I get lots of questions about the supplies I use for Bible Journaling so I thought I’d share the details of my favorite resources to help you get started.
For those of you who enjoy shopping online I created some links to my favorite things just for you.
Below you’ll find some affiliate links to products that I use on a regular basis. If you’ve been to one of my Bible Journaling workshops or retreats then you’ve probably used some of these supplies.
HERE ARE A FEW LINKS TO SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ON AMAZON
MY FAVORITE BIBLES
If you want to journal in the margins of a Bible then a single column, wide margin Bible may be the right bible for you.
If you prefer a full page of text with a separate blank page to journal and paint on then the interleaved bible might be the best option for you. Interleaved simply means there’s a full blank page between your scripture pages for you to journal, write your prayers and create to your hearts content!
These are both in the ESV translation but you can choose the translation that’s better for you. Take a look at my Know Truth Creative Bible Journaling page to see what an interleaved Bible looks like. Here’s another: Child of God.
I also use the She Reads Truth Bible. It’s one of my favorite study Bibles to journal in. (Please note, these pages are too thin for Creative Bible Journaling so don’t buy this one if you want to paint in your Bible). The margins are wide so I get to write lots of notes. The cover has a soft leather like feel and the images inside are beautiful!
The last one is a really sweet journaling Bible designed for the younger generation OR, for those of you who might like a little color on your cover. 🙂 I bought a few of these as Christmas gifts last year for some teenagers. THEY WERE SUPER CUTE!
Bible Journaling isn’t limited to Bibles!
You can journal anywhere. Journaling is a process of responding to what you read. Your Bible journaling can be documented in
- a Bible
- a devotional book
- a journal
- a notebook
There is no right or wrong way to journal. Its the space you’re thinking through and praying through what you’ve read. You should come up with a process that works for you and use materials that make you happy. I don’t know that my grandparents would have approved of me painting in my bible and I’m ok with that. But, if that’s something you’re concerned about don’t get stuck there, you can use any one of the options listed above.
The point is, dig in the Scriptures, study, and respond in a way that helps you retain God’s word and grow!
I have made Bible Journaling entries in travelers notebooks organized by themes. I have separate travelers notebooks, some of which I made, to study different topics: prayers in the Bible, trouble, to document my gratitude, etc.
I also use this beauty…a book of The Psalms. I love to worship and pray difficult prayers along with King David, Moses and others through the Psalms. They kept it real with God as they confronted struggles and heartches, and they help me do the same. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t require neat, tidy prayers, we can bring all of our “stuff” to Him? I assure you, the Creator of the Universe can handle all of it.
If you’re going to get creative and you want to color and paint in your Bibles then you want some basic supplies. These are some of those:
Gesso
Gesso is a paste-like substance used to prepare your pages for paint or dark stamp colors. It works like a clear coat of nail polish or makeup foundation or paint primer. That’s all Gesso is, a primer that let’s you use wild colors or stamps on your pages while protecting the next page.
I use the clear Gesso but you can also purchase it in white if you’re looking to fully cover the words on your pages. You don’t always need Gesso. If you’re using crayons or colored pencils, journaling cards and stickers then you can skip this step altogether.
PENS
If you’re mixing up your art materials and you plan on painting then writing on your pages, you’ll want to write with a waterproof pen. I use Micron pens so I don’t get smeared ink across my pages. Sakura Micron pens are permanent and shouldn’t smear once the ink dries.
I also LOVE the Illustrated Faith pens . They are smooth and come in different sizes and colors. They look great on my journaled pages, in my study bible and, if I’m being honest, I use these at work to take notes during meetings. Color makes me happy and help me remember what I’m writing down. 🙂
PAINT
My go-to paints include everything from heavy body acrylic paint (thicker, richer colored paint) to watercolors (very thin, softer colored paint). I alternate between them.
Liquitex is my favorite acrylic paint because sometimes I want dark, heavy paint on my pages. Prisma offers my favorite pastel colors while the Illustrated Faith watercolor paint tin makes my heart smile hard with soft primary colors! I’m not necessarily artistic so I usually stamp my favorite images then paint them.
STAMP PADS
Speaking of stamps, this is IMPORTANT! Not all colored stamp pads are created equal. Some will stain your clear stamps and are wet and messy. I learned that lesson the hard way.
StazOn is my go-to basic ink pad. It adheres to just about any surface so if you’re using distress ink or paint and you want to stamp words or images on the page then this is safe; it won’t smear and make a mess. #WINNING!!!! I love stamping big flowers and painting them with my watercolors. StazOn makes that possible.
StazOn comes in bold colors too! They dry almost instantly and their harder pads don’t create the mess that traditional ink pads do. I use StazOn exclusive.y.
DISTRESS INK
If you’ve seen any of my Bibles you probably know that the medium I love as much as watercolor is Distress Ink. You can buy individual colors or bundles of four. These are my favorite colors. No surprise there – I love pinks and blues! For a tutorial on how to use distress ink check out my friend Lindsey Decor’s tutorial on YouTube
If you prefer to buy individual ink pads then check out Scrapbook.com, they have all the colors you could imagine. I created a link to ALL of their distress ink options. NOTE: I prefer the distress ink mini’s over distress oxide and the distress crayons so make sure you’re buying the one you prefer.
Distress Ink Blending Tools – Pads – Container
My personal opinion: This is the best bundle I could find on Amazon for someone starting from scratch – add your mini ink pads and you have all you need. These tins keep my inks secure. Pus, I stick the blending pads for each color under the ink pad and keep it all safe inside the tin. It just helps me stay organized.
Tombow Tape Runner
These dispensers work like white out tape and they are refillable. This is the strongest tape I’ve found and it rolls out easily. I use the tape runner to add die cuts and ephemera pieces to my pages.
These are my go-to’s and must have’s.
HAPPY SHOPPING. But more importantly, HAPPY JOURNALING as you document your understanding , your growing relationship with Jesus, and your response to God’s Word.
Here are a few more links that may help you. Bible Journaling Tips
These are affiliate links. That just means, if you use these links to shop you’re actually supporting my teaching ministry as Anchored Woman receives a small stipend for providing these links to their site. WIN! WIN!
If you have any questions email me: diana@anchoredwoman.com and I’d be happy to help you get started!