June 2026 Junk Journal Design
- Simply Jelly Jam
- May 26
- 4 min read
I wanted to give junk journaling a try.
A sticker pack I bought a few weeks ago inspired me to give junk journaling a try. I had no clue what I was doing, but I enjoyed the process!
I used scrapbook stickers, pattern paper, permanent adhesive, archival ink pens, water-based markers, calendar stamps, archival stamp ink, acrylic stamp block, and pencils (for initial sketches).
NOTE: While the page layouts are like Bullet Journal (BuJo) setups you have seen online, I use this journal as a diary/memory keeper, not for productivity. The BuJo-inspired pages encourage me to make note of the good things in life, even on the worst days.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
Calendar Overview Pages
Before I started decorating the pages, I did an online image search for "junk journal ideas." I have never tried junk journaling and did not know how to start. I noticed a lot of images including torn paper, layering, and stamps or stickers.
I bought a set of Ptyism scrapbook stickers a few weeks ago to decorate the back of my new phone case. I used one pack (there are six sticker sheets per pack) for my sticker covered phone case and a few other random objects. Since I had five packs left over, I decided to use some leftovers to decorate my journal pages.
I used stickers from the "Traces of Fantasy" sticker pack. I also used pattern paper from an old "Maps, Text & Letters" paper pad I bought years ago from my local Hobby Lobby.
I cannot find the paper pad "new" for sale online. There are some used paper pads being sold on sites like Ebay. However, there are many "vintage" themed paper pads out in the world that would make a great substitute if you wanted to replicate this design for your own journal.
I layered torn paper, cut paper designs, and stickers to create an overlapped cluttered look. Again, I did not know what I was doing. But I enjoyed the process once I stopped wondering if it looked good.
Hobbies & Dogs' Pages
I again layered torn paper, cut paper designs, and stickers over the negative spaces of the pages. I placed a few stickers over the outer lines of drawn boxes. The boxes will be filled throughout the month, and I imagine these pages will look even more cluttered by the end of it.
Highlights and Mood Pages
Unlike the previous pages, I decided to include a torn piece of pattern paper down the center. I adhered part of the piece to the right page and closed the journal to adhere the remainder of the piece to the left page.
The journal closed completely, but a little 'bubble' was visible when the pages were opened. That did not bother me. I just wanted to make sure my journal would close completely.
The mood page is the busiest of them all, but both pages will look the most cluttered by the end of the month. I am looking forward to seeing the difference between now and then.
I used most of the stickers from that one pack on all pages. I have four packs left. I may use one for a future journal design since I enjoyed this process so much!
Detailed Info About the Pages
The calendar overview is where I note important dates I want to document in my journal. For example, I will make a short note of something that happened on different days.
I also highlight the best and worst things to happen during the month. I primarily want to document positive things on the decorated pages, but I feel it is also important to document bad things, especially if it is a lesson learned.
While many journal enthusiasts track their habits, I track my favorite hobbies as a reminder to dedicate time for fun. I also track the things I want to do for my dogs to ensure their happiness and well-being.
The hobbies I track are:
art + crafts,
writing,
gaming, and
workout.
I also track the following for my dogs:
when they go for a joy ride (their favorite thing to do),
when they go for a long walk,
when I care for their coat with a brush, leave-in shampoo, or bath,
when they receive teeth care with brush chews or teeth brushing, and
when they get to relax with a picnic in the park.
I especially wanted to track my young dog's training progress. We will focus on mastering a few skills. I would love for her to become a Canine Good Citizen one day. Unfortunately, I am horrible with training. We have a long training road ahead of us.
The BINGO game is just a goofy activity to note and track a wish list of things I would like to accomplish during the month. I rarely complete a bingo (straight line or otherwise), but it is fun to track what I actually get done that month.
Every night, I write a line of text highlighting one good thing about the day on the highlights page (left). It forces me to think on the bright side, especially on the most challenging days when my depression hits hard.
I treat my mood tracker page (right) as a coloring page of sorts. Each night, I will color-in a part of an image or shape that represented my overall mood for that day.
What's Next?
Struggling to come up with a theme for your journal design? Draw inspiration from your favorite video games!
Have you set up your journal design? Comment below to share what theme you went with and the materials you used.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam
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