23 Junk Journal Styles to Inspire Your Next Project

If you’re curious about junk journal styles and want to discover a look or theme that inspires you, you’re in the right place. This cozy guide will introduce you to a wide variety of junk journal themes – from vintage to fantasy, from minimalist to magical – and help you find the aesthetic that feels most like you.

Junk Journal Styles

Inspiring Junk Journal Themes You Need To Know

Maybe you’ve seen a junk journal that made your heart skip a beat. It had vintage florals, or fairy wings, or rusty gears — and you thought, I want to make something like that… but what do I even call that style?

Or maybe you’re just starting out and feel overwhelmed by the endless possibilities. Steampunk? Cottagecore? Grunge? You’re not alone, and I have written this post to guide and inspire you.

Let’s explore the wonderful world of junk journal aesthetics, and maybe help you discover your style.

About the Styles Listed Below

This list is here to inspire, not to define. Every junk journaler brings their own flair, and no two styles are exactly alike. These categories are simply jumping-off points – a way to spark your imagination and help you put a name to the looks you love.

✨ Vintage Style

Vintage-style junk journals are inspired by the charm of the past — think faded letters, well-worn books, and the kind of treasures you might find in an old attic trunk. This style embraces the beauty of age, memory, and imperfection. Pages are often filled with sepia tones, handwritten scripts, delicate lace, and antique ephemera like postcards, ledgers, or postage stamps.

To create this look, use tea- or coffee-dyed paper for an aged effect, layer in book pages, and add details like brass paper clips, wax seals, or ink-stamped tags.

It’s a style that tells a story, even before you’ve written a word. Whether you’re documenting memories or simply enjoying the aesthetic, vintage journals feel like holding a little piece of history in your hands.

Tutorial: Watch this tutorial using the Vintage Junk Journal Kit.

💐 Shabby Chic Style

Shabby chic junk journals are all about softness, romance, and a little bit of vintage elegance. This style is inspired by cozy cottages, faded florals, and well-loved linens – the kind of gentle beauty that feels like a handwritten letter or an afternoon tea. The color palette often leans toward pastels: blush pinks, creamy whites, dusty roses, and pale greens.

To create this look, layer delicate materials like doilies, muslin, distressed lace, and floral scrapbook papers. Ink edges softly (nothing too harsh), and don’t be afraid to add pearls, buttons, or tiny fabric bows.

Shabby chic journals are perfect for love notes, poetry, gratitude pages, or anything that feels tender and personal.

Tutorial: Create a shabby chic spread with the Sweet Rose Kit.

🖤 Grunge / Grungy Style

Grunge-style junk journals are inspired by worn textures, underground art, and the beauty of things old and worn. Think torn paper, inky smudges, layered textures, exposed stitching, and color palettes in black, rust, olive, and sepia.

To get the grungy look, start with distressed backgrounds – coffee-dyed paper works beautifully – and layer on scraps, stamps, old tape, gridded patterns, and uneven edges.

This style often includes vintage ephemera with a more industrial or urban twist: typewritten notes, old ledger numbers, rust-effect details, or anatomical illustrations. It’s expressive, emotional, and often deeply personal – a little bit messy in the most meaningful way.

Tutorial: Get grungy here with the Distress Layers Kit.

⚙️ Industrial / Steampunk Style

Industrial and steampunk junk journals blend Victorian elegance with the grit of machinery and invention. Inspired by gears, timepieces, typewriters, and retro-futuristic science fiction, this style is full of rich textures, and mechanical motifs. It’s where old-world sophistication meets brass bolts and airship blueprints.

To build this aesthetic, use deep, moody colors like copper, rust, mahogany, and brass. Layer metallic papers, embossed textures, leather or faux-leather scraps, and ephemera like blueprints, watch faces, and mechanical diagrams. Add in brads, grommets, or even real hardware pieces for tactile interest.

This style is perfect for storytelling – whether you’re building a journal for invention, time travel, or introspection.

Tutorial: See it in action with the Steampunk Dreams Kit.

🪶 Victorian Style

Victorian junk journals are graceful, romantic, and inspired by the refined beauty of the 19th century. This style draws from handwritten letters, pressed flowers, delicate lace, calling cards, and the soft glow of candlelit parlors. It celebrates refinement, femininity, and the quiet rituals of daily life — think afternoon tea, elegant script, and well-loved poetry books.

To create this aesthetic, use soft, faded tones like rose, ivory, sepia, and dusty mauve. Incorporate floral wallpaper prints, tea-stained pages, cameo silhouettes, and antique fonts. Elements like wax seals, ribbon-tied bundles, and vintage stationery bring the elegance to life.

Perfect for writing letters to yourself, memory keeping, or building a journal that feels like a treasured heirloom.

Tutorial: Make a Victorian-style journal using the Heirloom Romance Kit

🕯️Gothic Style

Gothic junk journals are darkly poetic, beautifully dramatic, and steeped in mystery. This style draws from classic gothic literature, crumbling architecture, moonlit graveyards, and the tension between decay and beauty. It’s perfect for those who love a little shadow with their sparkle.

To achieve a gothic aesthetic, use deep, moody colors like black, oxblood, midnight blue, and aged bronze. Layer black lace, wax-dripped tags, vellum overlays, and torn book pages. Add imagery like ravens, antique keys, candlelit portraits, or gothic arches.

It’s a style that invites storytelling, introspection, and just the right touch of the macabre.

Tutorial: Create a dark & moody gothic journal with the Gothic Whispers Kit

🌿 Botanical, Garden & Nature-Inspired Style

This style is for the journaler who finds magic in the everyday wonder of the natural world. Inspired by gardens, wildflowers, weathered seed packets, and forest paths, botanical and nature-themed junk journals celebrate the beauty of plants, creatures, and quiet outdoor moments. These journals often feel like a walk through a Victorian greenhouse or a peek into a well-loved nature sketchbook.

Use earthy tones like moss green, soft browns, ivory, and sage. Layer in pressed leaves or faux ferns, garden journal pages, bird illustrations, insect diagrams, and soft watercolor washes. You might even include handwritten plant notes, vintage florals, or snippets from old field guides.

These journals are perfect for nature walks, seasonal reflection, or just slowing down and noticing the world around you.

Tutorial: Grow a spread here using the Botanical Bloom Kit

🌸 Floral-Focused Journals

If you’re drawn to specific flowers, you can absolutely build a junk journal around a single bloom. Roses, lavender, lily of the valley, cherry blossoms — each brings its own mood and meaning to your pages. These themes work beautifully for memory keeping, seasonal journaling, or simply celebrating a flower you love.

Try one of these floral kits to get started:

• Roses: Blush Garden Kit
• Lavender: Lavender Skies Kit
• Cherry Blossom: Spring Petals Kit
• Wisteria: Violet Whispers Kit
• Lily of the Valley: Gentle Bloom Kit

🐿️ Woodland Theme

Woodland-themed junk journals are warm, wild, and just a little bit magical. Inspired by forest trails, mossy logs, woodland creatures, and fairy-tale woods, this style captures the wonder of nature at ground level. It’s perfect for autumnal crafting, seasonal memory keeping, or simply celebrating the slower rhythms of life under the trees.

Use rich, earthy tones like moss green, chestnut, rust, and warm ochre. Add imagery of mushrooms, acorns, owls, foxes, bark textures, or forest maps. Natural textures like burlap, kraft paper, or torn vellum give the pages a storybook-meets-forager feel.

This style pairs beautifully with field notes, cozy quotes, or ephemera collected on a woodland walk.

Tutorial: Explore the woods here with the Woodland Whimsy Kit

🌾 Farmhouse / Rustic Style

Farmhouse junk journals are inspired by rural life, homemade comfort, and vintage American charm. Picture weathered barn wood, faded aprons, handwritten recipes, and seed packets tucked in a kitchen drawer. This style often feels practical and sentimental — like flipping through a family cookbook or paging through an old farm ledger.

To create this aesthetic, use warm neutrals, kraft paper, ticking stripes, gingham, and homespun fabrics. Layer in ephemera like canning labels, receipts, milk bottle caps, or field notes. Stitching (real or faux), buttons, and muslin scraps add a lovely handmade touch.

These journals are wonderful for storytelling, gratitude journaling, or capturing the rhythms of slow, simple living.

Tutorial: Try this aesthetic with the Farmhouse Market Kit

🫖 Cottagecore / British-Inspired Style

Cottagecore junk journals feel like curling up in a thatched-roof cottage with a cup of tea and a basket of wildflowers by your side. Inspired by the pastoral countryside, slow living, and old English storybooks, this style celebrates simplicity, comfort, and a touch of whimsy. Think handwritten letters, garden gates, teacups, and the scent of herbs drying in a sunny kitchen window.

To capture the look, lean into soft colors like sage green, buttercream, dusty rose, and sky blue. Use gingham, lace, floral wallpaper prints, botanical drawings, and mushroom ephemera. Layer in fabric scraps, garden journal pages, or quotes from favorite cottage novels.

This style is perfect for daily journaling, gratitude entries, or just building a world where everything feels slow, lovely, and handmade.

Tutorial: Make a cottagecore journal using the English Garden Kit

🍋 Mediterranean / French Farmhouse Style

This style is inspired by lavender fields, sunwashed shutters, and the rustic beauty of Provence. Mediterranean and French farmhouse junk journals feel warm, breezy, and effortlessly elegant — like a morning stroll through a village market or a linen-covered kitchen table set for lunch. There’s a blend of old-world texture and relaxed simplicity that makes this style feel both cozy and refined.

Use a palette of soft whites, dusty blues, sun-faded yellows, and lavender tones. Layer in vintage French ephemera, olive branch motifs, toile patterns, handwritten labels, and produce crate graphics. Linen textures, twine bows, and antique postage give extra charm.

This aesthetic is perfect for recipe journals, garden planners, or simply soaking up the beauty of slow Mediterranean living.

Tutorial: Create this sunlit look with the Provence Morning Kit

✝️ Faith-Inspired Journals

Faith-based junk journals are tender, reflective, and deeply personal. They create space for prayer, scripture study, gratitude, and spiritual growth — all wrapped in layers of beauty and intention. Whether you’re writing down devotionals, illustrating favorite verses, or simply reflecting through quiet journaling, these journals become a meaningful part of your faith journey.

Use soft, peaceful colors like cream, gold, dusty rose, or lavender. Incorporate Bible verse cards, prayer prompts, floral pages, or soft watercolor backgrounds. Add tabs for scripture sections, tuck in sermon notes, or include journaling spots for reflection and worship.

This style is a beautiful way to combine creativity with spiritual practice — one prayer, verse, or quiet moment at a time.

Tutorial: Create a faith journal with the Faithful Devotion Kit

🧚Fantasy, Fairy & Magical Themes

Fantasy and fairy-inspired junk journals invite you into a world of enchantment, where every page feels like stepping into a storybook. Inspired by woodland creatures, glowing lanterns, fairy wings, and moonlit meadows, this style is playful, dreamy, and filled with soft magic. It’s perfect for anyone who believes in imagination, storytelling, or a touch of glitter on everyday life.

Use pastel palettes like lavender, blush, mint, and sky blue. Layer vellum wings, floral garlands, fairytale book pages, glittery accents, and whimsical characters like fairies, elves, or tiny forest folk. You might include secret pockets, potion labels, vintage storybook clippings, or handmade paper with a touch of shimmer.

This style is a favorite for memory keeping, intuitive journaling, or just letting your inner child play on paper.

Tutorial: Enter the fairytale using the Fairy Glade Kit

🔮Mystic, Spiritual & Witchy Vibes

Mystic and witchy junk journals are soulful, symbolic, and beautifully mysterious. This style draws inspiration from moon phases, herbalism, tarot, astrology, and the rhythms of nature. It’s often used for intention-setting, lunar journaling, shadow work, or simply creating a space that honors personal rituals and intuition.

Use deep, moody tones like indigo, obsidian, plum, and gold. Layer celestial motifs, pressed herbs, hand-drawn symbols, crystal illustrations, and alchemy-inspired ephemera. Pockets can hold intention cards or spell ingredients, while flip-outs can hide private reflections or ritual notes.

These journals feel sacred and powerful — a place to tune into your inner voice and explore the unseen.

Tutorial: Craft your magic with the Mystic Moon Kit

🏰 Historic Themes (e.g., Medieval, 18th Century)

Historic-themed junk journals transport you to another era — whether you’re imagining medieval castles, candlelit writing desks, or powdered wigs and colonial letters. These journals are inspired by the textures, colors, and artifacts of specific time periods, and they offer a beautiful opportunity to blend storytelling with historical design. Each journal becomes a little time capsule, filled with echoes of the past.

To create this look, choose a time period that fascinates you — medieval, Renaissance, Regency, or even Edwardian — and gather materials that match the aesthetic. Use calligraphy, wax seals, illuminated letters, aged paper, and replicas of historical documents. Add elements like coat-of-arms prints, classical borders, and script fonts that mimic old handwriting.

These journals are ideal for storytelling, history lovers, or building a fictional world rooted in a real one.

Tutorial: Try this look with the Timeless Tales Kit

🧵 Boho / Eclectic Style

Boho and eclectic junk journals are bold, expressive, and delightfully unrestrained. Inspired by global textiles, free-spirited living, and a “more is more” attitude, this style celebrates creativity without limits. It’s all about layering patterns, textures, and unexpected elements — creating beauty through contrast and play.

Use rich jewel tones, vibrant florals, tribal or paisley prints, and lots of texture. Incorporate sari fabric scraps, stitched borders, handmade paper, and global ephemera like old maps, passport stamps, or travel clippings. You can add carefree brush marks, dangling charms, or patchwork-style pages that blend materials in unexpected ways.

These journals are perfect for creative expression, travel memories, or simply making art that feels joyful and alive.

Tutorial: Start your boho spread with the Wild Soul Kit

🕶️ Retro Style (50s, 60s, 70s)

Retro junk journals are vibrant, fun, and bursting with nostalgia. Inspired by mid-century design, pop culture, and bold graphic patterns, this style brings each decade to life in its own unique way. Whether you love the pastel diner vibes of the ’50s, the psychedelic swirls of the ’60s, or the earthy tones and funky fonts of the ’70s — there’s a retro aesthetic for every mood.

To create this style, focus on strong color palettes and iconic motifs. Think atomic stars, vinyl records, cassette tapes, mod florals, roller skates, or geometric wallpaper prints. Use retro ads, bold typefaces, and clashing color blocks to build high-energy pages that feel playful and expressive. Perfect for memory keeping, themed journaling, or just celebrating your favorite era.

Tutorial: Go retro here with the Retro Pop Kit

🧼 Modern / Minimalist Style

Modern and minimalist junk journals embrace simplicity, intention, and quiet beauty. This style is all about clean design, thoughtful layouts, and making space for what matters most. Instead of maximalist layers, you’ll find gentle textures, soft neutrals, and layouts that breathe. It’s ideal for journalers who want a calming creative practice or who feel overwhelmed by too many options.

Use color palettes like ivory, beige, charcoal, soft gray, and muted earth tones. Incorporate tone-on-tone elements, vellum pockets, clean fonts, grid patterns, and small, well-placed embellishments. Let whitespace be part of your design — it helps the pages feel peaceful and reflective.

This style is wonderful for intentional journaling, self-care, or creating clarity through art.

Tutorial: Keep it minimal with the Calm & Collected Kit

🌠 Celestial / Space-Inspired Journals

Celestial junk journals are magical, mysterious, and inspired by the night sky. Perfect for star-gazers, moon-watchers, and lovers of the cosmos, this style invites you to craft pages that feel vast, spiritual, and quietly powerful. Whether you’re journaling under a full moon or exploring themes of dreams, destiny, or personal cycles, these journals are filled with wonder.

Use color palettes like navy, indigo, black, silver, and deep violet — the shades of twilight and stardust. Include constellations, moon phases, star charts, planetary ephemera, and metallic or holographic accents. Add in reflective journaling prompts, moon tracking spreads, or tarot-inspired inserts.

These journals feel both expansive and intimate — a universe in book form.

Tutorial: Create cosmic beauty with the Starry Night Kit

🐚 Coastal / Seaside Journals

Coastal junk journals are light, breezy, and inspired by the rhythm of the sea. This style captures the feeling of beach walks, salty air, and collecting treasures from the shore. It’s perfect for summer journaling, vacation memories, or simply bringing a sense of calm, openness, and coastal beauty to your creative space.

Use soft, sun-faded colors like aqua, sand, sea glass green, driftwood gray, and sky blue. Include elements like seashell stamps, ocean maps, rope textures, watercolor waves, and vintage seaside postcards. You can tuck in beach quotes, travel photos, or even bits of real shell or sand.

These journals feel like a sea breeze in paper form — relaxed, reflective, and deeply soothing.

Tutorial: Make a beachy journal using the Coastal Calm Kit

📦 Junk Mail & Upcycled Journals

Junk mail and upcycled journals are the heart of what junk journaling is all about: turning the everyday into something beautiful. This style celebrates creativity over perfection and invites you to use what you already have — no fancy supplies required. It’s ideal for budget-conscious crafters, eco-friendly creatives, or anyone who finds joy in giving old materials new life.

Use cereal boxes for covers, envelopes for pockets, packaging paper for texture, and junk mail inserts as pages or layers. Look for beauty in the overlooked — security envelopes, flyers, product tags, even tea bag wrappers can become stunning design elements.

These journals often feel scrappy, honest, and incredibly satisfying. They’re a reminder that you are already creative — even your recycling bin proves it.

Tutorial: Make a no-cost junk journal with the Upcycle Everything Kit

🎨 Color-Themed Junk Journals

Sometimes, a junk journal doesn’t need a specific theme or aesthetic — it just needs a color that speaks to you. Color-themed journals are a joyful way to explore mood, emotion, or visual harmony. Whether you choose a single hue (hello, monochrome!) or a subtle palette, using color as your guide makes designing pages simple and satisfying.

Let the color set the tone: blue might feel calming, red could spark energy, green connects to nature, and pink might invite playfulness or self-love. You can build entire journals around your favorite shade, or create seasonal spreads inspired by the colors around you. Use papers, tags, washi, fabric scraps, and embellishments in varying tones and textures for depth.

Color journaling is a great option for beginners or anyone craving a fresh creative spark — because sometimes, all you need is a color and a glue stick to get started.

Try these color kits:

• White: White Whisper Kit
• Yellow: Golden Days Kit
• Orange: Harvest Glow Kit
• Red: Ruby Journal Kit
• Pink: Blush & Bloom Kit
• Purple/Violet: Lavender Skies Kit
• Blue: Blue Haze Kit
• Aqua: Seaglass Tides Kit
• Green: Forest Moss Kit
• Black & White (Ink Saver): Monochrome Magic Kit

🧶 Seasonal & Holiday-Themed Journals

Seasons change, and so do the stories we tell. Seasonal and holiday-themed junk journals are a beautiful way to reflect on the rhythm of the year — capturing moments, moods, and memories that only happen once a season or once a year.

Whether you’re crafting to celebrate a holiday or simply soaking in the colors and feelings of a new season, these journals become creative time capsules filled with meaning.

🌸 Seasonal Junk Journals (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)

A seasonal journal invites you to document the little details that define each time of year. Think spring florals, summer travels, autumn leaves, or cozy winter nights. These journals are wonderful for seasonal reflections, gratitude, nature observations, or creative challenges (like a “30 Days of Fall” journal).

Use color palettes and elements that reflect the season:

• Spring: Soft pastels, blooming florals, birds, and fresh green growth
• Summer: Bright colors, beach themes, travel ephemera, citrus motifs
• Fall: Warm tones, leaves, acorns, harvest themes, and cozy textures
• Winter: Cool blues, snowflakes, warm plaid, stars, and hygge-style accents

Tutorial: Make a seasonal journal with the Four Seasons Collection

🎄 Holiday-Themed Junk Journals

Holidays are full of emotion, tradition, and memory-making – and junk journaling is a lovely way to document it all. Whether you’re creating a December Daily, a Halloween memory book, or a Valentine’s love letter journal, holiday-themed spreads are full of heart and personality.

Use themed ephemera, festive quotes, and found paper from gift wrap, cards, or party leftovers. These journals can be finished keepsakes or evolving scrapbooks added to each year. You can even start new traditions by gifting holiday journals or making them together with family.

Tutorial: Celebrate each occasion with the Holiday Bundle Kit, or choose from:

• Christmas Kit
• Thanksgiving Kit
• Halloween Kit
• Easter Kit
• Valentine’s Kit
• St. Patrick’s Day Kit

Can I Mix Styles?

Absolutely. Your journal doesn’t have to fit into one box. That’s the beauty of junk journaling. It can be part vintage, part floral, with a touch of sparkle and a quote from your favorite fantasy novel. Do what feels fun. Make your own magic.

Want to Create Your Own Junk Journal?

If you’re feeling inspired, I have something special for you: my Junk Journal Beginner Guide! Inside, you’ll learn how to make your first junk journal using simple supplies (many you already have at home!).

You’ll also get a free printable kit to help you get started right away. It’s easy, fun, and absolutely beginner-friendly.

Grab the free guide and printable kit here.

What to Do Next 🤝

Your junk journal journey is just beginning! Here are a few cozy next steps:

• ✂️ Start your first journal with the Beginner Guide & Free Kit
• 📚 Learn more: What Is a Junk Journal? + What Is the Purpose of a Junk Journal?
• 🧵 Browse more junk journal tutorials
• 💌 Subscribe for weekly printables & creative inspiration

Happy journaling — whatever style you choose. 💛
Cyna xx