Start a junk journal

A junk journal is a notebook where you glue in the small paper bits of your days, and write a line beside each one. It is a scrapbook without the pressure: nothing has to match or look neat. Over a season, the page of a coffee sleeve, a ticket stub and a pressed sprig of pine turn into a record of what the weeks were like.

Starting out

Pick a notebook with thick pages, because glue and paper make thin ones buckle. A plain sketchbook or a notebook you already own is fine. You don’t need to start on page one, and you don’t need to fill it in order.

Start a small pile of scraps in a drawer or an envelope, and add to it as you go. Winter is a good season for this, because there is time indoors and the holidays bring cards, wrapping paper and tags.

What to collect, beyond the list

• Tickets and receipts from films, markets, trains and cafes.
• Cards and tags, wrapping paper offcuts and ribbon scraps.
• Wrappers and labels from tea bags, chocolate or favourite food.
• Handwritten notes and lists.
• Pressed sprigs of pine or dried leaves, as long as they are completely dry and flat.
• Photos you printed, or small magazine cuttings.

Glue in only flat, dry things. Skip anything damp, oily or sharp.

How to start a junk journal

1. Sort your scraps onto the table and spread them out. Choose the ones that mean something.
2. Pick a page and put a few pieces on it without glue first, moving them around until they feel right.
3. Glue them down with a glue stick, pressing from the centre outward. Overlap the edges, and let a few stick out.
4. Layer a small piece on top of a bigger one. Tape works well for fragile paper.
5. Write a line next to each item: what it was, who you were with, how the day felt. Date it.
6. Add small touches if you like: washi tape, a stamp, a doodle or a drawn border.
7. Leave it open for a few minutes so the glue can dry before you close the book, then press it under something heavy overnight if the pages start to bulk.

Page ideas

• One day. Tape everything from a single outing, then write what happened.
• A list. Five good things from this week, each next to a scrap.
• A map. Draw a rough map of a trip and glue the tickets on the route.
• A colour page. Gather scraps in one colour, such as red or gold, and make a collage.
• A pocket. Fold a piece of paper into an envelope and glue it to the page to hold loose bits.
• A recipe. Glue in a recipe you tried and note how it turned out.

What goes wrong

• The pages buckle. Too much glue. Use a thin layer, and press the book under something heavy overnight.
• It is too bulky to close. Tear out a page or two, or add an elastic band around the cover.
• It looks messy. That is the point. If it bothers you, pick a simpler layout next time.
• Nothing to write. One line is enough: where you were, who with, what you ate.
• Things fall out. Use tape instead of glue for thick pieces, or put them in a pocket.

Keeping it going

Keep the notebook, glue and a few scraps somewhere you can reach them. Add to it once a week, or after any day worth remembering. In a few months, flicking back through is the reward.

Where to find scraps

Check coat pockets, bags and the bottom of a drawer. Ask friends for old cards and tickets, and save the packaging from things you liked. A small envelope or folder keeps loose scraps from getting lost, and you can sort them by month. Anything you can’t glue, such as a bulky keepsake, can be photographed and printed small instead.

Make it a winter evening

Spend an evening with a hot drink and a pile of scraps, and start with the most recent. Next time you go to a museum or a Christmas market, keep the ticket and add it to the journal that night.