Are you starting bullet journaling? Wondering where and what supplies to buy? Worry not! Today I will help you in lifting the heavyweight of choosing the right bullet journal items for bullet journaling. I still remember how stressful I used to feel to pick supplies for my bullet journal and how many mistakes I have made. Initially, I overspent and bought plenty of unnecessary supplies which were not useful for me at that time.
So, I am here to share with you my wisdom and let you know the best and essential bullet journal supplies I used in my journey of bullet journaling.
If you’re just getting started with bullet journaling and want to learn some basics, start with reading our complete guide on how to bullet journal.
What Supplies Do I Need To Start A Bullet Journal?
With plenty of brands in the market that sell supplies needed for bullet journaling, it is quite hard to know which ones are worth your time and make the right choice. Everyone in the bullet journal community has their own style and their own supplies list they use. For example, I am not much of a sticker or a washi tape girl, I am more of a minimalistic girl who uses pens and pencils to decorate my book. So, the crazy sticker and the washi tape haul I used to have in the beginning days was a kind of waste.
So what I recommend you guys to do is start with very basic supplies and then slowly upgrade and build your collection. The more you bullet journal, the more you will know what your style is and what supplies you need the most.
But if you feel like trying a new style or medium, first buy cheap supplies and then upgrade. Below I have listed a few best cheap supplies and followed by the best must-have bullet journal supplies of all time.
Best Bullet Journal Supplies For Beginners
Bullet journaling supplies are fun. If you are a newbie to bullet journaling, you might wonder what are the promising bullet journal supplies. With many choices in terms of pens, notebooks, journals, markers, etc, it is never simple to tell whether things are working well together or not.
Most bullet journal beginners struggle real hard in searching for the best pen or notebook to use for their gorgeous spreads. While there are a lot of brands that offer fancy bullet journal supplies, always remember that expensive and fancy don’t always imply high quality.
If you are just starting with your first bullet journal, below is the list of the most basic things you need right away –
- Notebook ( It doesn’t matter if it’s lined, ruled, or blank paged book).
- Pencil or Pen ( go for gel pen, ballpoint, or sharpie pen, if you need variation in the thickness)
You can make bullet journaling as easy and utilitarian as you like. Having other journaling supplies on hand can also give you a truly satisfying creative experience as you track your schedule, to-do list, ideas, and artwork. It’s up to you.
But, if you are anything like me and want to invest a little more in your organization and productivity. Then, something as easy as a minor notebook upgrade or a little set of pens could do wonders. Here is an optional list of beginner bullet journaling supplies.
- Crayola markers
- Clips and highlighters
- Ruler
- Eraser
- Pencil
- Sharpener
- Correction tape
Alternatively, you can also go for a bullet journal starter kit. Normally, it includes several tools and stationery, like for instance :
- Stencils
- Notebook
- Stickers
- Fineliner pens
- Washi tape set
Simply, this kit enables you to get started without wasting much time looking after the biggest deals.
That being said, don’t be compelled to purchase all the bullet journal supplies or starter kits you see in front of you. I know it is quite tempting. But, try choosing one or two at a time then grow your bullet journal supplies within a period.
Nonetheless, in terms of pricing, buying bullet journal starter kits is surely more costly than utilizing our old school supplies or getting a normal notebook and pen from your local store.
Moreover, we can end up with unnecessary stencils, stickers, and washi tapes when you want minimalistic bullet journaling.
Cheap Bullet Journal Supplies
Bullet journaling is a wonderful way to get organised and productive in a little space. There are numerous ways to make your journal pages look both cute and affordable.
You can find plenty of cheap journaling supplies, but one needs to ensure whether you are getting the best quality even at a low cost or not.
Here are a few incredible products I discovered over the years that are cheap and reliable.
1.Minimalism Art Bullet Journal Notebook
This notebook has a sturdy black cover with a classic and elegant design. There are 240 pages in which over 120 are acid-free. These pages give the book its archival integrity, ensuring that your notes do not fade with time. The notebook measures 5″ x 8.3″, has an elastic closure, expandable inner pocket, and a ribbon.
Features to notice:
- This elegant Journal comes in Small size (5 x 8.3) which makes it simple to carry and best for your desk.
- It got 122 numbered pages of ink bleed resistant, and acid-free, friendly ivory paper.
- This notebook even includes a Table of Contents for simple reference, with an elastic strap for quick closure, ribbon bookmarks as well as an expandable inner pocket in the rear cover.
- A Leatherette hardcover book with a celebratory touch executed to near perfection.
- This premium Notebook collection is accessible in many size formats and colours.
The light pink cover of the Minimalism Notebooks is the new favourite for bullet journaling artists. Pixie the blogger behind Productive Pixie says, “I use a Minimalism Art notebook for bullet journaling and I love it! It is my first time using a more traditional bullet journal notebook.”
2. Dyvicl Black Micro Pen Fineliner Ink Pens
Are you seeking pens that are best for both sketching and writing? Then have a look at the Dyvicl Black Micro Pen Fineliner Ink Pens. They are water-resistant too. Artists always get amused with the quality of line, ink solubility, and pen build quality.
Features to notice:
- The black ink pen set is non-toxic, non-refillable, odourless.
- They never bleed, skip, fade or smear.
- You can use the pens over vellum, trace, and on a variety of papers.
- They are compatible, have free-flowing ink, and have a steady glide that gives you freedom of expression, detailed crawling, and clean outlines.
- The pens come in 9 different nibs sizes.
3. Uni Pin Drawing Pen
Uni pin drawing pen is an amazing pen set to add colours to your bullet journal. The best thing about this Uni Pin drawing set is that you can get these pens in further shades than black! You can buy a set with sepia, light grey, dark grey colour fineliners. Or else you can get a set with just black pens. They come with document ink that’s fade-proof and waterproof.
Features to notice:
- Incredible writing pen with a comfortable grip.
- The writing is effortless and smooth, what else do you need from a writing pen, huh.
- They never skip and stay in your hand comfortably.
- The ink is lightfast and water-resistant.
- This set of 8 pens comes in an assortment of 4 different colours and tip sizes.
4. Crayola Super Tips Washable
If you like brush lettering, Crayola markers are the best and cheaper choice than other brush pens. This set of highlighters is popular among creatives. The colours are very soft and can please any eye. Crayola Washable Super Tips markers are best to write, colour and even draw.
Features to notice:
- The Markers can make thin or thick lines suitable for many colouring techniques
- They are washable, doesn’t leave any kind of stain on the skin.
- These are non-toxic, which makes them the best gift for kids too.
Best Bullet Journal supplies
After spending some time with bullet journaling, you might want to upgrade the supplies for more creative and intricate spreads. If you are ready to invest a few bucks on more pricey and quality products, scroll down. Below is my list of the best bullet journal supplies.
Best Notebooks For Bullet Journal
Either you like to be very minimalistic with bullet journaling or thinking about investing in more stuff. The one essential thing that everyone requires is a bullet journal notebook.
If you are still in a dilemma of which bujo notebook is best for beginners, here are the questions you need to answer first:
- How do you like to use a bullet journal? (as a daily journal or art journal or as a productivity tool )
- What types of art medium or stationery do you prefer to use? (ball pen, watercolours, and black ink)
- How do you deal with ghosting and bleeding through the paper?
These questions will specify your notebook’s type, size, and layout (either it’s blank paper, lined, or dot grid), and the cover (hard or softcover).
Newbies don’t need to be concerned about the kind of journal they begin with. Ultimately they can upgrade to a varied notebook when they get used to bullet journaling and can get inspired with many ideas to make it work for them. You could go with blank paper, lined and dot grid paper journals. A few of the options can include:
- Hard or softcover journal
- Spiral notebook
- Journal made for just bullet journaling
Below you can find the best journals for bullet journaling:
1.Dingbats Notebook
If you like to spend more time taking your bujo to the next level then dingbats notebooks are the best option for you. It’s one of the best quality bujo notebooks available in the market.
Dingbat notebook features a faux leather cover that names it as a real one and gives you a luxury vibe. The paper is of high quality, smooth, and thick enough to avoid ghosting and bleeding to the further side. Nonetheless, Dingbats notebook got creamy page than whiter ones. This notebook is well-crafted, with details as an inside pocket, pen holder, cover design, as well as pre-printed planner pages to make it the best bullet journal notebook we ever wanted.
Features To Notice:
- Durable hardcover with round corners and PU faux leather and an elastic closure.
- It includes bonus features as 2 key pages, numbered pages, 16 micro-perforated, and 3 Index pages.
- This notebook cokes in medium 16 x 21.5 cm size with192 pages.
- It is a multipurpose journal that can be utilized as a journal, bullet journal, diary, travel notebook, business/ office Notebook, workout journal, recipe journal, school journal, etc.
- Dingbats notebook is a vegan certified notebook that’s made from FSC certified paper and recyclable materials.
The wide variety of colour options that dingback notebook provides definitely makes it popular among bullet journaling enthusiasts. Bujo blogger Justbeyourplans said, “With the month of July I will change from my green dingbats bujo to my orange one. I start in the last half the year in an autumn look with warm natural colours and amazing watercolor themes. I love doing this”
2. Leuchtturm1917
Leuchtturm1917 is one of the most prominent dotted paper journals and also a firm that prints bullet journal notebooks. They come with numbered pages, printed index notebook pages, along with an envelope pocket. They are pocket-friendly too. Though the paper quality isn’t the best as Rhodia, Leuchtturm1917 is the best option if you are not a big fan of many pen colours and don’t mind ghosting.
Features To Notice:
- This notebook comes with 3 index pages in the book front that locate details over 249 numbered pages.
- It also has stickers which you will achieve when you finish a particular task.
- These journals are available in many varieties of colours.
- Leuchtturm even makes an authorized bullet Journal Leuchtturm edition that involves key and index pages.
3. Archer And Olive Watercolour Dot Grid Journal
If you are willing to have a bullet journal to withstand your craziest watercolour dreams, then grab Archer & Olive Watercolor Dot Grid Journal. This notebook will let loose your creativity without any fear of bleeding onto the next page. Unleash the imaginativeness and grab your watercolours to make something fun and unique.
Features To Notice:
- Designed to resist the heaviest watercolour paints, the book contains 200 GSM Paul Rubens White watercolour paper.
- Durable cover with A&O design
- A back pocket to hold mementoes as well as paper clippings
- It comes with a convenient elastic band to keep the journal shut tight.
- This watercolour Notebook comes with 120 pages of quality watercolour paper that is hot pressed and laid flat for the best experience.
Bullet journaling artist Teri says, “I can’t believe how well the paper holds water, I am soooo in love with this journal. I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with having a ring bound bullet journal but it’s actually not that bad, and it means it lays flatter!”
Read – What Is A Jot Journal and How To Use It?
4. Moleskine Dot Grid Notebook
The Moleskine line of notebooks is the best place to look for your bullet journal. The Moleskine notebook brand was launched in 1997. This legendary notebook was utilized by thinkers and artists like Bruce Chagrin, Ernest Hemingway, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso for the past two centuries. The slim profile and softcover make it the best notebook to have in the bag. You can even use watercolours in the Moleskine notebooks if you want as their paper is thinner than the Leuchtturm paper.
Features To Notice:
- It’s narrower than most notebooks so it fits easily in small spaces.
- This notebook features bookmark lay flat design, a pocket in the back, as well as an elastic band to secure the book.
- Moleskine notebooks come both in hardcover and softcover, both versions work perfectly for everyone.
5. Rhodiarama Dot Notebook
Rhodia notebooks are people’s favourite bullet journals for everyday use. Their paper quality is superior if you desire to play with colours and use the bullet journal for art journaling, hand lettering, or other creative bases. The book is durable and its dotted paper never bleeds. It stands the test of time throughout the use of many pens.
Features To Notice:
- Rhodiarama comes with 90g smooth ivory sheets, which are ink resistant.
- It has a glued spine, Italian faux leather hardcover, with round corners.
- The book comes with a ribbon page marker, inner pocket, elastic closure for keeping the papers safe.
- This notebook features both soft and hardcover too.
- It is also available in three sizes that includes, 4 x 5.5″, 6 x 8.25″ and 7.5 x 9.75″.
Source – Tarlan Tasli
Best Pens For Bullet Journal
You may think it is hard to get the perfect pen, but trust me, it doesn’t have to be that hard. Here is a list of the finest bullet journal pens to draw, sketch and write in your beautiful notebook. Few of them are pricey and some of them come in your budget, whatever it is, these are worth trying.
Read – 27 Best Bullet Journal Pens – How To Find The Best One For You?
For Drawing
Looking for pens for your bujo may sound simple, but a lot goes into getting a perfect one. It is not as simple as finding a pen with the colour you want and drawing it away. But, don’t worry, I have made it easy with a list.
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens
If you are serious regarding detailing and drawing, then this pen set is one of the finest on the market. This artistic pen set comes with a huge variety of pens that are unique in colour with a medium-heft felt tip. These have a little thinner felt tips when compared to most of the other ones available in the market. You can find all the colour tones of black, grey which can be used to draw complicated structures accurately.
Sakura Pigma Micron Ink Pens
Just because people write bullet journals daily doesn’t mean they need to go for mediocre ink. These Sakura pens come with incredible ink quality and are perfect for daily journaling. With fine points at 0.45mm, these pens make the best deal for hand lettering and taking notes. It’s the best choice if you have small handwriting and like to save space on pages. As the pen’s plastic nib is flexible and durable, it lets in medium or fine strokes with a bit of versatility. After all, ink is the star of the show.
For Writing
For bujo, the best writing pen is as crucial as the best journal. After all, a journal notebook and pens are the most basic supplies of Bullet Journaling. Below are my top picks that everyone loves as they offer a smooth and pleasant experience while you write every day.
1. Pilot Metropolitan Collection Fountain Pen
I would say, the Pilot Metropolitan Collection Fountain Pen is one of the best choices one could ever make for his/ her bullet journal. You can switch to fountain pens if you have huge writing tasks in your hand, particularly if you have long entries and long accounts as these pens almost feel weightless even after you use them for hours. Trust me, if you use this pen once, you find it too tough to look back at other pens.
2. Muji Gel Ink Ballpoint Pens
Muji ballpoint pens are one of the cutest pens you can ever find. They are favourites for many bullet journalers. Along with adorable Japanese colours, designs, and unique nib sizes, they are known to be very smooth and versatile. Muji pens are known to prevent breaks in the writing line and any ink leakage issues. Its aqueous pigment ink decreases ink bleeding on your paper
Best Colour Pens For Bullet Journal
Buying excellent coloured pens for bullet journaling is mostly a personal choice and based upon the journal you are using. Even the paper quality of your book matters too. Below is the list of the few best colour pens that never bleed the paper.
1. Uniball Signo white gel pens
There is a reason behind the 5-stars rating for these pens on Amazon. Their opaque and thick ink runs consistently without any breaks. The best part, These pens write just like normal ones which means they are not as bulky as a paint pen. It has a 1.0mm rollerball tip and contains white pigmented gel ink that is acid-free, light-fast, and waterproof. Uniball pen writes well even on the card, dark paper, and dark print too.
2. Staedtler Triplus Fineliners
These wonderful colour fineliners are a must-try for your bullet journaling. They come in various ink colours and nib sizes. They are simple to draw and easy to use, with promising quality, and these qualities make them a decent option for doodling and fun lettering options
3. Stabilo Point 88 Fineliners Color Pens
These prominent fine liner colour pens are good for taking notes, drawing and even colouring. They are excellent for someone who likes to have fun with colouring. The ink lasts for a long time and colours look rich and bright over the paper. STABILO Point 88 Fineliner is known to be a timeless classic, with more than 6 billion pieces bought across the world. Whether you like to underline, structure the texts, or write notes, this wide array of 47 brilliant colours with 6 neon shades can get you covered.
4. Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight Pens
The Sakura pen collection of 12 assorted colours with 10 moonlight shades and 2 White roller-ball pens are water, acid, and chemical proof. The water-based gel ink never fades away and works colourfully opaque over both white and black paper. The consistent, smooth, and creamy bold line never bleeds through the paper. The dense ink, smooth writing, and constant ink flow right from the beginning to the end make this set of pens a popular choice among the bullet journaling community.
The Best Highlighters For Bullet Journal & Bujo Brush Pens
Bullet journal highlighters and brush pens are crucial for simple organization and are pretty satisfying when you mark off to-do lists with gorgeous coloured highlighters. Brush pens are even known to be great for drawing unique font styles. As the name indicates, a brush pen is included with a brush-like tip. Let’s have a look at some of the best Highlighters and brush pens available in the market today.
1. Zebra mildliner
These zebra mildliner sets of brush pens come with a bunch of mild and soft colours that are never too striking and overbearing. They work well to write headers, highlight, and colour doodles. Every marker had two ends, one end has a chisel tip to generate bold lines, and the other end has a fine point to write the title and to colour. The ink dries quickly and is water-resistant too.
2. Tombow Dual Brush Pen
Brush lettering is progressing at its pace as the most colourful and fun way for creating the most artistic bullet journaling experience. The Tombow Dual Brush is an outstanding tool for both beginners and pros at water colouring. You can even make new shades by mixing two or more colours using the brush pens.
3. Stabilo Boss Original Highlighter
Right from its launch in 1971, the STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL highlighter pen is known to be a stable favourite among the bullet journal community. The highlighter is refillable and also accessible in 9 impressive fluorescent colours along with 6 pastel colours to make your bullet journal more colourful. The best part, Stabilo Boss Original Highlighter has an Anti-Dry Out Technology access and 4-hour cap-off time, so you don’t need to worry about capping every time.
Best Journal Accessories, Tools, And Gadgets
Let us accept the truth, the whole bullet journaling community goes nuts about the tools, gadgets, and accessories to use in their journals. We adore our goodies, yet many of us try new things spending a fortune only on the supplies. What I say is better go with the best supplies the first time, and then you are set for many years. Below I have mentioned random bits and bobs that you need while bullet journaling.
1.Ruler
In the realm of bullet journaling, a ruler is a requirement. Rulers keep the journal tidy and clean by providing you with straight experienced lines. Trust me, a ruler might be the single drawing tool you will use every day. A little ruler fits in the pocket of a journal, a long ruler is best to create layouts at home. A 12-inch ruler is best enough to create lines within two pages at once.
2. Sticky notes
Sticky notes are fun to add to your bujo. These are perfect and fun for quick reminders, vibrant bullet journal spreads, bullet journal layout plans as well as for project management.
3. Washi Tape For Bullet Journaling
There is always something potent regarding this washi tape. They add colourful designs and flair to the bullet journal with a snap of fingers. Washi tape comes in several varieties of sizes, patterns, textures, and colours, so you can find something for everyone.
Read – 35 Creative Washi Tape Bullet Journal Ideas. 40 Fun And Cool Washi Tape Ideas For Kids And Teens
4. Bullet Journal Stickers
Stickers are the best way to shine up a bujo page. You could choose a theme and design a layout that looks great. There are also stickers for to-do lists, monthly layouts, or weekly logs available in the market. If you want to keep your journal artistic but don’t have much time in your hand, these are a must-have accessory for your Bullet Journal.
5. Bullet Journal Stamps
If you have a page or layout you journal regularly then why don’t consider bujo stamps? You can go with Bullet Journal month stamps or a few lovely decorative stamps that glam up your bullet journal pages.
6. Bullet Journal Stencils
There are several options for bullet journal stencils. You could explore around and go with the ones that suit your needs and style. Or you can also create your DIY stencils. Stencils is the best solution for the people, who like to adorn their bujo spreads without spending money on stickers or doodling
7. Bullet Journal Printables
If you want to start bullet journaling yet don’t have any time to build it from scratch, then you need to lean over bullet journal printables. Bullet journal printables keep you focused on many aspects of planning and help you organize the planner. Every bullet journal printable is replenished with bright designs that add uniqueness to the planner. These are quite inexpensive when compared to brush pens or fancy notebooks. So, now you could adopt bullet journaling without any layouts or drawing by yourself!
8. Paper clips
Paper clips are another best way for organizing the bullet journal notebook. They help you in marking out the most crucial pages, putting a few past pages together, or keeping bills or lost notes in a single place.
9. Eraser
Don’t roll your eyes! Yes, erasers are equally important as other essentials in the list for bujo supplies. The best white eraser will erase the pencil lines without ripping the pages. An inexpensive coloured eraser is likely to leave marks and smudge. They leave ugly coloured smears on your journal. So, get a white rubber that never smudges the ink for your bullet journal.
10. Correction tape
What do you do when you mess up a journal page? Surely removing the page isn’t the best option. Go with a correction tape. A correction tape might not be a thing that needs to be on the list of bullet journal supplies yet it is helpful if you can invest in it. For me, a correction tape is a better option than the correction fluid as it takes ages to dry and even smells bad.
11. Helix Circle Maker
With this appliance, you can create circles for your habit tracker or on any page where you want a perfect circle. So, get yourself an affordable circle maker to easily create perfect circles wherever you want.
12. Tombow adhesive tapes
If you are a fan of taping stuff in the bullet journal? Then get Tombow adhesive tapes. They surely rock your bullet journal experience. It’s Acid-free and easy to refill too.
13. Avery Ultra Tabs
If you desire to tab the pages, then you can grab this Avery’s line of Ultra Tabs. They are extremely durable and come in several cute shapes, colours, and patterns.
Best Art Journal Supplies
Along with the stationery items for your bullet journaling, you might need a few art journal suppliers in your collection. Below is a list of the best art journal supplies.
1.Watercolors
If you are the one who likes to be extra creative in your planning, then you will adore these artsy bullet journal supplies. Watercolours are extremely inexpensive paints that offer you many chances to create a gorgeous splash to your bullet journal spreads.
The best part is that you don’t need to be artistic to design something good with watercolour. You don’t have to paint a detailed scene in the bullet journal using watercolour, you can create light washes too. As long as you are careful about the quantity of water over the page you could always create an elegant gradient in the bullet journal.
2. Watercolor brush pens
Watercolour brush pens are easier when compared to normal brushes with a container of water beside them. We can consider it as a lovechild of a paintbrush and pen. It is exceptionally portable. The brush fibres are nylon, which makes them simple to clean and resilient. You can notice slight staining over brushes, yet they never affect the paint colour.
Before you get a planner and go to town, you should grab this tool. Never forget that water brushes are wet, so one needs a few minutes to get used to them. Hold the brush near the tip not over a barrel, as holding a barrel, we can accidentally squeeze it and splash more water onto the paper.
3. Color pencils
Colouring is a key factor in the bullet Journal, either it’s to organize or to personalized use. With colour Pencils, you could create hundreds of distinct tones easily by adding unique amounts of pressure. It’s up to you. So go with your style and drive with it. Bullet Journals are mostly about attaining a customized effect to bring one’s character, without any rules. So, freely roam and experiment with various colour tones you could create with colour Pencils.
That’s it! This list emcompasses every single supply you could possibly need when you start bullet journaling, or when you want to get creative and experiment with more supplies. Hope you found something that fits your needs.
What bullet journal supplies do you love the most? Which supply in this list are you going to use? Let us know all about your favourite supplies in the comments below.
