Teaching My First Virtual Workshop: Make a Junk Journal from Upcycled Papers

A big thank you to everyone who joined the Paper People online creative retreat! I hope you had a wonderful and crafty weekend learning new things. Did you clear out at least one paper pile by turning it into a junk journal? 

Now that the event is over - I wanted to share a few follow up items that might help you get started on the pages of your new junk journal. 

Hold on - what was Paper People?

Paper People was a free online creative retreat hosted by Michaela from Blue Stiggy. For three days, July 3-5, artists and makers shared workshops on writing, drawing, calligraphy, poetry, mark making, journaling, and more. I taught the same workshop I usually teach in person - Make a Junk Journal from Upcycled Papers.

So, what is a junk journal?

A junk journal is part scrapbook, part sketchbook, part diary, and part treasure chest.

It's made from upcycled, vintage, and everyday papers - anything you want to challenge yourself to use! Old book pages, maps, greeting cards, wrapping paper, music sheets, junk mail envelopes, brown packaging paper… endless possibilities!

Watch a Junk Journal Flip-Through

Now that we’re all on the same page about the event and what a junk journal is - a few workshop viewers asked to see more examples of how I use my journals. I uploaded a few slow (boring? You decide), no-frills flip-through videos to YouTube so you can get a closer look at the pages. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COE6n3AeSxg

Watch how I layer “junk” with Found and Flowered ephemera into my journal spreads. 

Watch more journal flip-through videos on YouTube.

Wondering where I get my junk journal materials?

I find “junk” wherever I go and I love blending it with the Found and Flowered papers - both the newspaper and the monthly mail club.

$5/Monthly Mail Club

Join for consistent journal inspiration - each letter includes a welcome note, journal prompt, printed ephemera to cut out, a background layer, and a digital collage to show one way you can use the elements on your page. Ships to US, UK, Canada, Australia, and (most of) the EU.

>Join the Mail Club

The sweetest notes

A few love notes from the event - thank you for sharing your kind words.

💌 "I loved this Lauren - thank you. So visual and such an expression of colour and creativity."

💌 "Lauren, thanks for this slow, thorough introduction to junk journaling. I appreciated your comment about not mimicking others on social media, giving permission to take one's time to build the journal. It's not the finished product but the presence of the practice!"

💌 "This was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all of your experience! I've always wondered how to make one of these and now can absolutely do it!" 

💌 "I loved this - I need to collect more paper... and stuff!!!! Thank you for this tutorial, Lauren."

Upcoming Junk Journal Events 

Teaching my first virtual workshop was a great learning experience and I’d definitely do one again - or even a live junk journal virtual event!

In the meantime, you can find my junk journal workshop once a month at Arts Collaborative Medford in the Boston area. More details on my events page.

Please reach out if you have a suggestion for where to bring my workshop next - I’m always looking for new event spaces.