My Favorite Supplies for Journaling and Planning

Having a few key items around can make journaling, art journaling, bujo, and planning so much more fun and creative. These are some of my favorite tools that I use. I didn’t buy them all at once, and we use them in all kinds of artistic endeavors at our house, but I find I’m drawn to these supplies again and again. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a little inspiration, I hope this is helpful!

The Best Pens for Journaling & Planning

Because I am all about the words in my journals, good pens are essential. I love my PaperMate Flairs for colorful planning including color-coding. For sketching and adding detail to watercolor drawings, the Sharpie and Micron pens are indispensable — they don’t smudge when watercolors are applied. And I love Sakura’s Gelly Rolls. They are great gel pens and come in dozens of colors.

Art Supplies

I am not a fine artist. Let’s be clear about that. The art I do is just for my own self-expression. It is a way of tapping into my creativity from another perspective. But I enjoy sketching and watercoloring particularly. And having decent art supplies are a must. For watercolors, I love the Kuretake Gansai Tambi sets. They are lovely colors in a range of colors and are relatively inexpensive. I also have a range of brushes for painting fine details and big swashes of color, too. I also love colored pencils, and my Prismacolors are always close at hand. They travel well, too. Additionally, I reach for our Crayola markers which we always have in plentiful supply around the house.

Paper, Journals, & Blank Books

I keep a small supply of blank books and journals on hand, because someone in our house is always working on one. I love Moleskine — especially for special journaling projects. Good watercolor paper is also helpful — particularly for practicing techniques. And if you want to create your own journals or do an altered book journal, I love the Reader’s Digest Condensed books. They have beautiful covers, are generally quite inexpensive, and the pages yellow but take ink and watercolors well.

Glues

Different glues have different purposes, and it’s helpful to have a range of glue available for various projects. My go-to glue is the Coccoina paste which is great for photographs and all kinds of paper projects. They also make glue sticks which I like, too. Additionally the Lineco Neutral pH adhesive is a good all-around paper glue, but be sure you test it before using it. I have found that it wrinkles some papers more than others. Super77 is a spray glue which I frequently use when collaging larger pieces — or to fasten larger pieces of paper into a journal or notebook. And Mod Podge is a great glue, but it is also fabulous for sealing the covers of journals once they have been decorated.

Miscellaneous Supplies

I love a good turntable for organizing miscellaneous items, and the Copco Non-Skid turntable sits on my desk. It’s filled with jelly jars of pens and pencils as well as scissors and other tools. It keeps everything at hand, tidy, and organized. Spring clamps are fabulous for holding journals and planners open while working. And nothing beats a good pair of scissors and some colorful washi tape. And masking fluid is fabulous for watercoloring — and bunches of other uses, too!