Recycle your old issues of Vogue, pull out your Elmer’s glue stick, and grab a pair of scissors for a date with the Chico Junk Journal Club.
If you’re not already familiar with the practice, junk journaling takes several steps — some of which you may already do. It’s the art of saving things like receipts, ticket stubs, magazine cut-outs, and personalizing a collage or journal page that reflects your thoughts and style.
As Club Founder Lucia Mercado describes it: “Junk journaling is meant to literally be junk put in a journal, so if I go out for coffee today, that receipt is going in my junk journal,” she said.
“It's sort of like building these mementos and collecting all of the things about your life in one journal."- Lucia Mercado, Chico Junk Journal Club founder
The practice is also a way for people to relieve stress and preserve memories of trips, experiences, and anything else they want to remember.
“It's sort of like building these mementos and collecting all of the things about your life in one journal,” Mercado said.
Mercado says it’s certainly a trait from the past that she hopes to reintroduce to the community. And she said her ultimate goal is to foster creativity and connection in the community, giving crafters a space to turn everyday "junk" into personal art and to meet others who want to share that space.
“The goal through this is, yes, to help people express themselves creatively, but more than anything, I want people to make friends,” Mercado said.
The club celebrated its one-year anniversary this month. It’s also seen rapid growth, with tickets selling out quickly after going on sale.
Created in 2025, the group spent the year hosted at the Chico Women's Club.
“You don't need to follow any rules, like you're literally just taping and gluing things into a journal. It's not that deep, it's not that serious, it's a time for you to disconnect from your day and literally just have fun.”- Lucia Mercado, Chico Junk Journal Club founder
“They were very gracious in allowing me to bring this event for free to the community,” Mercado said.
This year, in an effort to collaborate with local businesses and keep things fresh, the club is moving from its original venue to a rotating list of locations.
Mercado has been at the forefront of this event since its inception in town. She says that these collaborations with local businesses will help the community feel more connected.
“I think that each location is going to offer something unique and fun, per event, which I think I'm learning to be less worried about what that looks like, and just have fun with it,” Mercado said.
Although materials are provided, attendees are encouraged to bring their own ticket stubs, cutouts, stickers, and anything else they would like to add to personalize their journal.
“We also get people who are just there to create in a group setting, and they already have a lot of their own stuff that show up with a lot, like a bag full of their own craft supplies that they want to use for their journal,” Mercado said.
She added that the combination of nostalgia, resourcefulness, and the ability to engage with others is what drives club members to create.
“You don't need to follow any rules, like you're literally just taping and gluing things into a journal,” Mercado said. “It's not that deep, it's not that serious, it's a time for you to disconnect from your day and literally just have fun.”
She explains that the general consensus is that participants should attend the event and focus on being present, rather than being distracted by their phones.
“I’ve seen a really big wave of people wanting to think, do things more analog, and move off of social media, move off of their phones,” she said.
This month's meeting is sold out. The next Junk Journal Club meeting will be held in June, and you can find all the information you need to know about it here.
