your wedding, documenting your life - or your pets’! Other junk journal ideas include family reunion or other event gifts, gratitude journals, and motivational goal journals (equal parts workbook, journal, & planner).
I've had customers purchase journals for the most amazing reasons! For example, a young woman purchased a circus-themed junk journal that has "The year I ran away with the circus" on the cover. It made her laugh because when she was 6, she was going to run away. Upon her declaration of it, her mother replied, "Where are you running away to? The circus?" It became a running family joke. The young woman bought the junk journal and spent the summer filling it in as if she actually had run away to the circus that year - and then gifted the imaginary journal to her mother!
So, as you can see, the possibilities in themes and purpose are as endless as your creativity & materials!
The junk journals I offer for sale are called “naked” because they are left in an unfinished state, allowing plenty of room for writing, collaging, painting, doodling, scrapbooking, coloring, journaling - a handmade papercraft kit of inspiration galore!
Most LunaTique junk journals include authentic vintage bits and pieces of ephemera and are made on a theme. My most popular themes are witchy (Book of Shadows, Grimoires), Victorian, floral (including rose-only journals), scandalous risque lady journals, gothic tomes, and, believe it or not, quirky mid-century modern motifs.
LunaTique Junk Journal Features Of Note:
I am known for my love of overstuffed, overflowing junk journals, which beg you to look inside - and making them for others is no exception.
As I love worn, vintage & antique items, the journal covers are made from a recycled vintage hardcover book boards covered in salvaged fabrics.
Pages typically include hand-dyed aged pages (prints & solids), antique and vintage book pages, cardstock & vellum in several colors, sheet music, drawing paper, watercolor paper, and a few of my favorite prompt pages - mainly of the “bullet journal” varieties &/or pages on themes specific to the journal - to encourage your use of the book.
The leather wrap binding I typically use allows you to not only reorder pages, but to completely remove and add pages as you wish.
The leather bookmark string, part of the binding, is often finished with a handmade Victorian-inspired reverse decoupage glass cabochon pendant.