In the past year or so, bullet journals and bullet journaling have been making headway. The trend has become a craze, and now, bullet journals are the new thing.
Bullet journals are basically personalized planners that you design yourself! They can be as simple or as decorative as you want and can include any feature you choose (habit trackers are pretty popular).
Creating your own planner may seem daunting, but again, it’s all up to you on how much effort it takes. Just remember that making the bullet journal is a one-time process. Spare a small portion of the day, and voilà — all that’s left for you to do is fill it out.
For beginner bullet journalers, there’s a pressure to go out and buy supplies and the “perfect” journal. However, bullet journaling doesn’t have to be so stressful. Seriously, you can use a notepad and your favorite ballpoint pen and call it a day.
However, if you really plan on spending some time getting started, here are a few suggestions and brief descriptions of basic journals. Every journal is available on Amazon:
Leuchtturm1917 (“Amazon’s Choice”) — elastic closure, table of contents, inside pocket, 249 pages
Lemome — elastic closure, inside pocket, pen loop, page dividers, 192 pages
Minimalism Art — elastic closure, inside pocket, 192 pages
The journals above are all great for fountain pens and ink (so don’t worry about bleeding). If you are interested, I recommend choosing A5 format (standard) with a dot grid. This structure makes it easier to create boxes and helps keep your writing in a straight line. Regular lined paper works, but the lines don’t look clean underneath boxes, photos and/or drawings.
In terms of pens, I use any random pen that I can get my hands on. Here are my suggestions:
Anything by BIC
Uni-ball
Copic markers
Stabilo Point 88 Fineliner pens
If you want to add photos or cut out illustrations, I recommend:
Tombow MONO Adhesive — holds a roll of double-sided tape; just drag on page and stick
Scotch Double Sided Tape — better for larger, wider photos.
And there you have it. You’ve got a journal, pens and tape for a little decor. If you like spending time doodling and want to embellish your journal, here’s some more:
Stickers — make your own via a Cricut Explore printer or buy
Washi tape
Markers/Highlighters
Ribbon
Flat back adhesive gems
Construction paper
You’ve got all your supplies, but you don’t know exactly how to start. I feel you. Here are some YouTube channels that I have come to love in the past few months.
ChristineMyLinh — 67,000 subscribers
Jenny Journals — 106,000 subscribers
AmandaRachLee — 707,000 subscribers
Buzzfeed Nifty — 625,000 subscribers
The best thing about bullet journaling is that they’re for everyone: businesspeople, homemakers, students and more. There is so much freedom with bullet journaling. Every bullet journal is different and every bullet journaling experience is one to enjoy.
