8 Things to Save for Your Junk Journal
Junk journaling is a creative and artistic way to preserve memories by using things we usually overlook. Movie tickets, receipts, scraps of paper, found objects – items that might otherwise be thrown away become markers of where you’ve been and what you’ve experienced. Collected and bound together, they form a scrapbook-style journal that tells a story more textured than a camera roll ever could.
At its core, junk journaling is both sustainable and deeply personal – it repurposes everyday materials rather than relying on printed photos and captures moments in a way that feels lived-in and real. There are no rules or right ways to do it. A used tea bag, a handwritten note, a quick doodle, or a ticket to your favorite artist’s concert can all hold the same weight if they mean something to you.
Once you start noticing these small, meaningful details, you begin collecting memories everywhere. If you’ve ever thought about starting a junk journal but weren’t sure where to begin, this is your sign. Here are eight everyday items you should start saving to build a journal that’s as personal as it is creative.
1. Receipts
Whether you love shopping or not, we all have to buy the things we need: groceries, toiletries, clothes, maybe a little treat now and then. Saving the receipt when buying something is free (kind of) and the easiest way to save a memory. A receipt doesn’t just show what you spent; it shows where you were and when you were there. It can even double as a creative way to keep track of your spending over time.
In my journal, I included a receipt from dinner with my friend at a new restaurant we’d been wanting to try, specifically for their French onion soup. The soup was nothing to write home about, and my drink came with a few bugs, but that’s what made the night memorable. I also saved the parking sticker receipt from my long-awaited trip to the Adventure Aquarium. Small, ordinary pieces of paper, but they hold cherished memories.
2. Wrappers/Packaging
Almost everything we get comes packaged, and sometimes the graphic design is just so good it feels wrong to throw it away. A favorite snack phase, a cafe you can’t stop going to, a brand you loved during a certain time in your life? Wrappers are perfect for marking those moments in your junk journal.
I saved a muffin wrapper from Arterial Cafe and used part of it in my journal. It was technically my friend’s muffin, but we were laughing so much that day, I asked if I could keep it. Now, every time I see it, I giggle to myself and think of our jokes and that afternoon.
Crumpled in the bottom of my purse and pockets, I’m always finding gum wrappers. The shiny ones are fun because you can peel the foil off the paper and stick them to any surface. It brings back memories of sitting in the back row of my high school history class, covering the desk with them. They added a subtle silver flare to my journal, too.
Lastly, I used the journal's packaging. The logo sits in the bottom-right corner. It’s meaningful to me because it’s handmade, and my parents bought it for me on a trip to Maine. Supporting local art has always been something my family values. If you want one too, the brand is Purple Bean Bindery!
3. Tickets
Most places have switched to digital tickets now, but if you can get your hands on a physical ticket – whether it’s for the movies, a museum, or a concert – having that record of your time makes for the perfect souvenir.
I had been holding onto a ticket from my first visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a while now. I brought my parents along to visit the Surrealism exhibit. I loved how they had a bunch of different languages on the back of the ticket, but I also wanted to display the details of my visit that were on the front. So, I cut it in half to show both sides in my journal.
4. Tea Bags
It's winter, which means... tea time! My favorite brand is Traditional Medicinals Tea because of the little quotes on the tabs, like Emily Dickinson’s “Beauty is not caused. It is.” I usually drink tea to wind down before bed, so the tea bags themselves have come to represent calmness.
To preserve the tea bag in my journal, I carefully opened it, emptied the loose leaves, and made sure it was completely dry. Then I pressed it between two paper towels to flatten it. Once it was ready, I folded it back into its original shape and adhered it to the page.
5. Newspaper/Magazine Clippings
I know, I know, no one gets the newspaper anymore – except my parents. I caught my dad reading it and saw cool animal graphics in the science section and funny cartoons in the comic strips. I snatched it after he was done reading and cut out a quote that I felt really represented me: “Joke around and do something silly.”
You’re more likely to have magazines lying around than newspapers, though. Magazines are fun if you want to include more modern and high-fashion content. But both are great ways to keep up with current events or collect letters from the alphabet.
6. Stamps
It’s probably smarter to add already used stamps to your journal, since new ones are technically worth money. But a coworker gave me these cartoon-animal ones, and they had been sitting on my desk for months… so into the journal they went. And if I ever urgently need to send a letter, I guess I’ll just borrow one back from the page.
7. Fruit Stickers
It’s funny how something as small as a produce sticker can mark a moment in time. Certain fruits remind me of certain months, moods, and routines. I always peel them off and put them on my fridge as a keepsake.
After a while, I can see what fruit phases I went through. Oh! In September, I ate so many kiwis. In October, I tried a lot of different apple varieties. Scattered across the page, the stickers became tiny, colorful timestamps of my life.
8. Fortunes
Ordering Chinese food is comforting, but the best part is obviously the fortune cookie at the end. I’m impatient to open it, and whatever it says, I usually take as a tiny sign from the universe. I save most of them as a little form of manifestation. Some are uplifting – “You have a friendly heart and are well admired,” which, of course, earned a spot in my journal. Others are more blunt... one told me, “Work on improving your exercise routine.” That one did not make it into the journal. It’s currently on my fridge, holding me accountable.
Junk journaling isn’t meant to be aesthetic; it’s meant to tell an honest story. It shows proof that you were living your life and embracing all its randomness. Once you start collecting things, you’ll realize how many memories you almost threw away...
