So you want to get started with Bible journaling...

Or maybe you want new ways to grow in creative flourish?

If you are anything like me, the idea of being creative fills you with energy but you just don’t know where to start. Whether you want to try out Bible journaling for the first time or are looking for ideas for supplies and equipment, this list of Bible Journaling Supplies will help you creatively flourish with God’s word.

Here are five steps to getting fully equipped for Bible Journaling

Step One: A Journaling Bible

This is the most obvious one, but there are so many out there that picking one can be a stumbling block to getting started in Bible Journaling. There are lots of things to consider when picking a Bible, journaling or otherwise. The best way to choose one is to think about how you read and pick a Bible to match. So, if you read a little bit a day, devotional editions would be perfect.

For Journaling Bibles, your main choices are which translation to pick and what Journaling features appeal the most to you. NLT and NIV Bibles are the best all-rounders for Bible translation. They are also two of the translations available which feature a wide range of Journaling editions. The NTL range includes the popular INSPIRE Bible series and the NIV range features bestsellers like the Hannah Dunnett Bible and the Bible for Verse Mapping.

If you want a Bible with a more literal translation but still enjoy journaling, then the ESV Bible has you covers. With stunningly-designed editions of the ESV Illuminated Bible and the expansive ESV Journaling Bibles range, the ESV brings the best in quality translation and journaling features.

Click here to see our favourite Journaling Bibles.

Step Two: Pens & Pencils

Choosing between pens and pencils is kind of like having an artistic signature. It’s the tool you choose for best expressing your personal style.

Pencils offer a softs look that can have a sketch-feel to them. They also bring a light texture to your designs and have the added bonus of being less likely to bleed through a page as they are not wet materials. This pack of colouring pencils is a great place to start.

Pens, on the other hand, give you a stronger burst of colour. They are ideal for neater lines and block colouring that really stands out. But be sure that the pens you are using don’t have too heavy an ink. Felt tips and thicker brush pens may be more likely to wet the page and bleed through. Most Bible journaling pages are made of thicker paper than is usually found in Bibles, so often this wouldn’t be a problem. I have even seen people who have used paint in their Bibles!

To find your next pens or pencils for Bible journaling, click here.

Step Three: A Journaling Guide

Nobody expects you to just pick up a pen and suddenly be good at Bible journaling. Like anything worth doing, it takes practice and guidance. Luckily, there are guides to help in how to do Bible Journaling.

These guides help you understand and practice hand lettering, illustration and creating colourful designs. Here's our pick of three great Bible Journaling Guides to help you flourish:

Art of Bible Journaling by Erin Bassett

The best way to learn anything is one step at a time, which is exactly what this guide does. Through a series of 60 steps, you'll learn the basics of Bible Journaling and how to find your own style and voice in your designs. A great resource for growing in creative expression. To find out more about Art of Bible Journaling by Erin Bassett, click here.

Complete Guide to Bible Journaling by Joanne Fink & Regina Yoder

A more comprehensive guide to Bible Journaling, The Complete Guide to Bible Journaling offers advice from an artist about how to creatively express yourself through Bible journaling. As well as providing examples to try out, you'll learn the techniques and practical tips on how to journal well. To find out more about Complete Guide to Bible Journaling by Joanne Fink & Regina Yoder, click here.

Hand Lettering God's Word by Jenny Highsmith

If you have a good grasp of the basics, a good next step is to master elegant hand-letter designs. To help you, this book takes you letter-by-letter through the alphabet. It shows how to draw each letter and work it into part of a larger design. To find out more about Hand Lettering God's Word by Jenny Highsmith, click here.

Step Four: Stickers

Bible Journaling is much more than just pens and paper. There is a whole range of materials that can be brought into your Bible journaling repertoire. Stickers are an immediate and colourful way to apply an extra flourish to your Journaling Bible. There are even stickers specially designed for Bible Journaling that you can buy now. To discover stickers to suit your style, click here.

As well as stickers, washi tape is also a great resource for Bible Journaling. Washi tape is a kind of decorative tape that can be used for embellishment and bordering. Every time I mention Washi Tape someone asks what it means, so here’s a quick definition: Washi tape is Japanese and its name means Japanese Paper (wa - Japanese, shi - paper). To find Washi tape for Bible Journaling, click here.

Step Five: Bible Study Guide

There is a great ABC to remember when reading the Bible:

Always

Be

Creative

That doesn’t just apply to artwork. You can also be creative in how you read the Bible. After all, creativity doesn’t mean being handy with a paintbrush. It’s a way of applying imagination to something. This means thinking about new connections and links, then using those to inform your creative choices. A great asset to your time spent Bible Journaling is reading the Bible creatively.

If you are reading a passage and want to create a design based on it, stop and have a think about what the passage is saying and how it relates to another part of the Bible. What would it look like to try and create a design that incorporates both passages? Perhaps you could create a visual motif between the two passages so that, in the future, when you read one of them again you are instantly drawn to the other.

This may not come naturally to you at first, which is why a good study guide will help you in creatively reading the Bible. They help do the legwork of understanding the Bible’s passages in a wider context.

A good start is a group Bible study. Even though you are likely reading it alone, Group Study Guides often have space for writing and reflection. These make for a great creative spark in your Bible journaling as you have the chance to really explore themes in a new way.

To recap, here are the five supplies that help you get going in Bible Journaling:

1. A Journaling Bible

2. Pens & Pencils

3. A Journaling Guide

4. Stickers (and Washi Tape)

5. A Bible Study Guide

You can find all of these and more in our Bible Journaling Store.

Now that you have all you need, get creative! Don't forget to share your designs online! We love to see creative journaling designs by you!