I’ve been dot grid journaling since January 2017 and I absolutely love it. There’s just something satisfying about creating and personalizing my own layouts.
In fact, I love journaling so much, I’ve created the perfect book for journaling fanatics like me. It’s called Creative Journaling and it covers several journaling styles including dot grid, junk, travel, and mix media. Creative Journaling has many different layout designs, over 100 tips and tricks, and over 200 pages with lots and lots of pictures.
Anyway, as far as the supplies go, I can probably spend my entire day discussing hundreds of my favorite supplies, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top 10.
1. Journal – There are so many journals out there. When selecting a journal, consider the page type. I’m a fan of the dot grid paper, but there’s also plain, lined, and square. Something else to consider is paper thickness. I prefer thicker or heavier paper. Based on the type of designs I like to do, the paper thickness is important. I tend to use stamps, markers, paints, and distress inks in my journal, so I need the heavier paper to avoid the bleed thru and ghosting often seen with the thinner/lighter weight type of paper. Currently, I use this Archer and Olive dot grid journal. Its paper weight is 160 gsm (grams per square meter). The higher the number, the heavier the paper. I really like this journal because it can withstand minimal amounts of watercolor and other liquid paints (like in this post here). It did not ruin the paper, seep through, or cause the paper to curl. Be sure to test an area before committing to an entire layout.
2. Ruler – When creating layouts, I like the look of straight lines. Back when I started journaling, I did a layout without a ruler. I was so embarrassed by the way the design turned out. The lines looked as though I drew them with my feet. It was then that I realized I didn’t have the capacity to create fun, non-straight, charming looking lines. Because of that, I decided to buy a 6 inch Helix ruler, perfectly sized for my journal. I was lucky enough to be sent a pink one, however selecting a color is not an option via Amazon. It’s all about luck of the draw. Also, at the beginning, I was using one of those metal rulers with the non-skid backing…I hated it. Although it was true to form and did not move (as expected), I hated having to pick up the ruler every single time I wanted to draw a line. It might sound trivial, but it’s a biggie for me.
3. Circle Stencil and Circle Maker – I have two circle stencils I like using, one with graduated circles and this moveable one. The moveable stencil (see it move here) is easy to use and creates larger circles than the graduated stencil. As for the graduated stencil, I like how there’s many circles to select from and the stencil is flexible, easy to maneuver, and includes a ruler. I must admit, the circle stencil is fun to use!
4. Stamp Ink – Different stamp inks produce different results. Some stamp inks bleed through a page and some inks do not. Keep in mind, paper thickness plays a key role with bleeding and ghosting. The journal and stamp inks I use work quite well together. I use this black archival ink for layouts and these distress inks when I want colors. For more details on distress inks, check out this post.
5. Brush Pens – I enjoy adding hand-lettering to my layouts. My go-to brush pens vary in size and are both by Tombow. For thinner letters I use the pens from this set. When I want chunkier lettering, I reach for this set. Again, these brush pens don’t bleed or ghost. However, if the pen is left on the page for far too long, the paper will absorb the ink and it will seep through to the other side. If the set is too $$$, consider purchasing them in smaller sets. Click here to see my favorite color collection.
6. Stamps – My layouts are very stamp friendly and I highly suggest Alphabet stamps. They are easy to use and just about anything can be spelled out. I can’t forget to mention the matching number set and block holder. The block holder isn’t a must, but it does come in handy from time to time. More recently, this stamp set from Ink Blot Shop has made several appearances on the weekly layouts. The lettering, the size, the simplicity, it’s exactly what I need to label each day of the week. For more on stamping tips, tricks, and techniques, visit my class over on Skillshare and receive two months for free.
7. Pencils – Sometimes I sketch out designs with a Tombow 2H pencil. I like this pencil because it provides a light lead color, making it easy to erase. Whenever plans are tentative, I write them in my journal with this pencil. It uses standard pencil lead and is super comfortable to write with. It’s a fun pencil to play with too, when I need more lead, I bend the pencil rather than click the top. Yep, it’s the little things.
8. Markers – When I’m not using brush pens, I’m using markers. I like these brights, rainbow, and pastel marker sets because they come with two tips, a broad tip and a fine tip. When I write in my journal, I often use the broad tip for the bullet points and the fine tip to write. And the color selection is fantastic. The color of the pen actually represents the ink color.
9. White Gel Pen – I use a white gel pen in the majority of my layouts, usually I add little details to my hand-lettering with the gel pen. Now, I’ve been through my fair share of white gel pens. I’ve done my research. This white gel pen is my absolute favorite. I won’t use any other gel pen (they also come in gold and silver and work just as well). Whenever I see a new white pen, I do my due diligence and give it a fair shot. But I have yet to find anything comparable. One time I tried a white paint and I thought it was a close comparison. It was one of those pens where I had to press down on the tip to release the paint. All was well for about a week, and when I gently pressed on the tip to release more ink, the tip came off and the ink poured out. Everywhere. I was at the tail end of my project too. To say I was pissed is an understatement.
10. Stencils – I would hardly say I’m good at doodling, so I rarely include them in my journal layouts. Because of this, I’ve found a great alternative to fill in any blank spaces, stencils. There’s so many amazing designs and they are easy to use too. Some of my favorite stencil companies include- Stamper Anonymous, The Crafters Workshop, and Stencil 1
Thank you for reaching the bottom of this post. Have a lovely day!
