31 Day Junk Journal Challenge: Day 18- Use Recycled Wrapping Paper

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Junk Journal Challenge: Use Recycled Wrapping Paper

Wrapping paper is often something that gets thrown away after gifts are unwrapped, but it can be an excellent and eco-friendly material to repurpose for your junk journal. This challenge invites you to transform old wrapping paper into a creative, colorful background or decorative element within your journal, adding texture, design, and a bit of nostalgia.

Why Use Recycled Wrapping Paper?

  1. Upcycle and Reduce Waste: Repurposing wrapping paper helps to reduce waste by reusing materials you already have. This fits perfectly with the sustainable and eco-conscious nature of junk journaling.

  2. Unique Patterns and Designs: Wrapping paper comes in a variety of prints, from floral to geometric, seasonal to vintage. These diverse patterns can bring personality and charm to your journal, making each page feel fresh and creative.

  3. Sentimental Value: Many wrapping papers come with sentimental associations from holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions. Incorporating this paper into your journal can create a meaningful connection to the memories tied to those events.

  4. Textural Interest: Wrapping paper often has a smooth finish or light texture, which can contrast beautifully with other materials in your journal, such as fabric or old book pages. Using it adds variety and dimension to your pages.

Materials You Can Use

  • Gift Wrap: This is the most obvious choice. Whether it’s patterned, solid color, or foil-stamped, gift wrap can be used as a beautiful background or layered element.
  • Tissue Paper: If you have tissue paper from gift wrapping, it can be cut into strips or shapes and added to your journal. The delicate, semi-transparent nature of tissue paper creates a soft, layered effect.
  • Gift Bags: Some gift bags are made of sturdier paper, which can be cut up and used as a durable background or ephemera.
  • Recycled Paper: If the wrapping paper is printed on plain kraft paper or has a simple design, you can use it as a more neutral backdrop for your journal.
  • Gift Tags and Ribbons: Don’t forget to cut out small sections of old gift tags, bows, or ribbons from wrapped gifts. These can add fun embellishments to your journal.

How to Incorporate Recycled Wrapping Paper into Your Journal

  1. Create Backgrounds: One of the easiest ways to use wrapping paper in your journal is to cut or tear it into large enough pieces to create a full-page background. This works especially well for busy, colorful wrapping papers that can add vibrancy to your spreads.

    • Tip: For a more layered look, you can distress the edges of the wrapping paper with ink, paint, or a distress tool to make it blend seamlessly with other elements on the page.

  2. Use as Collage Material: Cut out smaller shapes or strips from the wrapping paper and use them to create a collage on your pages. These could be strips of pattern, images, or design elements that you arrange creatively.

  3. Layering: Layer pieces of wrapping paper over other backgrounds (such as old book pages, sheet music, or maps) to add texture and contrast. The patterns will add visual interest and depth to your journal.

  4. Decorate Tags and Journaling Cards: Repurpose scraps of wrapping paper by cutting them into smaller sizes to create custom tags or journaling cards. Decorate these with stamps, stickers, or washi tape to complement the design.

  5. Make Envelopes or Pockets: Use the sturdier sections of wrapping paper to create envelopes or pockets within your journal. These can be used to store mementos, tickets, or other small ephemera. A gift bag can easily be cut and folded to create a larger pocket.

  6. Add to Fold-Out Pages: Incorporate pieces of wrapping paper into your fold-out pages. The different colors and designs can make each fold-out more unique and personal. They can be used as the exterior design or as part of the hidden contents inside.

  7. Create a Tag or Bookmark: Use leftover wrapping paper to cut out a small tag or bookmark. You can attach a string or ribbon and use this as an interactive element in your journal. Decorate it further with stamps, doodles, or quotes.

  8. Enhance Embellishments: Create your own embellishments like flowers, hearts, or stars by cutting shapes from the wrapping paper. These can be added to your pages to add dimension or to serve as focal points.

  9. Decorate Edges: Use wrapping paper to frame the edges of your pages. Cut thin strips or decorative borders to create a cohesive design or to highlight specific sections of your journal spread.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Recycled Wrapping Paper

  1. Prepare Your Paper: Start by cutting or tearing your recycled wrapping paper into manageable pieces. You can keep them in large squares, strips, or smaller shapes—whatever works best for the layout you have in mind.

  2. Choose Your Layout: Decide whether you want to cover a full page or just use small snippets of wrapping paper. Plan the overall design and how you’ll layer or combine it with other materials.

  3. Add Texture: For more dimension, crumple the wrapping paper and smooth it out before attaching it to your page. This adds texture and a more organic feel to your journal spread.

  4. Attach the Paper: Use a glue stick, craft glue, or double-sided tape to attach your wrapping paper to the journal pages. Make sure to press it down firmly so that it sticks without bubbles or wrinkles.

  5. Layer and Build: Once your base layer of wrapping paper is attached, start layering other materials like lace, fabric scraps, stamps, or vintage images to build on the design. The wrapping paper will serve as an underlayer, creating an exciting visual foundation for your embellishments.

  6. Add Journaling: If the wrapping paper has intricate patterns, you may want to leave spaces for journaling. If it’s a busy design, you can add a journaling card or tag over part of the wrapping paper, giving you a place to write your reflections, thoughts, or memories.

  7. Decorate and Embellish: Use stamps, washi tape, stickers, or ink to enhance the wrapping paper. You can add details that align with your journal's theme or create an abstract design that complements the pattern of the wrapping paper.

Creative Ideas for Using Recycled Wrapping Paper

  1. Seasonal Themes: If you have holiday or birthday-themed wrapping paper, it’s perfect for capturing the feeling of those occasions. Use it to document holiday traditions, birthdays, or special celebrations in your journal.

  2. Travel Journal: Use vintage-style or map-patterned wrapping paper to create a travel-inspired journal page. The paper can serve as a background for photos, ticket stubs, and journaling from your adventures.

  3. Memory Keeping: If you’re documenting a specific event or memory, use wrapping paper from the gifts you received or gave during that event. It ties the memory of the wrapping paper back to the event itself.

  4. Creative Storytelling: Use wrapping paper as the setting for a creative or whimsical story in your journal. The vibrant prints can become the backdrop to an imaginative narrative, with each page telling a part of the story.

  5. Birthday or Holiday Journals: A great way to repurpose wrapping paper is by creating a specific journal for your birthday or for the holiday season. Incorporate wrapping paper throughout the journal to give it a festive feel.

  6. Mixed Media Art Journal: If you’re working on an art journal, recycled wrapping paper can be part of a mixed media project. Layer it with paint, doodles, or even cut-out illustrations to create a dynamic, textured page.

Tips for Using Recycled Wrapping Paper

  • Consider the Weight: Wrapping paper comes in different weights and textures, so be mindful of how heavy or light it is. Lighter paper might work better as a background, while sturdier wrapping paper can be used for pockets or embellishments.
  • Avoid Overcrowding: Because wrapping paper can often be colorful and busy, avoid overcrowding the page with too many patterns. Let the paper be the focal point and balance it with more neutral elements for a harmonious spread.
  • Distress for a Vintage Feel: If the wrapping paper is too new or bright, try distressing the edges with ink or tea staining. This will give it an older, vintage look that fits nicely in a junk journal.

Conclusion

Using recycled wrapping paper in your junk journal is a creative and eco-friendly way to add flair and color to your pages. Whether you’re upcycling leftover gift wrap, making use of old gift bags, or repurposing tissue paper, this challenge lets you breathe new life into materials that might otherwise end up in the trash. So, dive into your wrapping paper stash, get creative, and bring some recycled beauty to your junk journal! 

To start your junk journal adventure head here!


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