Junk journal vs scrapbook vs bullet journal: which one is for you?

Not sure whether you want a junk journal, a scrapbook or a bullet journal? You're not alone. All three live in notebooks, all three are everywhere on Instagram and Pinterest right now, and the names get mixed up all the time.

Here's the honest, simple version of how they differ, so you can pick the one that fits the way you actually live (or happily do two).

The short answer

• A junk journal is for feelings and memories. It's messy, layered and made from everyday bits like tickets, wrappers and notes.
• A scrapbook is for photos and milestones. It's neater and usually follows a date or an event.
• A bullet journal is for planning. It holds to-do lists, habit trackers and goals, and is more of a system than an art project.

What is a junk journal?

A junk journal is a notebook you fill with the small things your day leaves behind: a chai stall bill, a metro token, a ribbon from a gift, a note from a friend. You stick them in, layer them with paper scraps and stickers, and write a line or two about why you kept them.

There's no order and no right way. One page might be a whole trip, the next might be one bad day. It's slow, hands-on and very forgiving, which is why so many people are picking it up as a screen-free hobby.

Pick a junk journal if you like keeping little things, you enjoy cutting and sticking, and you want somewhere to put feelings, not just facts.

Want ideas for what goes inside? Here are 25 things to put in your junk journal.

What is a scrapbook?

A scrapbook is closer to a creative photo album. It's usually built around photographs and arranged by date or event: a wedding, a baby's first year, a college farewell, a family holiday. Pages are planned and tidy, with captions, borders and a theme that carries through.

Pick a scrapbook if you have photos you want to print and keep, you love a neat layout, or you're making something to gift or to pass down.

What is a bullet journal?

A bullet journal (often called a "bujo") is a planner you set up yourself. You make your own monthly and weekly pages, keep lists with quick symbols, and add trackers for habits, moods, water, reading or spending. Some people decorate theirs, many keep it to a pen and a ruler.

Pick a bullet journal if you want to get organised, you like ticking things off, and you'd rather design your own planner than buy a printed one.

Side by side

	Junk journal	Scrapbook	Bullet journal
Main purpose	Memories and feelings	Photos and milestones	Planning and habits
Feels like	Messy, layered, personal	Neat, themed, display-ready	Practical, structured
You'll use	Tickets, wrappers, scraps, stickers, glue, washi tape	Printed photos, captions, borders	A pen, a ruler, maybe a few stickers
Order	None	By date or event	By day, week and month
Best notebook	A sturdy notebook that can take glue and bulk	Thick pages or an album	Grid or dotted pages that keep lines straight

Can you do more than one?

Yes, and lots of people do. A common combination is a bullet journal on your desk for the week's plans and a junk journal by your bed for the memories. Some people even mix them in one notebook: a weekly plan on the left page, and the ticket from that week's movie on the right.

If you're torn, start with the one that matches what you already do. If your bag is full of receipts you can't throw away, that's a junk journal. If your phone is full of photos you never print, that's a scrapbook. If your head is full of to-dos, that's a bullet journal.

What you need to start each one

For a junk journal: a notebook, a glue stick, washi tape, scissors and a few papers and stickers. The Moodboard Junk Journal Kit (₹1,499) puts it all in one keepsake box: an A5 junk journal notebook, 8 sticker sheets, 18 craft sheets in assorted designs, scissors, glue, washi tape, 2 lace paper doilies, an envelope and a prompt card. New to it? Start with our junk journaling for beginners guide.

For a bullet journal: one good notebook and a pen. Grid pages make it easy to draw neat boxes and trackers, which is why Checked Grid (from ₹399) is a favourite for planners. All our notebooks are A5 with smooth 80 GSM paper, a satin ribbon bookmark and a lay-flat design, in hardcover (160 pages) or softcover (128 pages), so a calm cover like Mint Matrix or Twilight Gradient works well too.

For a scrapbook: your printed photos, glue, tape and a sturdy book. Keep a favourite print out on your desk in a Photo Card Holder (₹199), or give it a proper spot on the shelf in a Wooden Photo Frame (₹499).

The one rule for all three

Whatever you choose, make it yours. It doesn't have to look like anyone else's page, and it definitely doesn't have to be perfect. (We wrote more about that in your junk journal isn't a trash journal.)

Pick a notebook, start one page this week, and see which one you keep coming back to.