7 Must Have Supplies for a Minimalist Bullet Journal

Last Updated on October 21, 2020 by Keri

In this post, I am going to show 7 must-have supplies for your Minimalist Bullet Journal! It is so easy to get overwhelmed by all of the supplies that you can buy for your Bullet Journal. I wanted to create a manageable supply list to get you started. Everything in this list supplies that I use in my Bullet Journal often. I try to keep my supplies to a minimum, and these are the supplies that I could not live without for my Bujo!

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you decide to buy a product, but it does not affect the price for you! All links provided are products that I personally use and recommend! If you would like to know more, please visit my Disclaimer.

*Note: All prices listed in this blog post are Canadian prices. The prices will vary depending on what country you are buying the product in!

1. My Notebook

Having a good notebook is one of the most important parts of Bullet Journaling! You are using it every day, so get something you love! I see many people in the community getting frustrated, or losing interest in the system because they have not found a notebook they love. Do your research before you buy your notebook so that you can make a good decision! And remember, if you don’t like the one you end up with, you can try something new once you are ready to migrate to a new journal!

Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Dot Grid

I am currently using the Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Dot Grid notebook in the color Berry!

I bought mine on a whim one day when I was browsing our local book shop. The thin pages made me a little bit nervous to start, but I decided to go ahead and try it anyways. I am so glad I did! Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of this notebook! This has become one of my favorite notebooks for my Bullet Journal that I have tried to date. I will say there is quite a bit of ghosting, but I discovered I actually like this look. It makes everything seem full and used.

Pros;

• The pages are numbered, and there is an index already set up! This has saved me time in my setup process. Plus, numbering pages sounds very tedious. I prefer just being able to log what spread ends up on what page!
• The dot grid is a nice light grey. This makes it easy to line up the spreads, but does not distract me when I am filling in my journal daily!
• The pages are a nice smooth high-quality paper, and I have had very little issues with bleeding!
• These journals come in a wide variety of color options! The thought of using every color thrills me to the core. Yes, I get excited about strange things.
• The journals can be purchased with ruled, grid or dot grid pages! I appreciate having a variety of options to choose from.

Cons;

• They are expensive when compared to other notebooks, however, I feel they do compare to the other popular Bullet Journal notebooks. I paid $24 for mine.
• The pages have a yellow hue to them. I would prefer it if they were just a simple white!
• If ghosting bothers you, then this is not the notebook for you! Almost every pen I use ghosts. I honestly thought this would really bother me, and made me nervous to try this notebook! However, I actually like the ghost look.

Please note that I have never tested paints or heavy amounts of a marker in these books. If you are going to be using watercolor paints in yours, I suggest you take a quick peek at this blog post from Little Coffee Fox where she compares the Leuchtturm 1917 to the Moleskin.

*Looking for a budget-friendly option? If you are looking for a budget version of the Leuchtturm, I would HIGHLY recommend the Artists Loft Dot Grid Notebook from Michaels. They are EXTREMELY budget-friendly, do not bleed much, and also come in a wide variety of colors! I have one that I use for testing spreads, and I am in love with it.

2. My Favorite Pens

Okay, I have to admit it. I am kind of obsessed with pens. I have always been very particular about my pens, and I am always on the hunt for new ones to test!

Today, I am limiting this list to the pens that I use almost every day to create my Minimalist Spreads!

Sakura Pigma Micron

If you like your ink to be a nice rich black, you may want to take a look at these pens! I only started using them in December 2018, but I was instantly hooked! These pens are used everywhere in my Bullet Journal! I use them for faux calligraphy, to create my spreads, and for all my daily to do’s and journal entries!

Pros;

• These pens have a really rich black ink.
• The ink does not bleed through in my Leuchtturm, which allows me to use if for almost everything I write in my Bujo!
• The nibs come in a variety of sizes! I like to use the thicker nibs for my headers, and the smaller nibs for my to-do lists and journal entries!

Cons;

• Unfortunately, these are not the most budget-friendly pens out there! As I said above, I am very particular about my pens. This makes me willing to spend more on my go-to pen, but this may not be the case for you!
• Depending on how often you use them, the nibs can wear out quickly. This means the pens need to be replaced often.

Crayola Super Tips

These markers are a fantastic budget-friendly option if you are looking to add splashes of color to your spreads! They can be used to color in doodles, to color code, or to highlight text.

Pros;

• These markers are very budget-friendly! You get 100 different color markers for less than $15!
• Crayola has become a household name which makes them really easy to find in craft stores, department stores. I have even seen small packs of them in the dollar store before!
• When stored properly, they can last a really long time! (Make sure the cap is on there properly! They dry out quickly if not secured properly. Yes, I know this from experience!)

Cons;

• They do tend to bleed through the paper a lot more than some of the other pens I use in my Bujo. It is not significant enough for me to ever stop using them though!

Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

These fineliners are a great addition to your collection if you want to add some color to your spreads! You can create colorful headers or color-code your to-do list. So many possibilities!

Pros;

• These come in a wide variety of colors, and you can get different bundles! If you are only looking to spend $15, you can get a pack with 10 different colors. If you are able to spend a little bit more, you can get the same pack of 36 that I got for around $33.
• The fine tip is useful if you like to add really simple doodles for your headers or layouts! Whenever I feel creative, I can draw some cute banners, flowers, or whatever suits my mood at the time.
• Unless you use the same pen every day, they do last quite a while. I bought my pack four months ago, and I have not had to garbage any of them yet!
• These pens have not bled through any of my pages yet! I am mindful when I am coloring stuff in to not go over it too often, but I have seen no issues with this!

Cons;

• There is a lot of ghosting when you use these pens. Ghosting is definitely a matter of personal preference.
• They are not a budget-friendly option. But they do make a great present idea for your family!

Uniball Gel Pens

These are one of the luxury items in my Bujo tool kit, but I just can’t help myself! I love what you can do with them!

If I draw out black or colored banners, I can use these Gel Pens to write my text on top of the banner! I have also used the white Gel Pen to cover up small mistakes, almost like a whiteout pen! They are metallic, which makes these a fun addition to add to any of your spreads!

Pros;

• The pens are really inky, but not too inky!
• You can write a really nice smooth text with them.
• They last a long time! I have had these pens for several months, and they do not appear to be running out of ink anytime soon!

Cons;

• These pens are kind of expensive! I usually pay $6 for one, or you can get a pack of 3 for $15.
• The ink takes a couple of minutes to dry! Make sure to leave it for a bit so that you do not smudge it.

Miscellaneous Tools

I do have a couple of miscellaneous tools I like to use in my Bullet Journal. They are both fairly cheap, and can be very useful when creating spreads!

A Ruler

If you like to have clean and crisp lines, then I highly suggest you get yourself a ruler! You can get a small 6-inch ruler for less than $2! This cheap tool will be really helpful when measuring spreads and drawing lines!

Stencils

Stencils are one of my favorite tools to use! I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I love being able to use a stencil to draw out my checkboxes, or to add small amounts of decoration! They are relatively cheap, and there is a wide variety to choose from.

Some stencils have different banners, borders and a wide variety of icons! Combine these with a marker or fineliner, and you have some simple decoration!

Well, that is it for the supplies I am currently using in my Minimalist Bullet Journal! If any of the items ever change, I will be sure to come back and update this list!

If you have some supplies you like to use in your Bullet Journal that I didn’t include here, be sure to leave a comment below! I love to know what everyone is using. You don’t have to twist my arm to try a new supply!

Until next time!