Our Favorite Bullet Journaling Supplies
If there’s a journaler in your life, you know that they likely have an insatiable appetite for stationery. As journaling has evolved from the ‘Dear Diary’ days of simply writing your thoughts down on paper to what seems like a boundless medium for self-expression, journalers are looking for new ways to do everything from organizing their thoughts, to planning their lives, creating their art, and...simply writing their thoughts down on paper. This means trying out new notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, stamps, and you get the point.
Notebook - Journalers typically go through 2~3 notebooks a year. There are many choices available for great notebooks. For the serious Bullet Journal disciple, Leuchtturmm 1917 is a safe bet. It’s the maker of the official Bullet Journal designed by the creator of the system. For creatives who like to adorn their journals with artwork, Archer & Olive is a popular choice. The covers are linen fabric with gold-foil stamp, rather than faux leather like most notebooks in this category, which give the books a more high-end look. The paper is also a heavy 160 gsm to withstand lots of different media. For the younger set, Scribbles That Matter offer their ‘Iconic’ line which features a doodle design on the cover, and elastic band in bright contrasting colors.
Pens - A set of fineliners is essential for journaling. Pigma Microns come in a range of nib sizes for creating dynamic layouts and detailed drawings. Gel pens, like the Zebra Sarasa Clip create clean crisp lines in beautiful vivid colors, and are a favorite for journaling.
Mechanical Pencil - Great for sketching out a concept before laying down ink, a mechanical pencil is a must-have in a journaler’s toolkit. If you’re using a ruler, choose a mechanical pencil with a needle tip like the Kuru Toga rather than conical so you can get your pencil right up against the straightedge.
Markers - For adding color to illustrations, we like Faber-Castell markers which use a pigmented ink that won’t absorb into the paper causing bleed-through. They come in sets of 12, 24, 48, 60, and 90 so you can find one that fits within your budget. Each set comes in a faux-leather box that doubles as a pen stand. We also love Kuretake ZIG brush pens for brush lettering.
Hightlighters - Highlighters used to come in just one color. Can you imagine? Now you can get them in a variety of hues to further organize your notes or simply beautify your work. The most popular highlighters are Zebra Mildliners which come in sets of 5. Available in different palettes.
Washi Tape and Stickers - Part of the fun of journaling is playing with washi tape and stickers, and they are great to add to any gift for a little something extra. MT sells washi tape sets in gorgeous color palettes, and you can find loads of stickers on Etsy that are designed for bullet journaling.