The Ultimate Junk Journaling Supplies List: 100+ Tools & Favorites

Whether you’re brand new or expanding your creative toolbox, this beginner-friendly guide to junk journaling supplies will show you what tools you actually need. From scissors to glue, we’ll walk through the essentials and a few fun extras.

If you’ve ever browsed junk journaling videos or peeked into someone’s dreamy craft room and thought, “Wait… do I need all that stuff just to start?” — you’re not alone.

The truth? You absolutely don’t.

Junk journaling can be wonderfully simple or joyfully elaborate — and my guide is here to support you no matter where you are in that journey.

Whether you’re just picking up your first printable or looking to try new techniques beyond scissors and glue, I’ll walk you through the tools that make junk journaling more fun, more doable, and more you.

We’ll explore the basics (like paper trimmers and glue), the helpful extras (like daubers and brads), and the specialty add-ons (like punches or hardware) — all clearly marked so you can choose what fits your budget and style.

✂️ Scissors & Cutting Tools

Whether you’re cutting tags, trimming pages, or snipping out tiny fussy cuts — a good pair of scissors is one of the first things you’ll reach for in junk journaling. This section covers all the cutting tools I use (or recommend) for precise, stress-free crafting — from everyday scissors to specialty trimmers and blades.

You definitely don’t need everything on this list to get started. Start with the basics — and expand as you find your style.

✂️ Scissors

• Paper Scissors (Essential) 🩷
  A sharp, ergonomic pair of scissors is a must. Choose ones that feel good in your hand — you’ll be using them a lot. Dedicated paper scissors help keep your cuts clean and prevent adhesive build-up from dulling the blades.
• Fussy Cut Scissors / Mini Snippers (Good to Have) 💜
  These are small, sharp scissors with a fine point, perfect for cutting out intricate ephemera, florals, and detailed embellishments.
• Fabric Scissors (Good to Have) 💜
  If you work with fabric, lace, or ribbon, a dedicated pair of fabric scissors will help you get clean, fray-free cuts. Keep them away from paper — it’ll dull them quickly.
• Hair Scissors (Optional Alternative) 💙
  Believe it or not, a sharp pair of hair scissors can be a great all-purpose cutting tool. They’re lightweight, glide easily through paper, and can handle ribbon and trim in a pinch.
• Nail Scissors (Optional Alternative) 💙
  With their slight curve and precise blades, nail scissors are another excellent choice for cutting around intricate shapes. A great budget-friendly alternative to specialty snippers.
• Pinking Shears (Optional) 💙
  These zig-zag edge scissors add a decorative finish and help prevent fraying — perfect for fabric and ribbon. They also work great on paper for a vintage-inspired look.
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🔪 Trimmers & Blades

• Blade Knife / Craft Knife (Good to Have) 💜
  Ideal for making precise cuts, trimming printable edges, or working on layered folios. A must-have for cutting tight corners or working with templates.
• Mini Precision Cutter / Pen Knife (Optional) 💙
  A pen-shaped blade that’s great for cutting delicate shapes, swirls, and tight angles. These can be especially helpful if you struggle with fussy cuts using scissors.
• Rotary Cutter (Optional) 💙
  More common in quilting and sewing, rotary cutters can also be helpful for cutting paper and fabric in straight lines. Pair with a ruler for best results.
• Paper Cutter / Trimmer (Good to Have) 💜
  Speeds up repetitive cuts, helps you trim edges evenly, and gives that clean, straight finish. Choose one with clear measurements and a sharp blade.
• Guillotine Paper Trimmer (Optional) 💙
  A bit heavier, but delivers ultra-clean cuts — especially great for thick cardstock or bulk trimming.
• Self-Healing Cutting Mat (Good to Have) 💜
  Protects your table when using rotary cutters or blades. It also helps preserve the sharpness of your tools and usually includes built-in measurement grids for easy alignment.

🧴 Glue & Adhesives

Good glue makes everything easier — and the wrong glue can undo hours of beautiful work. Below are my four most-used adhesives for junk journaling. Each has its strengths, and together, they cover nearl y all your basic needs. You don’t need them all to start — even one or two will go a long way.

• Art Glitter Glue (Essential) 🩷
  A water-based liquid glue with a fine tip that’s perfect for detailed work like attaching pockets, labels, and small embellishments. It dries clear and fast, with a long-lasting hold — ideal for paper-on-paper work.
• Beacon 3-in-1 Craft Glue (or Fabri-Tac) (Good to Have) 💜
  A solvent-based glue that won’t wrinkle paper and gives a strong, flexible hold. Perfect for attaching larger elements, layering papers, or working with lace, fabric, and heavier embellishments.
• Glue Stick (Essential) 🩷
  A clean, quick option for covering large areas — great for gluing background pages or ephemera without the mess of liquid glue. Just be sure to use a strong-hold, permanent version.
• Double-Sided Tape (Good to Have) 💜
  Instant adhesion and no drying time! Perfect for flaps, envelopes, pockets, and pages. Look for thin, acid-free tape for best results — and use in combination with a glue stick for extra strength.
• Precision Glue Bottles (Optional) 💙
  You can decant thicker glues (like Fabri-Tac) into a fine-tip precision bottle for better control and less waste when doing detail work.
• Rubber Cement Glue Eraser (Optional) 💙
  Great for tidying up any dried glue that sneaks out from under paper layers. Just rub it gently and the excess peels right off — no damage, no smudges.

🖨️ Paper & Printing Essentials

If you’re planning to use digital printables in your junk journals (like the ones I offer in my Etsy shop or free resource library), then a home printer and some good paper are essential.

You don’t need to go overboard with supplies here — just one or two kinds of paper will get you started, and you can always expand as you go.

Here are my top recommendations:

📄 Recommended Paper Types

• Writing Paper (Essential) 🩷
  Lightweight and easy to fold — perfect for printing journal pages, envelopes, or notepads.
• Light Cardstock (Essential) 🩷
  Sturdy yet flexible — ideal for tags, fussy cuts, folio pieces, and layered elements.
• Medium Cardstock (Good to Have) 💜
  Thicker and more durable — great for covers, pocket bases, or anything that needs extra support.
• Matte Photo Paper (Optional) 💙
  Super vibrant — wonderful for rich colors and contrast. Use it for standout feature pages.
• Sticker Paper (Optional) 💙
  Turns your ephemera or fussy cuts into peel-and-stick magic. A must for layering lovers.
• Vellum Paper (Optional) 💙
  Delicate and dreamy — perfect for soft overlays, windows, and added texture.

📏 Paper Tools & Scoring Supplies

These tools help you cut, crease, smooth, and shape your paper with more control and precision. Some are everyday essentials, while others are nice upgrades to have on hand — especially when you’re ready to start folding folios, layering pages, or creating your own journals.

📏 Rulers

• Straight Edge Ruler (Essential) 🩷
  A sturdy, non-slip ruler is a must for measuring, cutting, and scoring. Choose one with clear markings and a metal edge for slicing with a blade knife.
• Irregular Edge Rulers (Optional) 💙
  These decorative rulers add a fun, torn-edge look to your paper — perfect for a vintage vibe without actual tearing.
• Quilting Ruler (Optional) 💙
  Transparent quilting rulers are amazing for precise measuring, cutting at angles, or aligning elements — especially helpful for folio makers and perfectionists.

✂️ Folding & Distressing Tools

• Bone Folder (Essential) 🩷
  A simple but powerful tool used to crease paper cleanly and flatten folds without tearing or cracking. You’ll use this all the time when folding pages, creating pockets, or smoothing glued areas.
• Scoring Board (Good to Have) 💜
  Helps you create perfectly straight and even score lines for folding — great for folios, flip-outs, and custom envelopes. Especially useful if you work on structured projects or printable kits.
• Creasing Tool / Scoring Stylus (Good to Have) 💜
  A metal-tipped stylus that fits into the grooves of a scoring board or can be used on its own with a ruler. It gives you clean, crisp folds without damaging the paper fibers.
• Clips (Good to Have) 💜
  Large clips are great for holding papers or signatures in place while you glue or bind. They keep things lined up and reduce shifting — especially handy during bookbinding or while waiting for glue to dry.
• Paper Distressing Tool (Optional) 💙
  Designed to rough up the edges of paper or cardstock for a worn, vintage look. Great for shabby chic or grunge-style journals.
• Mini Brayer (Optional) 💙
  A small rubber roller that helps you press glued paper down evenly and firmly — especially helpful for large surfaces or layered pieces. Can also be used to smooth paint or ink when working with gel plates or stamps.

These tools aren’t mandatory to start, but they’ll make your journal look more polished and professional — and they’re fun to use, too!

🧷 Binding Supplies

If you want to create your own junk journal from scratch — rather than using a store-bought notebook or planner — a few bookbinding tools will make the job easier, cleaner, and more enjoyable. You don’t need professional equipment to start, just a few basic tools (some of which you might already have at home).

Below are the supplies I recommend for junk journal binding — from hand-sewn signatures to sturdy hard covers and creative alternatives like wire binding.

• Bookbinding Kit (Good to Have) 💜
  A handy all-in-one solution that typically includes needles, waxed thread, an awl, and sometimes a bone folder or ruler. Ideal if you’re just starting out and don’t want to hunt for individual tools.
• Awl (Good to Have) 💜
  Used to pierce clean holes through your folded signatures. Look for one with a fine point and a comfortable grip.
• Large Eyelet / Bookbinding Needles (Good to Have) 💜
  Strong, long needles with a large eye to accommodate waxed thread. Blunt tips are safer for beginners.
• Waxed Thread (Good to Have) 💜
  Durable and easy to handle, waxed thread glides through paper without fraying or tangling — and holds knots securely.
• Bone Folder (Essential) 🩷
  Perfect for creasing paper, folding signatures, and smoothing glued edges.
  ✨ Upgrade Tip: Teflon bone folders won’t leave shine marks or burnish lines on your paper — a lovely investment if you bind a lot of books.
• Elastic Thread or Cord (Optional) 💙
  Great for creating refillable junk journals or traveler’s notebooks. Also useful for decorative bindings or temporary stitching.
• Bookbinding Cradle (Optional) 💙
  This simple wooden or plastic frame helps hold your pages in place and keeps your holes aligned while punching. Not required — but a nice bonus if you struggle to keep things centered.
• Chipboard (Good to Have) 💜
  Heavy cardboard used to create your own custom hardcovers. Can be covered with scrapbook paper, fabric, or printed designs.
• Hinging Tape (Optional) 💙
  A strong, flexible tape used to reinforce spines or attach cover pieces. Especially helpful if your journal will get a lot of use.
• Binder Clips (Good to Have) 💜
  Keeps your pages or covers in place while sewing or gluing. You likely already have some of these lying around!
• Loose Leaf Binders (Optional) 💙
  A fun alternative to stitched journals — these mini binders let you swap in and out pages anytime. Perfect if you like flexibility or want to make a sampler-style book.
• Binding Wire & Wire Binding Machine (Optional / Advanced) 💙
  If you want to go beyond hand-sewn bindings, wire binding is a professional-looking option — especially for journals with lots of pages. Look for a wire binding punch machine and compatible spines.

🕳️ Punches & Eyelet Setters

Punches are incredibly useful for junk journaling — whether you’re adding tags, eyelets, flaps, or decorative shapes. A basic hole punch can go a long way, but if you enjoy adding interactive or polished details to your pages, a few specialty punches are well worth having.

Here are my favorites — and how I use them.

🔹 Hole Punches

• Single Hole Punch (Essential) 🩷
  A basic one-hole punch is perfect for making tag holes, binding holes, or prepping pages for brads and eyelets. A simple staple for any journaler.
• Mini Hole Punch (Good to Have) 💜
  Smaller than a standard punch, this one is great for delicate work like mini tags, tiny embellishments, and smaller-scale elements.
• Slot Punch (Optional) 💙
  Instead of punching a hole, this creates a small horizontal slit — ideal for adding ribbon closures, threading string, or creating clever tuck spots.
• Circle Reinforcing Punch (Optional) 💙
  Punches small reinforcement circles to layer over tag holes. Adds both durability and charm — especially when used with contrasting paper scraps.

🔹 Corner Punch

• Corner Punch (Good to Have) 💜
  Rounds the sharp edges of journal cards, tags, or pages for a soft, polished look. Some corner punches come with multiple angle settings — very handy.

🔹 Eyelet Punching & Setting

• Croc-A-Dile Eyelet Setter & Hole Punch (Good to Have) 💜
  A powerful tool that punches through thick materials and sets eyelets cleanly with very little effort. Great for tags, reinforced holes, and journal covers.

🔹 Decorative Edge Punches

• Border Punches (Optional) 💙
  These create lace-like or scalloped edges on paper — lovely for layering, edging journal cards, or decorating pages.
• Doily Punches (Optional) 💙
  Intricate punches that mimic paper doilies. These add beautiful vintage flair when layered behind focal points or cut from tea-dyed paper.

🔹 Shape Punches

• Circle Punch (Good to Have) 💜
  Perfect for tags, seals, collage elements, or even creating thumb notches when a notch punch isn’t available.
• Tag Punch (Optional) 💙
  Makes it easy to create your own tags from any scrap paper — especially helpful if you use a lot of printables or offcuts.
• Label Punch (Optional) 💙
  Adds vintage label shapes to your pages or journaling spots. A fun way to create your own stickers or faux ephemera.
• Flower Punches (Optional) 💙
  These can be used to create layered floral embellishments or dainty decorations.
• Ticket or Stub Punch (Optional) 💙
  Great for making faux tickets or vintage-style edges that look just like old ephemera.
• 3-D Punches (Optional) 💙
  These specialty punches fold paper into dimensional shapes like rosettes, butterflies, or petals. Not essential, but fun to explore.

🌈 Inks, Stamps & Blending Tools

Inks and stamps are an easy, creative way to add color, texture, and personality to your junk journal pages. Whether you’re inking the edges of a printable, stamping over a background, or layering colors with a stencil, this category is all about those finishing touches that make your pages feel special.

Here are some of my favorite inking supplies to get started:

• Distress Inks (Good to Have) 💜
  A junk journal classic. These water-based dye inks are perfect for inking edges, creating vintage effects, or blending colors across a page. They come in tons of shades and are easy to blend.
• Distress Oxide Inks (Good to Have) 💜
  A hybrid between dye and pigment ink. They have a soft, chalky finish and are ideal for layering, stamping, or stenciling. They react with water for dreamy effects.
• Archival Ink (Optional) 💙
  Waterproof, acid-free, and fade-resistant — perfect for stamping over paint or glue. A great choice if you want your stamping to last without smudging.
• Alcohol Ink (Optional) 💙
  Used for bold splatters, backgrounds, or mixed media. These inks are vibrant, permanent, and best used on non-porous surfaces like glossy cardstock or vellum.
• Ink Blending Tool / Dauber (Good to Have) 💜
  Lets you apply ink softly and evenly to paper edges. Most tools use circular foam pads with velcro backing for easy switching.
• Ink Blending Foams (Refills) (Optional) 💙
  These replaceable foam pads are perfect for keeping one per color. I recommend storing them in a small clear case to stay organized and avoid color transfer.
• Blending Brushes (Optional) 💙
  Soft-bristle brushes for a lighter, airbrushed blend. Great for using with stencils or adding soft shadows to your page elements.
• Alcohol Ink Applicator (Optional) 💙
  A felt pad tool used for dabbing alcohol ink onto non-porous surfaces. Only needed if you’re working heavily with alcohol inks.
• Acrylic Mounting Block (with grid lines) (Optional) 💙
  A reusable clear block for sticking and stamping with cling stamps. The grid lines help align your designs. Comes in different sizes.
• Rubber Stamps (Optional) 💙
  Stamps are a fun way to add patterns, words, faux postmarks, florals, and more. Whether clear, cling, or mounted, they pair beautifully with your printables.
  — [Insert stamp examples + links here]
• Stamp Cleaner (optional) (Optional) 💙
  Helps clean pigment or archival inks off your stamps so they last longer and stay crisp.
• Ink Swatch Cards (Good to Have) 💜
  Not a tool, but a helpful way to track your ink colors. You can download a free swatch card printable below to stay organized and avoid repeat purchases.

🎨 Mixed Media Supplies

Mixed media supplies are a wonderful way to bring extra texture, color, and character to your junk journal pages. You don’t need them to get started — but if you enjoy painting, layering, or experimenting with backgrounds, these tools can really bring your work to life.

• Acrylic Paint (Optional) 💙
  Great for base layers, splatters, and backgrounds. Choose matte or chalky finishes to avoid sticky pages.
• Watercolor Paint (Optional) 💙
  Lovely for soft washes, florals, or painting over stamped images. Use watercolor paper or thicker cardstock for best results.
• Paint Brushes (Good to Have) 💜
  A variety of brush sizes makes it easy to add delicate details or bold strokes. Foam brushes are also useful for texture or background coverage.
• Stencils (Optional) 💙
  Add instant patterns, textures, or designs. Try layering over painted or inked pages for added depth.
• Texture Paste (Optional) 💙
  Used with stencils to create raised, dimensional designs. Let dry fully before layering or closing your journal.
• Gilding Wax / Metallic Pastes (Optional) 💙
  Add shimmer and antique effects to edges, embossing, or raised textures.
• Permanent Markers or Paint Pens (Good to Have) 💜
  Ideal for writing on dark surfaces, adding accents, or outlining stamped images. Metallic and white pens are especially versatile.
• Ink Spray / Misting Bottles (Optional) 💙
  Create dreamy splatters or full-page backgrounds. Always spray in a protected area!

🔩 Hardware & Fasteners

These small but mighty pieces are perfect for adding interactive elements, securing closures, or giving your junk journal a beautifully worn, tactile feel. Whether you’re binding pages, adding dangles, or creating flip-ups and tuck spots, these are the little tools that help make it all happen.

🧷 Common Fasteners & Book Hardware

• Brads (Good to Have) 💜 – Classic paper fasteners for attaching interactive elements like spinning wheels, doors, or flaps.
• Ring Brad Fasteners (Optional) 💙 – Brads with loops, so you can add charms, ribbons, or tags.
• Eyelets (Good to Have) 💜 – Great for reinforcing punched holes and adding a decorative touch — perfect for tags, closures, or spine decorations.
• Paper Clips (Good to Have) 💜 – A staple in every crafter’s stash. Use them to hold items temporarily or as part of a layout.
• Safety Pins (Good to Have) 💜 – Easy to use for attaching fabric swatches, charms, or layers.
• Book Rings (Optional) 💙 – Ideal for binding printable journals, swatch cards, or folios. They open and close so you can rearrange pages anytime.
• Binder Rings (Oversized) (Optional) 💙 – A chunkier version of book rings — great for swatch collections or extra-large journals.
• Latch Hooks / Book Locks / Velcro Dots / Mini Magnets (Good to Have) 💜 – All great choices for journal closures. Each adds a different flair — choose based on how interactive or secure you want your journal to be.
• Necklace Chain (Optional) 💙 – Use it as a closure, hang dangles, or create a boho-inspired spine.

🛠️ Hardware for Structure & Decoration

• Metal Hinges (Optional) 💙 – Perfect for adding secret compartments, faux doors, or decorative book spines.
• Metal Corner Protectors (Good to Have) 💜 – These small accents reinforce your covers and add vintage charm. Available in brass, silver, and antique finishes.
• Small Screws / Screw Eyes (Optional) 💙 – Rare but useful for attaching metal elements or creating movable joints.

🔗 Attachment Tools & Connectors

• Jump Rings (Optional) 💙 – Tiny metal circles used to attach dangles or charms to eyelets or bulb pins.
• Bulb Pins / Gourd Pins (Optional) 💙 – Cute little safety-pin-style fasteners, often used to attach tags, charms, or fabric scraps to a spine.
• Swivel Clasps / Lobster Clasps (Optional) 💙 – Ideal for making removable elements or hanging bits from a ring binder or journal spine.

🎀 Embellishments

Junk journalers love their bits and bobs — and embellishments are where your personality really gets to shine. Whether you’re going for cozy vintage, botanical layers, or whimsical fairycore, the little extras you add make your journal feel truly you.

Here are just a few popular embellishments you’ll often see in junk journal projects:

• Ribbons (Essential) 🩷 – From crinkled seam binding and velvet ribbon to chiffon and lace trims, ribbon adds softness and movement to tags, covers, and page edges.
• Doilies (Good to Have) 💜 – Both paper and fabric doilies are perfect for layering, tucking, or turning into beautiful journaling spots and backgrounds.
• Charms (Good to Have) 💜 – Little metal or resin charms can be added to dangles, bookmarks, or even sewn into pages. They add weight, sparkle, and personality.
• Nail Art Charms (Optional) 💙 – These teeny-tiny embellishments (like stars, flowers, or pearls) are perfect for adding detail to clusters or focal points.
• Beads & Sequins (Good to Have) 💜 – A sprinkle of sparkle! Add them to page edges, sewn clusters, or inside shaker elements.
• Fabric Flowers (Optional) 💙 – Pre-made or handmade, these add texture and a soft, dimensional feel — especially lovely on covers or tags.
• Lace Appliqué Patches (Optional) 💙 – Delicate stitched pieces that can be glued or sewn on for a romantic, heirloom look.
• Mini Glass Vials (Optional) 💙 – Tiny corked bottles that you can fill with glitter, beads, micro text, or paper scraps for a magical finishing touch.
• Premade Wax Seals (Optional) 💙 – A beautiful way to add vintage charm without the mess of melting wax. These ready-made embellishments can be glued straight onto journal pages, envelopes, or tags for a classic, elegant finish.

🛠️ Helpful Extras

These aren’t required, but they’re popular tools among junk journalers who enjoy adding detail, texture, or extra polish to their work. They can open up new techniques and make your crafting process smoother — especially for repetitive or intricate tasks.

• Tweezers (Good to Have) 💜 – Perfect for placing tiny embellishments, stickers, or fussy cuts with precision (and without gluey fingers).
• Sewing Machine (Optional) 💙 – Adds beautiful texture, strength, and charm to your pages. Use it to sew paper layers, pockets, tags, or fabric elements right onto your journal.
• Cricut Machine (Optional) 💙 – A wonderful tool if you love working with SVG files, stickers, or cutting out detailed shapes. Great for making custom labels, tags, and even stencils.
• Cricut Tools & Cutting Mats (Optional) 💙 – Help you weed, lift, and apply delicate cut-outs cleanly and accurately.

👉 Most of these tools are a long-term investment. Don’t feel like you need them to get started — they’re here if you’re curious about taking your craft to the next level.

Next Steps

If you’ve made it this far — take a deep breath and give yourself a high five. You now have a solid understanding of the tools and supplies that can help bring your junk journal ideas to life.

And remember: you don’t need to buy everything at once. The goal isn’t to own a massive stash — it’s to feel inspired, confident, and supported as you create something that’s uniquely yours.

Already have a few tools you love? Wonderful — stick with them. Want to try something new? Bookmark this guide and revisit it as your skills grow. This post is here whenever you need it.

More to learn

Check out these posts about more junk journaling essentials:

• What is junk journaling?
• What is the purpose of a junk journal?

What’s your favorite junk journal tool? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to hear what’s in your stash!

Happy crafting,
Cyna xx