Bullet journaling. #BuJo. Whatever you wanna call it. Here’s a quick overview of how to get started.

What is a Bullet Journal?

You’ve probably heard the term tossed around quite a bit, especially with everyone setting goals for the new year. But what exactly is a bullet journal and why do I need to start one? According to bulletjournal.com, “The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less.” Pretty much a bullet journal is a way for you to creatively combine all of the parts of your life that keep you organized. I dig that. Now let’s take a peek at what supplies you’ll need to get started.

What Notebook Should I Use?

There is a lot of good information and opinion on the best journals to use for bullet journaling. A lot of people swear by the dotted paper notebooks like these Leuchtturm 1917 ones. Another die-hard bujo favorite is the Moleskine Classic Colored Notebooks with blank pages. However, ruled or lined notebooks work equally as well.

What Pens Should I Use?

Of course, there is a pen for every type of thing you’d like to journal, but we’ll cover some of the basics. For daily use, mostly for creating the layouts or templates of the page, we recommend Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens. For adding those cool splashes of color, the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners are great felt-tip pens that come in a variety of package sizes depending on your love for color. And if you want to package your pens into one nifty utensil, the Tombow Dual Brush Pens are stellar. They have a marker tip and a brush tip so you can create a combination of hand-lettering, thick lines, and thin fonts.

What Are Layouts?

Layouts are essentially the theme or topic you want to journal. Check out our round up of bullet journal layouts. A layout can be anything from a savings tracker, a recipe planner, weekly to-do list, daily inspirational quote or anything else your brain wants to document in a fun and creative way. This awesome post from Boho Berry goes over the basic layouts to get comfortable with your new bullet journal life.

What Are Some Fun Extras?

Firsthand I’ve discovered a bunch of awesome extras that make designing layouts even more fun. The #1 (and #2) thing I recommend is a good ruler and shape stencil. I love making custom tabs for the journal using these Post-It Tabs. Washi tape is always a quick way to add pattern, color, and shape to your journal too. I personally love falling down a washi tape rabbit hole on Etsy. For those layouts that include jotting down a memory, a small photo sticker printer is a heaven send.

*this post may contain affiliate links

Jess

Comedian behind the YouTube channel, SHUGGILIPPO. Jess toggles between making relatable jokes on the internet and raising a millennial family.