Scrapbooking vs. Junk Journaling vs. Collage: Is It All The Same?

Hey Retro Pop Paper fam! We talk a lot about stickers, art prints, and awesome stationery here, and what do all those things have in common? They’re perfect for papercrafts!

The papercraft world has a lot of buzzwords. People are constantly asking: What’s the difference between scrapbooking, junk journaling, and collage? Are they just different names for the same thing?

We’re right there with you! We believe that while each craft has its traditional identity, they are more or less interchangeable and all exist on the same super-fun, wonderfully messy spectrum of creation.

The Great Overlap: Collage is the Umbrella ☂️

I like to think of Collage as the big, beautiful umbrella term covering it all.

The word "collage" comes from the French word coller, meaning "to glue." At its core, collage is simply the technique of composing an artwork by assembling different forms, often using materials like photos, scraps of paper, fabric, and ephemera, and gluing them down.

Every single time you choose a photo, tear a piece of paper, arrange a few stickers, and adhere them to a surface—whether it’s a page in an album or a notebook—you are creating a collage. It’s the essential how-to of putting elements together.

If you’re sticking our awesome Caffeine Dreams Sticker Sheet next to a vintage photo, congrats! You’re a collagist.

Scrapbooking: The Documentarian 📸

If collage is the method, Scrapbooking is the goal-oriented format.

Historically, scrapbooking is about documenting a certain event or period of time with a central, defined theme. It's the craft of preservation.

• Theme: "Our trip to the beach in '98" or "Baby's First Year."

• Purpose: To preserve memories, dates, stories, and memorabilia (tickets, programs, etc.) in a structured way.

• Outcome: A chronological, cohesive, and narratively rich album.

Scrapbooking often uses the collage method, but it is driven by a focus on specific documentation. It's about remembering what happened, where, and when.

Junk Journaling: The Free Spirit 📓

Junk Journaling is where the rules (and the materials!) get wonderfully loose.

As the name implies, a junk journal is often made from a collection of "junk"—repurposed papers, envelopes, receipts, fabric scraps, found paper, and, of course, any bits of Retro Pop Paper you want to add!

• Theme: Often no theme, or a very loose, abstract one (e.g., "blue," "vintage ads," or "things I love today").

• Purpose: It's often more about the creative process than the final document. It’s a space for mood, texture, and creative play. It isn't necessarily documenting a specific event.

• Outcome: A tactile, chunky, and personal book that serves as a beautiful mixed-media canvas.

While a scrapbooker might use a nice, neat sheet of scrapbook paper, a junk journaler might use that same paper but tear it, coffee-dye it, and glue it over a grocery receipt from 2003.

The Verdict: Call It What You Want! ✨

The truth is, these crafts are constantly borrowing from one another. A themed junk journal starts looking like a scrapbook. A scrapbook page is, by definition, a collage.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that you're using your hands, playing with color, and having fun. Whether you call your creation a collage, a scrapbook, a junk journal, or just a "paper masterpiece," we've got all the nostalgic stationery, stickers, and scrapbook paper you need to start gluing!

Now go glue something!