When it comes to starting anything new, whether it be a hobby or a new skill. Most often than not, you will be told and recommended to buy a whole load of things to start that hobby. Bullet journaling is no different and we would like to provide useful recommendations from what has worked for us to get the right bullet journal supplies for you!
First, if you are totally new to bullet journaling, I highly recommend you read this post first, to get a basic idea of the system and see if it is something that will suit you before you go spending on a whole load of products you may not really need or use.
Ultimate Bullet Journal Guide-Free Templates You Need To Start
Secondly, head over to the resource hub and subscribe where you will get access to a range of free printable templates that you can use a trial and see if you are intrigued.
This just some recommendations on ways you can try the system before investing your hard-earned money into something that might not be right for you.
Before purchasing anything, my number one tip is to: see what you already own!
I was definitely surprised looking through my kid's school supplies on how many stationery items they have simply thrown in the cart and never got used.
They usually end up stored away in a box somewhere, and you forget all about their existence :D
So I collected all the items I thought might be useful and began my first spreads using the stuff I already had, and figuring out how many things I thought would be wonderful but haven't used till today.
If you are totally intrigued and want to expand your stationery collection, then keep reading because after using all these products for well over a year, I'm going to try and break it down to you to help you decide what you actually need and if it will be beneficial or even suiting to your style.
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Where to buy bullet journal supplies?
You will find supplies in many stationery stores!
But a one-stop place to get just about everything is Amazon.
What supplies are needed for bullet journaling?
While you can start bullet journaling with any notebook and pen you have on hand. You can get even more creative using the right supplies. Here I have tried to break it down to lists that are budget-friendly to supplies needed for more artistic spreads using mediums such as paints. Not to forget extra accessories such as paperclips and washi tapes.
What are the 2 most important items in bullet journaling?
- The sakura fine line pens - They are great for doodling, writing, and making your layouts. I use them in almost every spread and is my most repurchase item.
- Zebra pen Sarasa Clip - These come in so many different pack, but they are great for color-coding your lists and having a wide variety of colors to doodle with. They are also really comfortable for everyday writing.
Cheap bullet journal supplies for beginners
If you are on a budget, there is no reason that you can't bullet journal. Here I will list the items that are budget-friendly, but I really enjoy using.
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Dot Grid Notebook A5- This is the most comfortable size and the dot grid is perfect for making layouts and drawing, without have lines that are too obvious. They can be quite pricey, but this is the best one in terms of quality and low price point.
We recommend - Muji Recycle Paper Double-ring Notebook -
Any lead pencil that is no darker that 'H'
To make erasing your mistakes easier. Using a darker pencil may leave behind a mark
We Recommend - Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil H -
Eraser - We prefer our black erasers, they remove pencil marks much better, without being too harsh on the paper. They last a long time, unless you lose them!
We recommend - MUJI Japan Eraser Black -
Fineliner pens - These are a must-have for doodling, writing, and creating layouts. The different sizes really come in handy.
We recommend - Uni pin Drawing pens -
Small tip markers - If you like to add colors to your spreads, then markers are going to be a must-have. Even if you just want a subtle color for shadowing your headings. Having a wide-variety of colors can be costly, but this set is amazing for the wide varriet of colors and they tips are really good. A product loved by most Bujo Addicts.
We recommend - Crayola Super Tips Marker Set, 100 counts -
Black brush pen- Great for brush lettering or modern calligraphy. I only use this brush pen because it so beginner-friendly and the price point is not too bad. If you are not into this kind of lettering. Feel free to skip this.
We recommend - Tombow Fudenosuke Fude Brush pen Hard -
White gel pen - Erase your mistakes with this white gel pen that will save your spread!
We recommend - Sakura Gelly Roll Classic 10 Bold point pen -
Washi Tape- This is certainly not for everyone! Some love to add washi tape to each spread, while others don't find much use for it. I recommend trying a set that has an assorted variety at quite a suitable price. We used these for well over six months before even thinking about buying more!
We recommend - Dizdkizd 100 Rolls Washi Tape set with 6 sizes -
Glue - Anything on hand will do, But if you want a glue that is quick and easy, then these are our favorites, and you can purchase refillable that makes them even cheaper
We recommend - Adtech Crafter's Tape
Refills: Adteck Crafter's tape refills
Bullet journal accessories
Now that we have covered the cheap and beginner-friendly bullet journal supplies. We left the accessories for all those extra supplies when you are ready to expand your collection.
This list will cover our absolute favorite must-have bullet journal supplies and what we use them for. So you can find the perfect product and what it is intended to be used for!
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
Brush lettering can be one of the best ways to really take your spreads to the next level. This is the easiest brush pen to use especially if you are a beginner. I specifically like the hard tip, but that's just a personal preference. I've gone through so many of these I've lost count.
This is essential for me, especially this year while learning Modern Calligraphy.
I use black more often, but if you want to explore different colors then the second set is perfect for easy lettering with colors!
Want to know more about the calligraphy online course I chose? I have a full review (the first-course workbook is for free) so check it out!
Easy Modern Calligraphy Course- Everything You Need To Learn
2. Tombow Dual Brush Pens
Just a warning: Highly addictive, and once you have one set, you'll want to have them all!
All the ways you can use these brush pens:
- Great for larger sized lettering designs
- they have a great range of light colors that are perfect for shading headings and drawings
- The same color can be used in layers so you can shade with the one color
- Color all your drawings using these markers.
3. Coloring-in Pencils
These are my absolute favorite. I love color pencils. You can get sooo much depth, and I find coloring-in amazingly relaxing to the point that I lose track of time.
The color range in this set is a dream. It is pricey so maybe get a smaller set if you're on a budget.
If colored pencils are your preferred medium, you need to try a colorless blending pencil. This pencil works like magic to blend your colors and cuts your time in half.
I wanted to shade the headings with my Prisma pencils in my May theme spreads. I used three different colors on the May Heading.
I used only one color in my monthly overview and blended it with the colorless blender pencil. It was so much easier, and you could barely see the difference.
Since purchasing this pencil, I can not color another page without it.
4. Bullet Journal Supplies for watercolor painting
This is the set that I have. For a beginner, they are great for me. Although I prefer to use watercolor paper if I'm going to use these just because I can not get the colors to blend on journal paper. I have seen other people use watercolor paints in their journals and get amazing results. But I am not there yet.
The journal I am using is from Archer and Olive, the pages are thick and really smooth. The quality is top-notch and makes using watercolors much easier (just don't use as much water).
If you want to read more about Archer and Olive notebooks, we have a full in-depth review, you can read here:
The Best Bullet Journal Notebook With Amazing Customer Service
Tip: You can always paint on watercolor paper and stick it in your journal, especially for themes such as landscapes. Landscapes need a lot of water and you want them to blend, which is way easier to achieve with watercolor paper.
What I discovered was this set of paint - Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI 48 Colors Set. I can describe this set as a hybrid between watercolor and gouache. It gives great color payoff without the need to use too much water and doesn’t ruin my journal pages.
Keep in mind they are different from traditional western watercolors. I really am enjoying them. One disadvantage is; although the pans look really large, there half-filled. I hit the bottom of the pan on some of the colors pretty quickly.
Still, I would repurchase just because they are easy to use in my journal, and they even have three shimmery colors that are gorgeous!
5. Gold watercolor paints
Unfortunately, the two gold colors they offer don’t include my absolute favorite gold shimmer, which is included in this set. The rose gold color in this set is to die for, and when posting my May theme on Instagram, I got so many questions asking what gold paint I used.
Which actually inspired me to write this whole blog post.
6. Grid paper
Using a white paper bullet journal can be so versatile. So when wanting to create themes, a great way is to add craft paper and Muji is my go-to store to get a grid and lined paper. Kraft paper gives you such an aesthetic, vintage feel to your spreads which is right down my alley.
Tip: Kraft grid paper is really handy when you want to letter. You have a guide that makes life so much easier.
On this May quote page, I was easily able to letter the quote on the grid paper and the washi tapes are also from Muji.
7. bullet journal supplies Gel pens
My sister, on the other hand, prefers black paper and adding gold accents to it. The contrast is stunning.
Gel pens look amazing on both white, black, or Kraft paper!
Our favorite of everything we own are these sakura sets.
The moonlight set works wonderfully on black paper and white, unlike other packs we have tried. They are our favorite pack of the whole line.
You can get so creative with incorporating different colored papers and textures into your spreads.
8. Paperclips
Paperclips are so useful, here is what we use them for:
- We use them when painting to minimize warping.
- bookmarks
- When taking photos, they are not only pretty but help that paper lay flat
Not only are they useful, but having pretty ones will make your Bujo pictures that much nicer. These are our favorites, Tip: We find the large size clips more useful than the smaller sizes, to hold our thick journals down :)
I'd love to hear what your favorite bullet journal supplies are?
Please add them to the comments below.
and don't forget
Stay Safe and 'Happy journaling everyone