25+ devices for individuals who love junk journaling and crafting

Table of Contents

If you are a junk journaler (or have one in your life), you most likely have a proclivity for swiping a crisp cocktail serviette into your bag whenever you’re out for drinks or saving a very cute flyer from a museum occasion that you just went to. Maybe your first thought is even, “I should grab some for my junk journal” on the sight of confetti exploding over an area throughout your favourite artists’ live performance or a stray plastic flower petal that blew onto your picnic blanket. Junk journaling might be fairly particular and significant to those that actually jive with this artistic follow. 

Junk journaling can also be an superior analog exercise to take up if you happen to’re seeking to lower down on display screen time and spend much less of your day doomscrolling.

What is junk journaling?

“The number one rule of junk journaling is that there are no rules,” Martina Calvi says in her guide A Year of Junk Journaling: 52 artistic prompts to rework the scraps of your life into artwork. In case you have not heard about it, junk journaling is a follow of saving “trash” or ephemera out of your every day life and gluing it down in a bodily journal. Some people even have strong digital junk journals and collages on their iPad in packages like Procreate or Freeform. 

“No matter how mundane you think your life is, there are beautiful memories worth preserving, and your future self will thank you for collecting these in a tangible form,” Calvi writes. “The simple joys of sharing a coffee with your friend, walking through the park on your day off, or having dinner with your parents.” 

In her guide, Calvi encourages people to get artistic with what they see of their every day life. Fans of junk journaling emphasize that the follow of noticing the that means behind small objects can have a ripple impact of appreciation for the trivialities of your life. 

For instance, junk journalers usually commemorate issues like a stray grocery receipt from a primary Thanksgiving in a brand new house or a matchbook from a memorably unhealthy date. As against scrapbooking, which frequently spotlights historically necessary occasions, something goes in junk journaling.

Save receipts, stickers, takeout luggage, coasters, and no matter different bodily “junk” you possibly can gather all through your day.
Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

What are the most effective devices for junk journaling?

Junk journalers on TikTok and Pinterest have a wholesome self-awareness that our little pastime could be a bit uncommon or additional. It looks like many junk journalers usually should discover a option to strike a steadiness between saving memorabilia for our pastime and letting issues simply go into the trash or recycling. Antics apart, junk journaling might be tremendous enjoyable. Something that makes any crafting follow extra enjoyable is snagging the most effective instruments to boost it. 

You can name me inspector as a result of I really love a gadget. Picking up a brand new device or gadget associated to your inventive pastime might be so inspiring. It can renew your love of the follow since you out of the blue have new and ingenious methods to create. Below, we rounded up a number of the best possible instruments and necessities for junk journalers and crafters, et al.

A journal

First and foremost, you want a journal to deal with all of your junk. The clean Leuchtturm1917 pocket book is likely one of the hottest amongst junk journalers on TikTok. Just be aware that the pages are a bit see-through, so you may wish to glue them collectively for every new unfold to keep away from bleeding.

A Year of Junk Journaling

This guide is such a tremendous useful resource for avid junk journalers or people who’re curious in regards to the artwork type. It impressed me a lot about issues I wasn’t even contemplating for my spreads, like fruit stickers, restaurant matchboxes, receipts, sweet wrappers, and handwritten issues from family members, like grocery lists. The spreads are so colourful and galvanizing on this guide, too. 

A photograph sticker printer

A mini picture printer is the right sidekick for somebody who desires to fill their junk journal with footage to correspond with their spreads. Some of our favorites are the Canon Ivy 2, Kodak Step, HP Sprocket, and HP Sprocket Panorama. Just join the printers to your smartphone or social media accounts and print picture stickers on demand.

Bench organizer

This is the right addition to a junk journaler’s desk. There are so many compartments for organizing postcards, pencils, pens, stickers, scissors, and notebooks. Junk journaling can get fairly chaotic and disorganized with all the random scraps that you just save.

Epson EcoTank printer

For severe crafters and junk journalers who wish to print to their hearts’ content material, the Epson Ecotank sequence is a whole game-changer. At various value factors, Epson has revolutionized printing in coloration. The EcoTank printer comes with bottles of ink that hardly run out after printing many pages of full, vibrant coloration.

Chompsaw

The Chompsaw is an thrilling new invention directed primarily at kids, however the model emphasizes that it is secure for ages 3 to 103 for a purpose. The Chompsaw acts like a “bench saw” for cardboard and thicker paper merchandise. Intended to be fully secure for tiny and grownup fingers, it permits people to get actually artistic with their trash. 

Toddler digital immediate digicam

This would possibly sound so bananas, however this toddler digital digicam with immediate print functionality is a tremendous device for junk journalers as a result of the cameras use thermal printing, that means the movie isn’t as valuable as Instax or Polaroid (although these are tremendous enjoyable to make use of as effectively). While some immediate print cameras that use movie price round $16 for a field of 20 pictures, rolls of paper for these cameras price round $10 for six rolls. Each roll for these “toddler” cameras can print 70 pictures. The pictures are solely in black and white, however can add a enjoyable pop of creativity to your junk journaling spreads. 

Pen scorching glue gun

This cordless pen glue gun from Dremel is significantly progressive with its easy-squeeze set off. The glue gun is designed to be held like a pen for simpler maneuvering and grip power. This is superior for junk journalers who like to incorporate distinctive and hard-to-glue-down objects like pretend flowers, pennies, and different actually random treasures. Eschew the annoying options of the basic glue gun with its limiting twine, fixed tipping over, and clunky software design.

Dremel electrical scissors 

For people who work with many alternative supplies, from cloth to cardboard, these electrical scissors from Dremel would possibly are available tremendous helpful. Cut via tons of fabric to your junk journal unfold with out tiring out your fingers.

Kodak good digital digicam 

A good friend to many junk journalers is the basic digital digicam. Yes, many, if not most, of us have telephones that may take footage. However, having a digital digicam can provide a unique texture and aesthetic to the pictures that you just’re snapping. 

Polaroid digicam 

For people who need higher-quality pictures of their spreads, a basic Polaroid digicam can’t steer you incorrect. This Polaroid Now Third-generation I-type immediate digicam additionally comes with two packs of eight movie sheets. Add that basic nostalgic contact to your junk journal spreads with vivid snaps of your favourite locations, folks, or issues.

Portable scanner

This moveable scanner device is so cool. It is specified for paperwork, however many people will apply it to surfaces, indicators, posters, and textures they see when out and about. Scan textures you see in your travels or in your neighborhood and save them to your subsequent digital or IRL collage. Graphic designers rave in regards to the scanner’s skill to seize texture greater than a easy smartphone picture. 

Artist and content material creator lamp

If content material creation is a necessary a part of your artistic or inventive follow, artists have raved within the avalanche of constructive evaluations for this lamp. The lamp clamps onto your desk and may transfer round and alter its brightness stage. It additionally has a handy mount for putting your cellphone in and recording your crafting session.

Letter stamps

If your handwriting seems higher in your head than it does on paper, you might need enjoyable with an alphabet stamp set. Create cohesive titles to your spreads or stamp out phrases and numbers that match the theme of your junk.

iPad

For people who vibe with the idea of junk journaling however not with the mess of scissors, tape, paper, and glue, you possibly can nonetheless be a junk journaler! Celebrate these pictures that simply sit in your digicam roll by giving them one other life in a digital collage with Procreate or Freeform. 

Apple Pencil Pro

Digital junk journalers throughout TikTok are hardly ever seen with out an Apple Pencil. This stylus is so appropriate with iPads, it might probably help you digitally collage, illustrate, and junk journal to your coronary heart’s content material.

Band.do stickers

Sticker lovers can rejoice with this booklet from Ban.do. The model has tons of various artists contribute to every booklet it releases. Stickers can at all times be a enjoyable addition to junk journaling, despite the fact that they’re not “found objects.” 

Flow, the Book for Paper Lovers

Sometimes you simply haven’t got sufficient junk to replenish all the white house in your journal — otherwise you merely need some enjoyable paper because the backdrop to your unfold. Flow is an superior guide filled with paper, stickers, illustrations, and even journaling concepts.

Double-sided tape dispenser

Double-sided tape dispensers could make your junk journaling session go tremendous easily. This set comes with two dispensers and eight refills, so you may get lots of stuff taped down.

Fiskars circle cutter

This Fiskars circle cutter can punch out exact circles from varied supplies. Cut out totally different sizes of circles with this cutter that comes with three separate alternative blades. 

Funky scissors

Give your junk a enjoyable, ornamental edge with this set of six scrapbooking scissors.

Mini embosser equipment

This mini embosser machine is one thing that would elevate or add a touch of creativity to your follow. Roll paper via this machine to emboss the fabric with distinctive shapes, patterns, or phrases. The alternatives for creativity are just about infinite.

X-Acto knife set 

This scrapbooking knife set speaks for itself in relation to junk journaling. It’s a superb device for isolating sure pictures in a pamphlet or paper that you just wish to lower out with extra precision than the common pair of family scissors.

Heated ribbon cutter

This device is tremendous useful for reducing ribbon or different supplies which can be prone to fray. It seals the tip of the lower materials with warmth.

Label printer

Label printers are such an unsung hero of the junk journaling recreation. Instantly print labels to your spreads that may point out any information you’d like. Print out labels for the date of your unfold, clarify an inside joke, and even decoratively incorporate track lyrics or strains out of your favourite poem.

Thermal laminator

A laminator could be an excellent rating for somebody who desires to junk journal in a extra sensible sense. Make bookmarks or reusable calendars out of your junk journaling spreads by creating your masterpiece and feeding it via the laminator for enhanced permanence.

Accordion file folder

This accordion file folder on Amazon is ideal for the junk journalers who’re operating out of room for storing all their unused ephemera. It’s expandable, so it might probably develop and shrink with the ebbs and flows of your assortment of issues. 

Phone app limiter

This could be a stunning inclusion on this checklist, however the Brick phone-locking machine might be a extremely useful device to your creativity. Tap your cellphone towards the Brick to lock your entry to the apps of your selecting and totally focus in your inventive undertaking. (Many of our employees members use and love the Brick.)