Journaling and memory keeping is important to me. I love looking back on times gone past and remembering events and such.
"Scrapbooking" in the traditional sense never worked for me. Themed paper pads and embellishments and images specific to one event or time frame just doesn't work for me.
Slapping a bunch of random junk in a composition book is the method I've found that works in my life.
This is how Junktilda was born...
I even have an entire YouTube playlist dedicated to her!
Composition Book Love
Composition books are some of the most inexpensive blank books available (in the US. I know internationally their availability is sparce). I've always kept a composition book journal (which I still do to this day) and I've always collaged in composition books throughout the years because they hold up so well to anything I throw at them.
If you have them available and you want to work in a blank book, I recommend composition books as the best possible option. If composition books aren't available, I always prefer altering a hardcover, unwanted, landfill-destined old book.
What I Save...
Listen, if its flat, you can really save anything to add to your junky scrapbook. There are items I avoid (food or other objects that will mold) but for the most part, if it reminds me of something that makes me happy, I add it in.
No, I'm not chronological. The key to bulking up any stitch-bound book at all is to jump around. Do a page in the front the move to the back then back to the front and so on.
If you are looking for chronological journaling, I highly recommend a spiral-bound style book. There are lots of gorgeous options (I make some spiral bound books) besides the ugly single-subject notebook. But if the single-subject is what you have available, then decorate those covers and get to gluing!
Some examples of items I hold onto:
- Food packaging - nothing that has touched food - think cereal boxes, unused take out packaging, tea tags, etc
- Kids schoolwork/event invites, etc. - I can't tell you how glad I am that I saved the birthday invites, handmade art, school event invites, etc. Some schoolwork makes it in but most of their schoolwork is saved in a box. You can add the schoolwork to your book, though! Go for it!
- Happy Mail and other mail - I have received many things from the wonderful art community I've found through social media. Luckily, I have enough to sprinkle some in all over my comp books.
- Papers from your life - Take a trip to a different town? Grab some literature from the gas station. Doctors appointment? Grab a business card. New restaurant? Save the receipt or take out menu (I visited Jersey Mike's for the first time and I grabbed a clean napkin and glued it in!). Only you know the papers you come across but these are items I've saved.
- Collage bits - Sometimes I harvest a magazine or catalog and see something interesting that I wanted to add somewhere but I don't know where to add it - boom! Comp book.
- Paints and such - have some paint leftover on your pallet or nowhere to stamp off that excess ink you just used? Keep your comp book nearby so you can throw it in there as backgrounds! I clean stencils off on the pages. I'll stencil something if I have a certain stencil out.
- Desk bits - You know what I'm talking about...Scraps from other crafting projects or work projects. A rogue image from a collage or a journal page.
If you need a little boost to start you off, I sell a lot of awesome collage packs and vintage magazines at reasonable prices to get you started!
Things I don't do
There was a trend years ago with these junky comp books where you go through and crinkle all the pages up so they have a great sound when you flip through them.
I did this for a while. I loved that crinkly sound when you flipped through the pages. However, I stopped when I realized that it made the book super huge and after a while, you could no longer get anything to lay flat. It is very difficult to work in a book that won't lay flat-ish. My pages are still pretty crinkly and the book takes up less acreage for sure.
I don't rip out pages. While I understand WHY you'd rip out pages, I simply don't. I don't mind the little bit it fluffs up from regular gluing/painting.
I have ripped pages out in the past (always at the center of the book - tear entire folios out from the center - typically 8-10). I've used the torn out folios in junk journals. So, there are uses for those pages. It doesn't have to go to waste. Its just not something necessary for me.
Ideas I think work in your comp book
Go through and add backgrounds, paint, ink, etc on random pages. Add backgrounds to make it less intimidating if this is something you tend to struggle with. Just randomly open and add. I've done this before and do it a lot when I'm starting a new Christmas Journal.
Yarn, Threads, Fibers in the center of the book. I will add these things and tie them around the entire spine. I don't know if it works, but it makes me feel like the binding is more secure if I add that stuff to it. I don't add it all at once, I tend to add things as I go (i.e. Pasta necklace my daughter made, charms I've found that I add to twine or thread, charms I make out of fun little items threaded on, etc.)
You can journal in your comp book. I will write notes on things or small paragraphs that pertain to an item or page. Most of my thought keeping is in its own book, but you can definitely blend the two journaling types. One thing to search for if you want more inspiration is "Creative Journaling" which is similar to what I do but it includes more writing than I add to mine.
Christmas Comp Book
I use a comp book for my Christmas journal (same concept, with added Christmas crap). One book usually lasts me 2-3 Christmases. I've used other things for my Christmas Collection Journal but comp books are usually the go-to. I save all of the things above which tends to multiply at Christmas.
This picture is of a Christmas collage pack that I have available for sale. Its a good jumping off point to help start your own Christmas Journals, December Daily Journals, or general Christmas crafting! You can find these kits available for sale here.
I also save things like wrapping paper, cards, gift tags, etc. I like to keep one sample of all the wrapping paper used. I also like to add packaging from my gifts and my kids. I will journal lists of favorite items and meal plans, etc.
These same things apply to fall, also, which I also use but my latest one is an altered book instead of a comp book. I tend to add more fall collage and Dollar Tree items in my fall book. I'll also save little things my kids come home with and local fall ephemera stuff.
I hope you got a little inspiration from this! Maybe it can help you shift in a way that makes memory-keeping more doable for you. I know this helped me immensely. I do sell fall and Christmas packs full of items that I use in my own journals. Most of the collage packs you find on my website are items I've used in my own Junktilda notebook.
Let me know how you keep the ephemera of your life. I'd love to see some pages from your own junk journaling!
~M