I’ve had a lot of people ask me what supplies I use, and that is always such a tough question for me. I use tons of different supplies! For me, every project or page requires something different. I know that for lots of people, two or three pens are more than enough, but what can I say? This girl loves her pens and paper.
I’ve decided to go ahead and create a page dedicated to my supplies so the people just getting started have a quick reference . I included a general price range for the items I use to help you out – sometimes the price of these items will flux, but I did my best! I will keep this page updated as I get new supplies and provide a brief overview of each item I use.
Best Bullet Journal Notebooks:
Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted A5
Alright, I’m kinda obsessed with this journal. I have two in my current rotation and two more on standby. I use my Berry one as my bullet journal and my Red one for my Morning Pages. I am so very happy that I discovered this brand of notebooks, they are truly sublime. I will likely use Leuchtturms for the rest of my life. However, I know these have been in high demand lately and the prices have gotten a little ridiculous. As an alternative you could always get the Leuchtturm B5, which is slightly bigger and has a soft, flexible cover. I have not yet used one, but my husband has and he really likes it. It’s only a matter of time before I get my hands on one.
Handmade Nepali Traveler Journal
It seems as though they no longer sell the journal that I use! But that is the beauty of this journal – since they are handmade, no two journals are alike! I use my Nepali journal as a nature journal and I love it. There is something about using a handmade journal with handmade paper that just makes me feel closer to nature. I don’t necessarily think this would make an ideal bullet journal notebook, but it is definitely a great journal to have for any number of things!
Moleskine Soft Cover Dot Grid Notebook
I got this popular journal recently to test out in my Morning Pages. It’s really a great notebook, and a wonderful option for anyone who prefers a soft cover.
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Writing Utensils:
Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop Fountain Pen
I know this may seem expensive for a single pen, but hear me out. I’ve found that having a good pen has encouraged me to sit down and write every day. It makes me feel like what I’m writing is important and worthy of my time and effort, which is a great push for my low confidence days where I’m stressed out. Plus you can fill it with a huge spectrum of inks and get away from the boring black and dark blue ink cartridges, which means that I don’t have to buy a ton of colorful pens. The ink bottles can last for years, so it’s a great investment. I actually have two Metropolitans so I can have two inks going at the same time.
I’ll go ahead and share the different inks that you will see throughout my journals.
Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Set
Just because I don’t have to buy colorful pens doesn’t mean that I won’t. The Staedtlers are a fantastic set of pens that are bright, bold, and crisp on the page. They are great for adding a touch (or a ton) of color to your pages. Even if you are more of a minimalist, these are still great to have because if you are feeling fancy, you can just do all your normal spreads with a colorful pen – no extra effort required! I do have one complaint though. I currently have the 10 pack, and it just doesn’t have enough colors for me. If you want to roll in the rainbow, I would get the 36 count set. It’s only a matter of time before I cave and upgrade.
Pigma Micron Pen Set
No bullet journal is complete without nice strong black lines, and that’s exactly what you will get with a Micron set. Truly, you can do pretty much everything you need to do with a Leuchtturm, a Staedtler set, and a Micron set. These are really great pens, and I would recommend them for anyone. I’ve used them extensively for art, writing, and bullet journal spreads and they are still going strong after more than five years of abuse.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Markers 10-Pack
Want to get into brush lettering but don’t know where to start? The Tombow Dual Brush Pens are a fantastic way to start. The brush tip is strong and flexible and the colors are vibrant. Plus you can blend colors to create an ombre effect and you won’t ruin the lighter colors, even yellow! I’m currently obsessed with these pens and you will find evidence of that in nearly all of my recent pictures.
I recently bought these brushes to expand my newest brush lettering obsession, and they are fantastic. I have a huge stash of watercolors that I can now use easily and on the go. Since the water is stored in the barrel of the brush, these are also great for nature journaling or traveling. I love these and I’m so glad I added them to my collection!
This is yet another addition to my brush lettering set. This little pen packs a huge punch with a rich, bold color that is stark on the page. Since there are bristles instead of a nylon nib, you can create a stylish distressed streak with your strokes. This is a really great brush pen that is really takes the level of my brush lettering up a notch.
Dip Pens
I don’t often use my dip pens, but they are excellent for fancy calligraphy. It’s really easy to get started! All you need is a nib holder, some nibs, and calligraphy ink. These are the two nibs I’d suggest if you want a little bit of line variation. Both are great places to get started! You can use any of the inks I listed above for fountain pens, watercolors, or the Finetec paints I list below.
Prismacolor Illustration Brush Tip Markers
I’ve had these for a long time, and I still use them after all these years. When I got the Staedtler set I fully expected to stop using these, but I just keep coming back. I can’t really quantify what I like about these markers, but I just love they way they write. Prismacolor is just really good at what they do.
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Uni-ball Vision Elite Roller Ball Pens 12-Pack
These are fantastic everyday writing pens, be it taking notes or writing in your bullet journal notebook. My mother-in-law got me a box of these a couple years ago for Christmas (I am super easy to shop for), and I’ve gotten a box pretty much every year since then because I run through them without fail.
Pilot Precise V5 12-Pack
I have several types of writing utensils that I use on a regular basis, but rather than listing them each individually, I decided to just do a quick list. I personally use all of these on rotation. Sometimes you just can’t beat simple!
Paints:
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Liquid Watercolors
While these paints are on the more expensive end of the spectrum, they are totally worth the money. Hydrus liquid watercolors are super concentrated, pure, and they blend flawlessly – unlike their cheaper counterparts. I use these for my bullet journal and art projects alike!
I’ve been using these ultra cheap watercolors in my bullet journal notebook like crazy lately. They are compact, easy to transport, and vibrant. I love these paints!
Fintec Artist Watercolor Palette
This palette is perhaps one of my favorite things ever. The paints are great for brush lettering, calligraphy with a dip pen, and for art, of course! They are so shiny and metallic when they dry. I can’t be more excited to play with these every day. If you want more colors, Finetec has other palettes with a wider selection. I want them all!
Prismacolor Water-Soluable Colored Pencils
This is a pack of pens I had for years thanks to a nature writing class from ages ago. These pencils are wonderful for nature journaling because they are extremely easy to transport and can be transformed into watercolor paintings. I started using them in my bullet journal notebook again when I got my Aquash brush pens, which gave me the ability to doodle and create beautiful lettering in my journal anywhere. Prismacolor really brings the quality, and they didn’t disappoint me here!
Embossing Tools:
These are the very basic things you need to get embossing. If you aren’t sure how to use them, check out my embossing tutorial!
Miscellaneous:
Amazon Prime Music (Comes with Prime 30 day trial) (6 month trial for students)
I pretty much use this constantly. I’ve always been addicted to Pandora and I always just had to suffer through the ads because I wasn’t willing to pay the membership fee. After discovering the existence of Prime Music, I was very suspicious and unwilling to try (and I was already a Prime member!). Eventually I dipped my toes and now I am spoiled with ad free music all the time. It’s been such a welcome change of pace from the ad-filled world of Pandora!
Post-It Notes
I use these all the time everywhere! I have them stuck in my bullet journal notebook for rapid logging or sensitive information like phone numbers (so I can hide it for pictures). I also have an array of them over my desk and stuck in several books so I can take notes. I also use the little sticky flags all the time, especially in my Master Grocery List.
Rhodia Black Dot Pad
I use my Rhodia notepad for drawing and for creating printables, and that dot grid makes my job so much easier! It’s more of a behind the scenes player, but still important to my operation and worth sharing with you wonderful folks.
And there you have it! All my journals, pens, accessories, and necessities for getting this blog rolling and generally organizing my life. Sometimes I’ll use lots of these supplies in a day, sometimes I’ll stick with simplicity. But I like having my options open, and I love making things that are pretty and functional with the use of these lovely items. Thanks for stopping by!
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