The JJY L.A.Y.E.R. Method

 

✦ As taught at Paper World Stationery Expo, Anaheim 2026 · 50 attendees, sold out
✦ Signature Framework

The JJY
LAYER Method

A signature Junk Journal and Yap framework for creating junk journal spreads with more ease, intention, and personality.

A step-by-step creative process that takes you from blank page to a spread that feels layered, thoughtful, and unmistakably yours. No art degree required. No rules to follow.

✦ Book a Workshop See the Method
The JJY LAYER Method is the signature framework I created through Junk Journal and Yap to help people approach junk journaling with more confidence and less overwhelm. It is designed to be guidance, not rules, so every spread still feels personal, expressive, and true to the maker.
Abby Flores · Founder, Junk Journal and Yap · Los Angeles, CA
The Foundation

What is the JJY LAYER Method?

The JJY LAYER Method is a step-by-step creative framework for building a cohesive junk journal spread. It helps you move from blank-page overwhelm to a page that feels layered, thoughtful, and uniquely yours. Whether you have ten minutes or two hours, it gives you a clear, flexible starting point every time.

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Built for Beginners

You do not need experience to use the method. Every step is designed to feel approachable, even if you have never made a junk journal page before.

✂️

Works for Experienced Creators Too

The method is a framework, not a formula. Experienced journalers use it to stay intentional and build spreads with deeper visual cohesion.

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Every Spread Is Different

Two people can follow the same method with the same kit and create completely different pages. That is the whole point.

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Rooted in Storytelling

The junk does not make the journal. The story does. The LAYER method keeps you focused on what you are expressing, not just what you are gluing down.

The Method

What LAYER Stands For

Five steps. One cohesive spread. Follow them as a guide, remix them as you need, and let your story lead the way.

L Step 01
Lay Your Base
Choose your background paper and place it on the page. This single decision sets the mood for everything that follows. Let the paper lead you. Warm tones, textured pieces, torn edges, a page from an old book — your base is the foundation that everything else builds on.
🌿 Start here even when you feel stuck. The base gives you something to react to.
A Step 02
Add Texture
Tear, layer, and overlap papers, scraps, and washi or trims to create depth. You are building dimension before any focal pieces go down. This is the messy middle and one of the most satisfying parts — layers give a spread that feeling of richness that a single flat sheet never can.
✂️ Tearing creates softer edges than cutting. Try both and feel the difference.
Y Step 03
Your Hero Pieces
Place your focal elements — a photo, a piece of standout ephemera, a meaningful clipping — and let the rest of the spread build around them. Your hero pieces are the emotional center of the page. They are what makes this spread yours and no one else's.
📸 Do not glue yet. Place and live with it first.
E Step 04
Embellish and Anchor
Add stickers, embellishments, and supporting scraps with intention to balance the composition. You are filling negative space thoughtfully, not desperately. Each element you add should feel chosen, not just placed. When something feels right, start gluing it down.
🌸 Restraint is a creative choice. You do not have to fill every inch.
R Step 05
Refine the Details
Step back. Look at the whole page. Does it feel like you? Move pieces before committing. Add a final detail, adjust an overlap, shift something that is not quite sitting right. When the spread feels complete and true to you — press everything down and call it done.
✨ "Done" is not perfect. It is when the page feels like yours.
The JJY Way

Guidance, Not Rules

Your story. Your spread. Your pace.
  • The LAYER method is a starting point, not a script. Follow the steps loosely, skip one, return to one. It all works.
  • Two people can use the exact same framework, the same kit, and even the same prompts and still create something completely different. That is the whole design.
  • There are no mistakes in junk journaling. The imperfect layer, the torn piece, the smudged ink — these are the things that make a spread feel real.
  • Junk journaling has roots in the oldest human habit: keeping memory. You are joining a long tradition of people who made meaning from scraps.
  • The junk is not the point. The story is the point. The LAYER method helps you stay connected to that.
The Outcomes

Why It Works

You do not need to understand design theory to build a beautiful, meaningful spread. You just need a place to start.

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Removes Blank Page Overwhelm

Every step is an action, not a decision. When you know your next move, starting becomes easy.

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Builds Depth Step by Step

Layering in the right order creates visual richness that feels considered, not accidental.

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Keeps It Personal

The method stays out of the way. Your story, your pieces, your choices fill the space.

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Works Every Single Time

For beginners and experienced crafters alike, for any theme, any kit, any spread size.

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Learned Best in Community

Watching someone else use the same framework and create something completely different is where the magic is.

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A Framework You Can Return To

Keep the reference card out while you work. The more you use it, the more intuitive it becomes.

Experience It Live

Learn the JJY LAYER Method in a Workshop

The best way to experience the JJY LAYER Method is in a live workshop, where Abby guides you through the process step by step. You will learn how to move through the method in real time, work through hesitation, and leave with a spread you are proud of.

Upcoming Workshops

From intimate SGV meetups to special events, workshops are designed to be supportive, supply-inclusive, and genuinely fun. All skill levels welcome. All supplies provided.


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Using the Method

Attribution

The JJY LAYER Method was created by Abby Flores of Junk Journal and Yap as a creative framework to guide and empower journalers. You are welcome to use it as inspiration in your personal practice. When sharing or referencing it publicly, please credit the JJY LAYER Method by Junk Journal and Yap so we can keep building this community together.
The Person Behind the Method

About Abby

✍️

Abby Flores

@junkjournalandyap · junkjournalandyap.com · Los Angeles, CA

Abby Flores is the founder of Junk Journal and Yap, a creative community centered on storytelling through paper, memory keeping, and approachable junk journaling experiences. She developed the JJY LAYER Method to make junk journaling feel less intimidating and more personal for every kind of maker. Abby hosts workshops, meetups, and creative events across Southern California and beyond.

Got Questions?

Everything You're Wondering About

Here are the things people usually ask before they sign up. If something's missing, just reach out!

Do I need to bring anything?
Nothing! Supplies are included in every workshop. Just bring yourself, and maybe your excitement.
Do I need any experience?
Nope. Truly. The LAYER method was built so that anyone can pick it up from zero. First-timers and experienced crafters sit at the same table and both leave happy.
I'm not artistic. Is this really for me?
Yes, and honestly this one's for you especially. Junk journaling isn't about being good at art. It's about telling your story with what you have. Nobody's judging your spread — we're all just here making things.
What will I actually make?
A junk journal page that's yours. Same kit as everyone else at the table, totally different result. That's kind of the whole magic of it.
Is it really as fun as it looks?
It really is. The room always ends up loud and happy by the end. Come see for yourself.
Can I share what I made?
Please do! Tag me at @junkjournalandyap — I love seeing every single spread and I share them whenever I can.

Ready to experience
the JJY LAYER Method?

Join a live workshop, bring JJY to your event, or explore the community. Your story is worth telling.

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