Favorite Journaling & Planning Supplies
Before I get to this highly requested post- I just want to reiterate that favorite supplies are highly personal and will reflect the style of the journaler. AND also that you literally can use any notebook and pen combo that you have laying around to get started. Add some flair with your kids’ markers, stickers and cut some pretty pictures out of magazines! Truly, there is nothing that you NEED in order to journal. But I also understand wanting to know people’s favorites! So keeping that in mind, here you go 🙂
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Favorite notebooks:
Rettacy Spiral Dotted Notebooks
If you are just starting out, these are the notebooks I’d recommend. They are inexpensive and pretty great quality for the price! I used these until I was sure I was committed to the journaling habit and honestly have no regrets. Love them. I still use them for my House to Haven Notebook and Meal Planning Notebooks!
These are more of an investment but truly the quality is SO good. Super thick paper, great binding, beautiful designs and hard covers. I use them for my “life log” journals which I plan on keeping forever. I have no doubt that they will withhold old the test of time. There are lots of different colors, sizes and paper types to choose from.
Tomoe River Paper Notebooks/Planners
This section of notebooks has different paper. It is much thinner, smoother and has a totally different feel to it. It is fantastic for fountain pens and develops a worn in “crinkly” feel to it. There IS some “ghosting” (as you can see below), but I haven’t experienced any bleeding through the paper.
Last year I used Hobonichi planners with this type of paper starting mid year. I used a Hobonichi Techo and a Hobonichi Weeks. I was skeptical at first but really grew to love them. The paper feels more casual to me which helps me let go of perfectionism and just have fun playing around.
This year I switched to a Sterling Ink Common Planner and notebook. They are similar to Hobonichi, but a little more my style. I have the TN size horizontal compact planner and a B6 notebook.
I will share an updated, more detailed, post with how I use all of my notebooks/planners soon! But in the meantime you can click here to see what my system was like last April (it’s pretty similar now with the addition of the Tomoe River paper notebook and planner)
Writing Utensils:
I have SO many different types of pens. But these are the ones I use on a daily basis:
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens: They are water and fade resistant which means that after they are dry you can highlight or color over them with out smearing! My favorite size is 01.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens: These have two sides- one with a large brush marker pen and one with a fine tipped marker. The color on these is so beautiful and vibrant and they come in SO many colors. You can purchase them individually at craft stores like Michaels or purchase them in a pack. I have the tropical and pastel packs (and a bunch more purchased individually)
Papermate Flair Black Pens: These are my very favorite pens to write with, but unlike the micron pens above, will smear if highlighted (if that matters to you!) They come in all colors but I mostly just use the black these days.
Stabilo Pen 68: These are felt tip pens (aka fancy markers) but they are a long time favorite of mine! They are a fine tip marker, but are great for creating bold headings on pages or for coloring/highlighting.
Pentel Energel .5: These are my favorite “regular” pens to write with. They write super smooth and are affordable! Great for long form writing.
Fountain Pen: Fountain pen lovers avert your eyes, because in the world of fountain pens, I’m sure this isn’t anything special- BUT I asked for this pen for Christmas to try one out for the first time and really love it! I got these ink cartridges and it was super easy to fill. In my opinion (and according to the reviews!) this is a great, affordable option for a starter pen.
Ticonderoga Pencils: If you don’t already know- these pencils are the best. I like having them around to sketch out pages before I use pen. The lead doesn’t break, the cute versions don’t “unwrap” like other pencils and the erasers are pretty good 👌
Pentel Hi-Polymer Eraser: Random- but, these are the best erasers- so much better than the traditional pink ones or the ones that typically come on pencils!
Adhesives & stickers:
Scotch Permanent Glue Sticks: I discovered these a few months ago and let me tell you- they work SO much better than my kids’ Elmers glue sticks (lol). I also love that they are acid free so I feel good about using them in my journals and with photos.
Double Sided Tape Roller: Another adhesive I use frequently!
Washi tape: I’ve purchased or been given a lot of washi tape over the years and the quality can be hit or miss (especially on Amazon!) I’ve had good luck with this inexpensive brand on amazon as well as several small shops on Etsy.
Stickers: Etsy has just about every kind of sticker imaginable- but they can add up quickly since most of the time you’re purchasing individual sheets. I decluttered most of mine before we moved, and ended up really regretting it 😩 so I purchased (or have been given) some of these sticker books and it’s been an inexpensive way to build up my collection again. I really love the Pipsticks sticker books– they have a more illustrative/doodle/cartoon style to them. The Botanist’s Sticker Anthology is the most beautiful, high quality sticker book I’ve ever seen- beautiful floral artwork that don’t even look like stickers. Bunches of Botanicals also has beautiful floral stickers and is about half the price.
Other things to use in your journal:
Photos: I LOVE using small photos in my journal. This instagram post shows how I do it.
Magazine cutouts, receipts, ticket stubs, notes from loved ones (aka ephemera): Get creative with what you include in your journal- there is so much available in the world around you for FREE!
Post-its: Would it even be a favorite supplies post if I didn’t include these? 😉 There are no right or wrong sizes to use, but in my journal I typically use the small square or rectangle sizes.
Okay I think that is all! If there is anything specific that you are looking for that I missed, please let me know! Happy journaling! 💜
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