If you love stationary, one of the greatest things about using a bullet journal is all the cool things you get to use. You don’t need a lot of stuff to make a successful bullet journal, in fact you really only need a journal and a pen, however if you want to get a bit more creative, there are literally thousands of products you can buy.
But even the most hard core journal addict doesn’t want to spend their cash on markers that leak or journals that crinkle. And that’s where I want to share with you some of my favorite supplies.
But let me be clear, if you’re just starting journaling, go slow. You don’t need to go out and get everything on the list. Especially if you’re not sure of your style yet. Some people love to draw and freehand their journal so stock up on markers and pens, others love all things washi tape and stickers and some like a bit of both. The point is, there’s no point spending hundreds of dollars on markers to figure out you can’t draw and are going to sticker your way to journal bliss.
So buy a few things first to get started. Start with the basics, and then as your bullet journal grows if you feel you want to try a bit more, then grow your collection.
Our Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies
Journals
The first thing you’ll need is a journal. You can technically bullet journal with any journal, however the dot grid journals are the most popular as they are the easiest to design spreads. They have small dots evenly spread out over each page to enable you to divide up the page, draw lines and boxes or just give you a guide for anything you want to do.
If you want to be able to use thicker or darker markers and pens, then go with a journal of at least 120gsm paper. The thicker paper will help prevent ghosting (being able to see what you have written or drawn on the other side of the paper).
Vivid Scribbles Dotted Journal
This Vivid Scribbles Journal comes with 140gsm paper and is resistant to marker bleeding. IT comes in variety of colors and is a really nice journal to write in.
If you want to see this journal in action, look for any of my 2023 spreads.
- Premium 140 GSM No-Bleed Paper for Smooth Writing: Enjoy a dot journal with thick paper that prevents ink bleeding, making it perfect for bullet journaling. This dotted journal notebook ensures a smooth writing experience, while numbered pages help you stay organized in your bullet notebook.
Black Page Dotted Journal
If you want to go for something different, choose a black paged bullet journal. You can make some amazing looking pages, and if you love creating elaborate designs some colors really just look better on a black background.
- ★ BUKE DOTTED JOURNALING: 150Gsm Black Paper, excellent for fountains pens and ink, no feathering and bleeding.
- ★ SIZE: 5.7 X 8.2 inch( A5 Medium/143*205MM for inner pages size); 160 Pages (80 Sheets); Page Layout: Dotted Grid 5*5 MM.
Pens
Pens are an important tool for any journaler. The perfect pen does come down to personal preference, however take into account your paper thickness, as a more inky pen will require a thicker paper.
There are different pens for different uses. For your everyday writing pen you might want to choose a gel pen or fineliner. If you want to doodle and draw in your journal go for the fineliners and felt tips. And if you love to do hand lettering or fancy headings, you might want to get hold of a more inky calligraphy pen.
Remember, you don’t need to start with everything. If you’re just getting a feel for if you like journaling, then go for a pen you can use for everthing, such as a pack of fineliners or gel pens.
Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens
Pens are an essential part of you bullet journal. You want something that is going to write crisply on the paper and not smudge.
This 6 pack of black Micron pens come with a variety of sizes for any writing, drawing or outlining. You can also get an 8 pack with different colors.
- THE GO TO TOOL FOR ART WORK & PLAY: Micron is the fineliner standard that delivers with precision
- PRECISE POINTS & LINES: Create precise marks that stand the test of time with professional inking pens used by comic artists, illustrators, watercolor artists, archivists, and laboratory professionals
- SMOOTH WRITING: Experience smooth, skip-free writing in crisp, rich ink colors that achieves consistent line widths that won’t smear, feather, or bleed-through most papers
- THE GO-TO TOOL FOR ART WORK & PLAY: The original Micron fineliner with PIGMA ink that delivers with precision.
- PRECISE POINTS & LINES: Create precise marks that stand the test of time with professional inking pens used by comic artists, illustrators, watercolor artists, archivists, and laboratory professionals. Set include 6 Micron 01 – 0.25 mm fineline pens in archival black ink.
- SMOOTH WRITING: Experience smooth, skip-free writing in crisp, rich black ink that achieves consistent line widths that won’t smear, feather, or bleed-through most papers.
Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens
If you want to add some color to your journal pages, then these felt tip pens from Paper Mate are your solution. They write well, but are a bit thicker so bear that in mind if you want a very thin pen.
If you get the 24 pack, you get a variety of colors.
- Add a blast of fun to all your writing with bright colors
- Medium Point felt tip (0.7mm) produces clear, expressive lines to match your personality
Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens
Gel pens are great for everyday writing. You can use them as your main pen, but as they come in so many different colors you can also use them to decorate.
These Paper Mate ones come in a pack of 36 for a lot of color choice.
- Dries 3X faster* for reduced smearing
- Smooth, colorful ink keeps the ideas flowing across the page and brightens your writing
Calligraphy Pens
If you want to get into hand lettering for headings in your bullet journal then a dedicated calligraphy pen will become useful.
Calligraphy pens are usually a bit thicker and inkier than a fine tip and I use the Tombow Fudenocuke Brush Pens.
- If you want to instantly make your writing look amazing, Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens are ideal. It has a firm yet flexible brush tip for different lettering and drawing techniques. You can create extra-fine, fine or medium strokes by changing the amount of pressure you apply while writing.
Markers
If you want to decorate and doodle, then start experimenting with markers. There are a multiple of different types on the market to create any look you want.
Remember that the paper thickness of your journal will have a big impact on the markers you should choose. If you’ve got a journal with paper over 120gsm you can choose almost any marker to use without ghosting, but anything less than that may mean a bit of shadow through your pages.
Here are some of our favorite markers.
Primrosia Dual Tip Brush Marker Pens
These pens have a fineliner on one end and a felt tip brush pen on the other. This means you can outline and color using the same marker.
This particular pack comes with 60 colors to give you many options to choose from.
- Two tips on the one marker: On one end is a watercolor felt tip brush that offers stunning color and vibrancy to create gorgeous brush strokes that are blendable for shading and coloring. At the other end is a 0.4 fineliner for outlining and detail
- 60 colors: You won’t run out of choice with many subtle color variations. Use as a marker for solid color and color blends or add water for a watercolor effect (only when used on heavy watercolor paper), creating even more shades, gradations and ombre effects! The perfect gift for the artist in your life
Zebra Midliner Double Ended Highlighters
These highlighters come with a broad tip at one end and a fine tip on the other giving you versatility. The colours are pretty and they make great backgrounds.
- Dual-Tip Highlighters for Study, Teaching & Creativity: Each Mildliner includes a broad chisel tip for highlighting and a fine bullet tip for underlining, grading papers, hand lettering, and detail work in notes, planners, and creative layouts.
- No-Bleed Ink Ideal for Bible Highlighting: Soft, translucent ink is designed to minimize bleed-through on thin pages, making these highlighters well suited for Bible study, devotionals, scripture journaling, and margin notes.
Artistro Brush Paint Pens
These brush tip markers by Artistro give a great color. This particular set gives you 8 basic and 8 metallic colors to choose from.
- Acrylic Paint Markers: Each marker features a 0.5–5 mm flexible brush tip for outlines, shading, blending, and coloring large areas.
- Premium Quality: Our acrylic paint pens are filled with highly pigmented water-based ink. They dry quickly, provide strong coverage, are waterproof and fade-resistant. Smooth ink flow ensures even application without streaks or smudges.
Artistro Metallic Paint Pens
Metallic pens can really stand out on a page. They dry quickly and make your designs look a bit glossy.
This Artistro set gives you 12 extra fine tip colors.
- Stunning Effect: Artistro metallic pens use vivid acrylic ink that dries quickly to create a highly durable, opaque, and glossy finish on almost any surface. These metallic markers are water-resistant, heat-resistant, and provide smooth, consistent ink flow without jamming or flooding.
- Great for All Surfaces: Use these metallic paint pens for glass marking and rock painting. Metallic marker paint is good on almost all surfaces, like paper, fabric, stone, plastic, metal, wood, and more.
Artistro Glitter Paint Pens
Add a touch of sparkle with these glitter pens. Great for outlining and and giving an extra bit of flair.
They come with 12 colors and have an extra fine tip.
- Stunning Effect: Artistro glitter markers feature vibrant, glitter-infused ink that dries quickly to deliver a sparkling, opaque finish. The ink provides smooth, even coverage with a shimmer effect that stands out on light and dark surfaces, while remaining water-resistant and long-lasting.
- Great for All Surfaces: Use these glitter paint pens for glass marking and rock painting. Glitter marker paint is good on almost all surfaces, like paper, fabric, stone, plastic, metal, wood, and more.
Ohuhu Watercolor Brush Pens
If you want to play around with watercolor, these pens are a good place to start. Designed to easily create a watercolor effect without as much water as true paints, they let you create some painting effects in your journal.
- 48 VIBRANT COLORS & 2 WATER COLORING BRUSH: This coloring markers set comes with 48 dye brush pens and 2 water brush for getting a beautiful sfumato effect easily
- WATERCOLOR EFFECT: These marker brush pens can create beautiful watercolor effects by simply dabbing a plain brush into water, and on your page, thin out the ink
Bullet Journal Accessories
If you want to take your bullet journaling to the next level then you can start looking at accessories. Stencils, washi tape, stickers, glue, there are loads of things you can add to your bullet journal.
The extra things you start to add to your journal are totally up to you and how you want to design your pages. If you love to be creative, there are so many different ways you can decorate your spreads and it really just comes down to your taste and imagination.
Washi Tape & Stickers
Washi Tape and stickers are fantastic for adding some color and life to your pages, especially if you are not great at drawing – or just don’t want to.
Some of the prettiest washi tapes we’ve found at the Washi Tape Store.
Stamps
Stamps are great to use in bullet journals whether you want to add them for decoration or even to help with your spreads. Get some silicone or rubber stamps and some ink pads and you’ll be set.
- Packaging Contains: 1 sheet pot plants clear stamp, including 14 different pot plants cactus. The dimension please refer to the second picture. Perfect for your DIY craft.
Tweezers
Precision tweezers are great for working with stickers and paper. They allow you to pick up and place easily without leaving fingerprints – perfect for translucent stickers and washi tape.
I love these ones from PaperWrld as they’re easy to use with good tips.
Double Sided Tape Roller
This 8 pack of roller glue is great for adding paper or decorations to your pages. It rolls out double sided tape which creates less mess then traditional glue sticks.
- Smooth & Fast Rolling: The double sided adhesive tape rollers are equipped with micro axles that bring a smooth, fast and easy application. The tape roller glides effortlessly and is reliably free from jamming. It rolls on easily either straight or curved. Suitable for both children and adults.
Scissors
Get yourself some really good, sharp craft scissors. These can be used for dutch doors or anything you need to cut for your bullet journal. If you want to do some high detail cutting make sure you get some with a fine tip.
- Smooth-Cutting Craft & Fabric Scissors: Perfect for light-duty applications like cutting thread, ribbon and photos, these small scissors feature corrosion-resistant micro-tip blades designed to provide clean, intricate cuts
StencilsYou can get stencils for pretty much anything these days and they are great for speeding up your designs or just if you don’t want to freehand.
When buying stencils be careful of the sizing, sometimes they can be quite big and useless in an A5 journal.
- 【Perfect Journal Stencils Set】: Our journal stencils set includes 36 PCS plastic stencil, one beautiful file bag and one stainless steel ball chain; The versatile journal stencils can help you plan your journal quickly and make it look neat and creative; The stainless steel ball chain connects these stencil together; The beautiful file bag holds all the stencil for easy storage and portability; The journal stencil measure 5.1×7.9 inches and align with 5mm dot journals, perfect for A5 notebooks.
Ruler
Make sure you have a ruler to help draw any straight lines. You can just use a normal one, or you can get one designed for journals with a few stencils in it as well.
Metal rulers are generally better than plastic as the plastic can pit causing your edge to no longer be straight.
- Multipurpose tool is a stencil, ruler, and bookmark all in one! Use the edges and stencils to be creative or to keep your thoughts and tasks in line.
Clips
Ok, this one is totally not needed and just an indulgence but they are really useful to keep your pages open when you are journaling and creating.
You can get away with any type of paper clip, but if you love pretty things, then go for something like these rose gold ones.
- The product made of high quality steel wire with good elasticity
- Size: Large 2 inch (51mm)
You don’t need a lot to start a bullet journal, essentially just a journal and pen. However there are a lot of ways to personalise your bullet journal and expand your creativity. If you are looking at expanding your spreads and adding more color and design, then these supplies will help you get started.
Let me know below if you have any favorite things you like to use in your bullet journals.
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Last update on 2026-09-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API