Junk journalling has a reputation for needing a cupboard full of supplies. It does not. Here is the honest list, split into what you need on day one and what can wait.
Day one - five things
Paper. Cream or ivory, 100 to 120 gsm. A pack of 50 sheets is plenty for a first journal.
Small sharp scissors. Embroidery or nail scissors. This matters more than almost anything else on the list - big kitchen scissors cannot follow a curve.
Glue. A glue stick for thin paper, PVA for anything heavier. Two pounds, both of them.
A brown ink pad. For ageing cut edges. One pad will last a year.
Something to bind with. Ribbon, elastic, string, or binder rings. All of these work.
That is a functioning junk journal kit. Everything below is an upgrade, not a requirement.
Worth buying second
Cardstock, 160 gsm and up. The moment you make your first pocket or tag, you will want it.
A bone folder. Or the back of a spoon. Gives crisp folds instead of soft ones.
A cutting mat and craft knife. Only needed for interior cuts - windows in labels, gaps inside handles.
Washi tape. Useful for hinges and edges, not for decoration. One neutral roll.
What you probably do not need
A cutting machine. Well-spaced printable sheets are designed to be cut by hand. A machine is a solution to a problem you do not have yet.
Dozens of stamps and dies. They are fun and they sit in a drawer. Buy one you will use twenty times, not twenty you will use once.
Special junk journal paper packs at craft-shop prices. A printable set gives you the same designs, unlimited copies, for a fraction of the price - and you can reprint the one you ruined.
The free part
Half of a good junk journal is not bought at all: envelopes, tickets, receipts, tags off clothes, stamps off parcels, pages from a damaged book. Keep a box. Within a month you will have more than you can use.
Start with one journal, not a system
The most common way to stall is to buy supplies for a hobby instead of making the first thing. Five items, one journal, twenty pages. You will know exactly what you actually need by page ten.
To test your paper and printer before buying anything: 12 free printable vintage papers, 300 dpi, commercial use included.
MORE GUIDES
How to print junk journal papers at home