These three get used interchangeably online, and it causes more confusion than it should. If you've searched "how to start journaling" and landed on wildly different-looking results, that's why. They're three different hobbies that happen to share a word.
The short answer:
A junk journal is loose and mixed-media. A scrapbook is more polished and photo-focused. A bullet journal is a minimalist planning system, not really about keepsakes at all. If you're drawn to messy, sentimental, and forgiving, start with a junk journal.
Junk Journal
Built from whatever you've kept, glued and taped into a book alongside handwriting. There's no template to follow. A crooked ticket or a smudge of glue isn't a mistake; it's part of the texture.
Scrapbook
More deliberate and more visual, usually centered on cropped photos and coordinated paper, often built around a specific event. It takes more planning and more supplies per page than a junk journal.
Bullet Journal
The odd one out. A bullet journal is a planning system: dot-grid pages for lists, habit trackers, and calendars, not really a keepsake format.
Which One Should You Start With?
If the appeal is turning things you've already saved into something meaningful, a junk journal is the natural starting point, with the lowest barrier to a finished first page.
Compare Them at a Glance
- Best for memories and everyday paper: junk journal.
- Best for polished photo layouts: scrapbook.
- Best for planning, lists, and habit tracking: bullet journal.
- Lowest-pressure place to begin: junk journal, because found materials and imperfect placement are part of the look.
You do not have to choose permanently. Many people keep appointments in a bullet journal, make photo-focused scrapbook pages for major events, and use a junk journal for the ordinary pieces that do not fit either format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a junk journal and a scrapbook be the same thing?
They can overlap. The distinction is more about mindset than a hard rule.
Do I need special supplies for each style?
Junk journaling needs the least: a journal, tape or glue, and a small stash of stickers or paper.
Ready to try the junk journal approach? Browse our complete journaling sets.