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Anyone else a little scared by the perfection surrounding bullet journaling? Well, after journaling for many years, I’ve finally found a balance, of having a space to write my thoughts, to-do lists, ideas, and memories in one place, while still being creative without having any art skills – and I’m going to share it all with you. Don’t be discouraged by the perfectly illustrated journals on Instagram and Pinterest. Trust me, there is an easy way to bullet journals, and that is all about washi tape, stickers, pens, and even having a printer.
I’ve always handwritten my thoughts, from my Dear Diary teenage years where I religiously jotted down the day’s activities, to practical to-do lists to get me through assignments at university and work, as well as simply using whichever notepad was closest to write just for fun, as a creative outlet. I find bullet journaling therapeutic – it is something just for me.
When I first got into doing a bullet journal I worried about my lack of artistic skills, the fact I can’t do calligraphy and generally about how messy my writing can sometimes be. But you know what, my feeling is, whatever you put on your page, whether it’s a grand illustration, or just a page full of thoughts that is ineligible to anyone but you, or has strike marks through everything – that to me just shows signs you are using your bullet journal for you.
The whole point about bullet journaling is that it is supposed to be an ever-evolving life-log. It is flexible, it revolves with you, it manages the present, plans for the future, and gives you an outlet to put emotions into words.
My top tip for bullet journaling success is to let go of perfection, well as best as you can, embrace the flaws, and enjoy the mess. I think of my bullet journal as an extension of my life. It most certainly isn’t perfect, so if a line isn’t quite straight, or I haven’t counted the grid properly, then so be it.
Tips and Tools for Bullet Journaling
Notebook – Now this is probably the most important tool you will need, but just know that the notebook doesn’t need to be expensive. When you are starting out the last thing you should probably do is spend big, as what if you don’t like it. Find any notebook to start, when you get into it there are so many amazing bullet journal brands out there. All I will say is go dotty. I know lines are easier to write and it may take some time to adjust, but to get into other bullet journaling aspects, like creating pages and grids the dots come in handy.
Already an accomplished bullet journaler? Then a pretty notepad is a must. This is my second year using Papier, I actually won this in an Instagram competition. I love that you have lots of cover design options at Papier, as well as the ability to customise it, in a range of fonts and colours, whether with your name, your initials, or a quote to inspire – anything you want.
For my prize, I got to choose a book, so I went for this gorgeous Secret Garden Gold Fold design, as this year is all about my garden so it felt fitting. I also added a simple ‘For The Notes Unwritten’ as the focal text, and my initials at the bottom.
What I will say about the Papier notebooks is that the paper is only 85gsm, which is still very good, however, I do find that some of my pens bleed through. If you are more artsy that me and love to add watercolours I would suggest looking at brands that offer 160gsm for thicker paper stock. I also wish that my Papier notebook opened flat to make it easier to use the whole page. But these are tiny quibbles to be honest I love the cover, the size and feel of the paper. Plus it has 192 sides which is pretty good.
Want £10 off your first Papier order to start bullet journaling? Well, I have a refer a friend code that will help – just click here!!!
Other notebook brands that I love:
Leuchtturm1917 – is another journal notebook I use a lot. Again, these have so many different colours, you will find one that appeals to you, and they come in a variety of sizes. They are also thread-bound open flat designs and even number their pages, all 251 of them for the medium one I have, which is also 85gsm. Plus, this one has an index ready for you to use, an envelope at the back, an elastic enclosure band and two page marker ribbons.
Lemome – has great paper, 180 pages, a lay-flat design, a pen loop on the spine and is a great price. However, it is limited in colour choices and the paper can seem a little too yellow for me.
Dingbats – I have used one of their notepads before, I loved the quality of the paper and they do have a great choice of colours. The one I used also had numbered pages, 3 index pages, 2 key pages, future log pages and 16 micro-perforated pages at the back – making it a great starter bullet journal.
Moleskine – I have a lot of Moleskin notebooks. I like the fact they come in every colour of the rainbow and have various sizes, plus you can get some of them monogrammed, and choose a soft or hard cover.
10 Bullet Journal Notebooks I Love [Ad-Aff Link]
Bullet Journal Accessories
Washi Tape – this decorative masking tape is one of my bullet journaling favourites as it can be used to add pattern and colour to any page. I generally stick to a colour theme for each book, this year I am all about green and floral tones, with contrasting pink hues, so I went on eBay and bought a load more to add to my ever-growing collection.
I like that they are inexpensive, make a great impact in my journal, and can cover up a multitude of sins. Once you have decided on your colour scheme, shop around, look for washi tapes in a multiple widths to add variety to your pages.
Stickers – I think I’ve collected stickers all my life. My problem is I have a hard time actually sticking them down!!! But if like me your art skills are limited to doodles they really can add a personal touch to your notebook. Like with my washi tapes, I like a theme, and green tones, vintage-style florals and watercolours are key.
Stickers aren’t just for pretty decoration, I also have calendar stickers so I don’t have to write out all the numbers, particularly helpful for you ‘Year at a Glance’ and ‘Future Log’ spreads. I also have days of the week, months, and key phrases, like work, to-do, and blog – they are all in a pretty handwritten font, which some people scribble on with ease, not me, so I’ve simplified the process.
For the best stickers and customisable options, I head to Etsy – it is a little overwhelming, there are a lot of amazing designers selling stickers, but you will quickly find a style to suit you.
Paper – creativity can manifest in many ways, you don’t just have to be a great artist to do an aesthetically pleasing bullet journal. For me, I love to collage, layer paper with stickers and washi tape, and I use all kinds of paper. From floral paper to those paint strips you can pick up at DIY stores, to magazine clippings, and even handmade papers. I love adding different textures and tones to my pages. All you need to do is glue them down!
Printer – I had thought my printer was unnecessary, I literally don’t print off work anymore, but then I realised it was a great way to add large headers to my pages, as well as photographs, quotes and dates. Sometimes it is the simplest things that make the most impact, as well as save you time. I love putting together my bullet journal, but over the years I have dwelled on the process too long, printing off habit trackers, calendars, monthly covers, and other useful elements cuts down the time dramatically.
Pens – After the notebook, which pen you use is important, it has to be comfortable to write with. I have a lot of pens that I love, and I have different pens for different activities. For my bullet journal, I use fine gel nibs, for a clean and crisp feel, for everyday use, alongside a mechanical pencil, brush pens, highlighters, colouring pencils and white gel pens. When it comes to creative writing I just adore the motion of a fountain pen.
For a great set of pens for black lines, headers, drawing etc I use Faber-Castell PITT artist pens. I bought a set of four, which features superfine, fine, medium and bold, which is great if you fancy trying your hand at brush lettering, something I’m trying to conquer myself. Some of these might bleed through your paper – so have a test sheet at the back to try them all. If they do bleed through I tend to ensure that the following page has paper layers, washi tape or stickers on so it doesn’t matter.
Fancy adding black paper or washi tape? Then you will need white gel pens. I got a pack of three Sakura Gelly Gelly Roll pens with fine, medium and bold No. 05, 08 and 10 tips.
Buy: Faber-Castell F167100 Pitt Artist Pen Wallet Black (4 Sizes) // Sakura Gelly Basic White Set of 3
For adding colour, I have a great selection of Stabilo fineliner pens that came in a handy pencil case roll. I love not only the fact I can write in numerous colours, but also that the ink is totally smudge-proof, comfortable to write and draw with, and they really do last a long time. I love them so much I’m thinking about getting a set slightly thicker to add some contrast.
For highlighters that aren’t always neon shades, you have to try Zebra Mildliners. I’m obsessed with their water-based dual tip design, superfine at one end and a brush at the other. Plus they come in beautiful colour options. You can, of course, get traditional fluorescent, or opt for something softer like pastel, jewel and earth tones. I have the mild fluorescent featuring orange, pink, green, blue and yellow, but I have my eye on the others. I like that you can write with them as well as using as a traditional highlighter.
Buy: STABILO point 88 Rollerset of 25 Assorted Colours // STABILO Point 88 Rollerset of 25 Assorted Colours incl 5 neon Colours // STABILO Pen 68 Rollerset 30 Assorted Colours Including 5 Neon // Zebra Mildliner highlighter pen set, 25 set // Zebra Mildliner Soft Color Double-Sided Highlighter Pens Deep, Warm & Cool // Zebra Mildliner Fluorescent Marker (5-Colour Set) //
Bullet Journaling guide for beginners
Have the notebook and tools and wondering where to start – well here is a quick guide to get your bullet journal all set up for the year ahead.
Index – your bullet journal should start with a table of contents, basically, this is a log of all your important pages. Some notebooks have this already in place, but I generally use the first double-page spread and fill as I add new pages.
2021 Title Page – Here you can do anything you wish, an illustration, collage, add a photo or quote.
Year at a Glance – This is simply a year calendar like you would get at the front of a diary. You can, of course, write it all out, but I use either a printout or stickers. You can also buy stencils to cut down the prep time.
Future Log – this is where you schedule your important dates. I like to do two months per page in a horizontal formal, using a sticker for each month, and then writing underneath birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other appointments.
Monthly Cover Page – I always highlight each month with a new cover page. I leave space for a calendar, important dates and tasks, as well as photos. Here you can do anything you wish – if you just want to put the month at the top and work from there do so – but I like to add some personality to my journal.
Weekly Spread – Basically, you can plan out the next seven days in detail with one spread. This works for some people, but I’ve never liked it – a lot of effort for no return.
Daily Spread – This is your to-do list, your appointments, your thoughts, basically, the heart of the bullet journal. I like to keep these pages very minimal. I don’t like to draw specific grids, as I found it wasted paper. I just draw a line down the page, around 6 boxes in, leaving room for the date and the weather. I don’t like to overcomplicate these pages as they are my daily tasks.
Collection Spread Ideas For Bullet Journal
The idea of a bullet journal is that it is much more than a diary. Yes, it can help you plan daily, weekly and monthly, but it can also help track your progress and inspire you. What I always say about collection spreads is that it adds the personality to your journal, it is how you customise and organise your life. These page suggestions are just ideas, experiment, find out which topics you want to include, and remember not every spread is going to work for everyone.
Monthly Collections – each month I always mix up my spreads, I am still experimenting and finding what works best for me. But generally, I have a page dedicated to habit trackers, a page for gratitude, as well as separate pages to log blog and social content. I used to do monthly calendar spreads with all the neat little boxes, it used to take forever to do and then I never filled it in. That’s why I always review each month to see what I used and what I didn’t to see if I need to continue into the next.
Other Collection Spreads – these are the features I have at the front of my journal, they are a mixture of, what I call my passion pages, my goals, my blog ideas, my holiday plans and memories, and then practical pages, like my period tracker and meal planning.
