Last Updated on May 26, 2026 by Masha Eretnova
Summer break is the perfect time to slow down and make something with your hands especially if you plan to travel and spend time outdoors with family.
This free summer junk journal for kids gives children everything they need to build a beautiful DIY book from scratch: journal pages, decorative tags, bookmarks, stickers, and more, all in a watercolor beach theme. Print it, cut it, and let kids create. Plus, these pages are perfect for gluing everything kids find this summer from leaves to movie tickets!
What Is a Junk Journal?
A junk journal is a handmade book where kids collect memories, drawings, notes, ticket stubs, pressed flowers — anything that tells the story of their summer. The name sounds messy, but the result is a personal keepsake kids actually want to hold onto.
Unlike a standard diary with lined pages, a junk journal has decorated backgrounds. Kids layer things on top: sketches, photos, little notes about their day, souvenirs from a trip. The decorated pages already look beautiful, so there’s no pressure to fill them perfectly.
Why It’s a Great Summer Activity
Summer gives kids unstructured time, and creative projects like this one make that time feel worthwhile. Making a junk journal builds fine motor skills through cutting and assembling, encourages kids to notice and record the small moments of their summer, and keeps them off screens for a full afternoon.
It’s also a project that stretches across the whole season. Kids add to it week by week as summer unfolds, so the finished book holds three months of memories in one place.
What Age Is This For
This printable works best for kids ages 6 and up. Younger children in the 4 to 5 range can join in with adult help on the cutting. Older kids and preteens take on the whole thing independently.
Free Summer Junk Journal for Kids Printable
The download includes 18 pages in a watercolor coastal theme. Here’s what’s inside:
- Journal pages: Beautiful beach and ocean watercolor backgrounds — palm trees, sunsets, ocean scenes — to fold and bind into a book
- Tags: Starfish and seashell gift tags plus vintage-style ticket tags to tuck into pages
- Bookmarks: Four illustrated bookmarks with summer themes including a flamingo and a sunflower girl
- Round ornament tags: Four circular beach scene tags with string loops
- Wax seal stickers: Decorative wax seal cut-outs in warm earthy tones
- Sticker sheet: Over 18 individual summer cut-outs to decorate pages — seashells, a lighthouse, a sailboat, a flamingo, a whale, an anchor, a camera, a coconut drink, and more
- Postcard panels: Four coastal cottage and lighthouse scenes styled like vintage postcards
Kids cut out the pieces, arrange the journal pages, and decorate freely. There’s no wrong way to put it together.
What You Need
- Color printer
- White cardstock (recommended) or regular printer paper
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue stick or craft glue
- A stapler or hole punch and ribbon to bind the pages
- Optional: washi tape, stickers, photos, ticket stubs, or other mementos to add
Related: Camping Junk Journal Pages For Kids (Free Printable)
How to Make the Junk Journal
Step 1: Print the Pages
Print all 18 pages in color. Cardstock gives the journal pages enough weight that they hold up to gluing and layering without warping.
Step 2: Cut Out the Decorations
Cut out the tags, bookmarks, wax seals, and individual sticker elements. Set them in a small tray or zip bag so nothing goes missing.
Step 3: Fold and Bind the Journal Pages
Fold each journal page in half. Stack them together and bind with a stapler along the spine, or punch two holes and tie with ribbon for a more handmade look.
Step 4: Decorate and Fill
This is the creative part. Kids layer cut-outs onto pages, glue in photos, add drawings, write about what they did that day, and tuck in little finds like a feather or a flower petal.
Get the Free Printable
Enter your email below to download the Summer Junk Journal printable instantly — all 18 pages, ready to print and make today.
Once the journal is finished, it makes a great keepsake to flip through at the end of summer — a creative record of every beach day, backyard adventure, and lazy afternoon of the season.
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Chiang Mai-based certified teacher, artist, and blogger with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.