By Cherry 2026
Have you ever seen those aesthetic journaling videos all over TikTok and Pinterest and thought, I want that? It looks so dreamy and effortless. And honestly, it is a relatively affordable hobby that makes life feel a little more whimsical, so it’s hard not to want to start.
When I first got into scrapbooking and junk journaling, I had no idea what I was doing. Even though it’s supposed to be a pressure-free hobby, I still want to make my pages look as pretty as the ones I saw online.
I knew this hobby was meant to be personal, something just for me. But at the same time, I still wanted my journal to look nice. Not for other people, just for myself. And at the end of the day, it wouldn’t really be a hobby if you couldn’t enjoy it your own way.
So, as someone who also started from nothing, here are a few basics that will help you start and not quit halfway through your first journal.
1. Beginner Junk Journaling Kits
When I first started scrapbooking, I didn’t buy a kit at all. I just used whatever I already had, like a random notebook, scissors, and tape. It worked, but it was honestly a little frustrating because I kept realizing I was missing things that would have made the process much easier. If I could go back, I would keep it simple and start with just a good scrapbook or empty notebook, a reliable pair of scissors, and a glue tape that actually sticks well and doesn’t run out immediately. If you want to make things even easier from the beginning, a beginner scrapbooking kit (ShopeeMY) can be a good option because it usually gives you a mix of basic papers, stickers, and decorations without making you figure out everything one by one. Out of everything, though, I would still recommend investing in a decent glue tape (ShopeeMY), because it is probably the tool I use the most, and a sturdy pair of scissors (ShopeeMY) makes cutting photos, paper, and decorations much less annoying.
2. The Book
This sounds obvious, but the book you choose actually matters more than you think. Some people like refillable or loose-leaf notebooks because they can keep adding pages without buying a completely new book, while others prefer a proper bound notebook because it feels more complete and personal. The paper type matters too: blank pages are great for collage and layering, dotted pages give you a balance between writing and decorating, and lined pages work better if you enjoy writing more. When I first started, I used lined notebooks and didn’t really enjoy them for scrapbooking, but if you like writing your thoughts down, they might actually work perfectly for you. My own pages are usually filled with glued scraps, tickets, random paper, and little things I find, while some people focus much more on journaling, and both styles are completely fine. If you’re not sure what to choose, dotted paper is usually a safe option, but a simple blank-page journal (ShopeeMY) can make scrapbooking feel more whimsical because you have complete freedom to place things wherever you want without lines getting in the way. You can also choose between hardcover, leather-style, cloth-covered, or other journal styles depending on the look you want.
3. Vintage Stickers
Stickers are not necessary for scrapbooking, but they do make everything feel a lot more fun and can help a page look more put-together when it feels a little empty. They are usually pretty affordable and come in packs or books. Still, if you are just starting, I would recommend getting a vintage sticker book (ShopeeMY) that is organized by color or theme because it makes matching the mood of your page much easier. I definitely wasted money on random sticker packs that looked cute at first but ended up being hard to use because none of them really matched each other, so now I prefer sticker books that already feel cohesive. I still use mine all the time, especially when I need a small decoration to fill an awkward empty space without adding too much to the page.
Vintage stickers aren’t the only thing that can make your page look whimsical, but vintage is such a common theme that fits well with a whimsical page. If you’re not into vintage stickers, I would recommend flower stickers (ShopeeMY).
One of the best reasons to start scrapbooking is that scrapbooking does not need expensive supplies or even artisitic talent to start, cause the most important thing is to have a good ammout of the basic tools to start, just so the start of the scrapbook journey can be enjoyable for you. Don’t worry too much, just have fun and experiment till your heart’s content, cause even if you make an ugly one today, you’ll see that nothing has to be perfect, it just has to be there, so we can see ourselves struggle a little bit. ,