TikTok’s Viral “Scrap A Day” Trend Is The Chillest Way To Journal

Journaling can be so stressful. For something that’s supposed to be good for your mental health, it’s not uncommon to feel a surge of dread as you grab a pen and stare down at a blank page. While some people really love to journal — check out the “journal ecosystem” trend as proof — the rest of us would rather do anything else.

Fun, lighthearted approaches to journaling are constantly going viral on TikTok. One of the latest is the “scrap a day” trend, which is essentially a low-pressure, easy way to junk journal. For the past few months, creator @artteacherny has been showing off her scrap a day journal, and it actually looks... fun?

Instead of writing three morning pages, decoupaging an entire collage, or getting in touch with her feelings, she simply uses a square-shaped hole punch to snip a one-by-one-inch square out of something that reminds her of the day. On July 6, it was a cardboard container of anchovy paste. On July 18, she cut a square from a Yellowstone National Park brochure. The result is a mini collage of memories.

In her comments, someone wrote, “I’ve been doing this for 12 days! I write a short caption under the scrap to remind me where it is from. It’s been so much fun, thank you for this amazing idea!” Another said, “This scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had. It’s like a photo-a-day, but not.” Below, a journaling expert weighs in on the trend.

Why You Need To Try “Scrap A Day”

According to Terri Macduff, author of the Let’s Get Real journal, the “scrap a day” trend is about capturing little pieces of your life, whether it’s a photo, ticket stub, doodle, or sweet sticky note. “It’s a playful way to document your days and build a meaningful record over time,” she tells Bustle.

One of the biggest draws is the way it allows you to relax and have fun without making too much of a commitment. “Many people believe journaling means sitting down to write deeply every day,” she says. “Scrap a day makes it fun and approachable because you’re just pasting, coloring, and creating.”

It’s also a way to ease into junk journaling. If you don’t have the time to design an entire page worth of junk in your journal, or feel pressure to make a perfectly curated collage, try this way instead. There’s no need to be perfect, says Macduff. Just glue down your scrap and go.

This trend is ideal if you’re looking for a non-committal way to journal, but it’s also a great way to ground yourself and add a dose of creativity to your day. “It gives you a reason to notice small moments,” she says. “The same way that coloring or manifesting helps you slow down and get out of your head, scrap a day helps you reconnect with yourself in a way that feels fun instead of forced.”

How To Give It A Try

To collect scraps, hang onto all the pieces of paper and junk that you might encounter throughout the day, like receipts, menus, brochures, food wrappers, packaging from a delivery, coffee sleeves — basically anything you might toss, recycle, or throw into a keepsake box.

To make it the right size, use a punching tool or a pair of scissors to cut out a square. Then, grab a glue stick and paste it into your journal. Creator @kashiaturner_ places a tiny scrap a day in the corner of her calendar as a way to decorate the pages and remember what happened, while @lonelypingxo glues her scraps in a perfect grid in a journal for a satisfying layout.

If you want, you can also add a caption so you remember what happened, but typically this trend is about keeping things simple. “It shows people journaling doesn’t have to be perfect or time-consuming,” Macduff says. “It’s about being real, getting creative, and celebrating little moments.”

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Terri Macduff, author of Let’s Get Real