Winter Junk Journal Ideas: How to Use Prompts
- Colleen McCarthy
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
There's something so magical about winter. The quiet mornings, the frost on the windows, and the perfect excuse to curl up with a hot cup of tea.
But sometimes, even with a beautiful journal and a stack of ephemera, staring at a blank page can feel a little cold. That's where journaling prompts come in.
Whether you're a total beginner, or just need help with a blank page, prompts are a great way to get started. This list of winter themed junk journal prompts include ideas for writing, design, and layouts.
What is a Junk Journal Prompt?
A junk journal prompt is a simple sentence or 2 that includes an idea for a page or a layout. For example, a prompt might be about designing a page: Use only red papers and patterns to create a page. Or a prompt could be about writing: Make a list of your favorite winter movies.
How Do Prompts Help?
It's not necessary to follow the prompt exactly! The only purpose of the prompt is to help you get started. Once you're working on your page, you might have an idea that goes completely off the prompt. That's ok! Just have fun and go with it.
This article may contain affiliate links. This means that I might earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.
Winter Prompts for Junk Journals
Settle into the coziness and celebrate the season with these prompts. They include lots of ideas for page design and writing in your junk journal. Read through the list and choose whichever one feels the most interesting.
Cut & Construct
Paper Snowdrifts: Tear a few strips of white paper by hand and layer them at the bottom of a page to create a 3D snowscape.
Book Page Forest: Cut simple triangles out of old book pages or sheet music. Vary the heights and plant a forest across your spread.
The Paper Doll Winter: Draw or trace a simple winter coat or mitten shape, cut it out, and hang it on the page using a piece of real twine.
Old School Snowflakes: Fold a scrap of white paper and snip out a classic snowflake. Use it as a large center focal point or glue it down and write inside the holes.
Confetti Snow: Use a hole punch on white scrap paper and glue the dots falling across a dark-colored page.
Ephemera & Reused Materials
The Tea Ritual: Save the outer envelope of your favorite winter tea. Glue it down as a pocket to hold a secret note.
Packaging Texture: Take a piece of corrugated cardboard, peel off the top layer to reveal the ridges. Paint them white to look like a winter fence.
Warmth in a Scrap: Find a small piece of fabric from an old flannel shirt, a bit of lace, or a scrap of felt. Staple it to the edge of your page as a cozy tab.
Product Labels: Save a label from a winter candle or a box of cocoa and build a color-coordinated spread around it.
Color & Artistic Play
Monochromatic Chill: Create a page using only shades of blue, white, and silver. No other colors allowed!
The Winter Palette: Use watercolors to create swatches of the colors you see outside your window right now.
Resist Technique: Use a white crayon or candle wax to draw snowflakes on a white page, then paint over it with blue watercolor to see them magically appear.
Shadow Drawing: Trace the shadow of a winter branch onto your page using a simple ink pen.
Layout & Structure
The Window Pane: Divide your page into four quadrants using thin strips of paper to look like a window frame. Add a different winter scene to each pane.
A Pocket for Spring: Write a letter to yourself, to be opened on the first day of spring. Put it in a pocket on one of your pages.
Negative Space: Leave the center of the page completely white and only decorate the extreme edges with winter foliage and berries.
Flip-Up Flaps: Glue a door of paper onto your page that you'll have to lift to see a hidden winter quote underneath.
Tactile & Finishing Touches
Twine Borders: Glue a piece of rustic twine around the perimeter of your page to act as a frame.
The Frost Edge: Use a white gel pen or white acrylic paint to flick tiny dots of snow across your finished layout.
Washi Tape Weaving: Use strips of winter-themed washi tape to weave a small mat or background texture.
The Envelope Fold: Fold a piece of lined paper into a handmade envelope. Decorate the outside, and glue it into your journal.
Video Tutorial
Want to see how I used the Winter Prompts in my junk journal? Follow along while I create a page using this week's freebie. Watch how I make a collage background, use a writing prompt, and create a tuck spot:
My Supply List
If you'd like to recreate some of my techniques, here's everything I used in the video:
Winter Prompts Junk Journal Set from my Free Membership Area.
Dyan Reavely Creative Journal.
For pockets and postcards: Neenah cardstock.
For collage: Amazon basics white paper.
White acrylic paint from Apple Barrel.
Stencil Warped Circles.
Neocolor II crayon in Pink.
Neocolor II crayon in Turquoise Blue.
Stiff brush for matte medium.
Neptune watercolor brush.
Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue
Tips for Using Matte Medium
If you're following along with my tutorial, here's a few tips for using matte medium:
Don’t use a good brush! Matte medium gunks up your brush and you won’t be able to paint with it afterwards. So use an old brush or buy a cheap one and reserve it for your matte medium projects.
Use your brush to smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles as you work.
Don’t use it on both sides of the page at the same time. If you're going to use matte medium on pages back-to-back, work on the front of the page first. Let it dry, then work on the back of the page. Otherwise, you'll end up with a big goopy mess that refuses to dry!
Can You Use Mod Podge in Your Junk Journals?
Mod Podge is fantastic for craft projects like collage or decoupage, but I don't like to use it inside of my journals. I live in a place with humidity and the pages never dry completely. I always end up with pages stuck together!
Some people do like to use Mod Podge in their junk journals. If they live somewhere with low humidity, they don't have a problem with pages sticking. Or they put parchment paper between the pages to prevent it.
If you have some on hand, you can give it a try. If you do use Mod Podge in your journal, remember:
The Tack Factor: Mod Podge is notorious for staying slightly tacky even after it feels dry, especially in humid climates. If you do use it, you can put parchment paper between pages. This will help stop your journal from sticking shut.
The Finish Matters: If you don't like a shiny look, make sure you buy the Matte version. Even then, it usually has a slight sheen compared to professional-grade matte mediums.
Acid Content: Standard Mod Podge isn't always acid-free. If you are working with precious, one-of-a-kind vintage photos you want to last for 100 years, you might want to stick to a dedicated acid-free matte medium or glue stick for those specific pieces.
Tips for Using Prompts
Don't feel like you have to go in order. Or finish them all. The prompts are to help you get started. Use the ones that feel interesting and exciting to you.
Most importantly, have fun with your journal. I hope these prompts help you fill your pages with winter beauty, memories, and reflections.
Free Printables
This mini kit includes the Winter Prompts, plus 3 patterned pages, a lined page, 2 pockets, and 4 postcards. To download a free printable pdf, log in or join the membership area for free.
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