Art Journal Materials
By Elizabeth Dubos
Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored. The products, stores, and websites mentioned in this post are my journal material preferences and recommendations.
Journaling is an excellent stress reliever because it allows you to express your thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a safe space. What happens when you can’t find the word or phrase to express yourself? The answer is to create an art journal. You don’t have to be an artist to have an art journal. There are no rules when it comes to an art journal. You can write, draw, paint, sew, staple, or tape anything you’d like to it. For example, if you can’t think of a word to describe how you’re feeling attach a piece of fabric like velvet, denim, or cotton. You’ll associate the thought, idea, or event with the fabric; this is important because it helps you sort through your emotions instead of keeping them bottled up. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t know what to write or create, then I would highly recommend checking out YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest for art journaling inspiration. My favorite art journal creators are Journal With Chloe, Brianna Collins, Jordan Clark, and kaitlyn journals.
If art journaling interests you, you’re going to need supplies. Here are some suggestions to help you get started!
Journal. It’s important to keep size and paper quality in mind. If the journal is too small, then you’re limiting your creative space. If the paper is too thin, then the paint, ink, or glue could bleed through the pages and ruin your hard work. I would recommend a paperweight of 90lb or more. Try to pick a journal that’s medium or large because it gives you enough space to work with, without being too bulky to carry around. I would highly recommend checking out brands like Canson Mixed Media, Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917, or Strathmore Mixed Media journals because they’re sturdy journals, come in various sizes, heavy paperweight, and are affordable. These journals can be purchased on Amazon, at Target, Walmart, or Barnes & Noble.
Pens and markers. You’re going to need pens and markers to jot down your thoughts. Check out Paper Mate gel pens because they don’t streak or bleed. Plus, they come in a variety of colors like blue, red, purple, green, etc. If you’re looking to experiment with calligraphy, then I would recommend checking out Tombow Dual Brush sets or Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens. Please, do not buy these brands full price – wait for store coupons because they frequently go on sale. Affordable pens and markers can be found on Amazon, at Michael’s, Joann’s, or Dick Blick’s.
Rubber stamps. There’s a variety of rubber stamps you can use to personalize your journals such as seasonal, floral, animal, inspirational, letter, or number decor. There’s also an endless amount of ink colors to select. You can correlate ink colors to your emotions. Rubber stamps offer a quick and fun solution to express ourselves, so we always have time to unleash our emotions. If you go on Vistaprint.com, you can create and customize your stamp. Rubber stamps can be purchased on Amazon and Etsy, or at Target, Walmart, Joann’s, or Michael’s.
Stickers. There’s an endless number of sticker options to choose from. There are individual sticker pages or pads. Stickers are manufactured with different materials, so you don’t have to worry about them limiting your creativity. For instance, you can utilize scented stickers, raised scrapbook stickers, foam stickers, fuzzy stickers, or glittery stickers. If you have an inkjet printer, then you can make your stickers with sticker paper sold on Amazon, or at Office Depot/Max and Michael’s. Like stamps, stickers provide easy and quick solutions to express ourselves. Sticker pages or pads can be purchased on Amazon, Etsy, and Redbubble, or at local dollar stores, Target, Walmart, Michael’s, or Joann’s Craft Stores.
Washi tape. Washi tape is a thin and decorative tape. It can stick to numerous surfaces such as wood, plastic, metal, and journal paper without damaging the surface. Washi tape comes in different patterns, colors, and sizes. In your journal, you can use washi tape to create borders, frames, or lines on the pages. For example, if you want to write about a dream you had last night, you could use star-themed washi tape to decorate the pages. Washi tape can be purchased on Amazon, eBay, and Esty, or at Target, Walmart, Michael’s, or Joann’s Craft Stores. It can be purchased in individual rolls or packets.
Storage. If you’ve come across a good deal or coupon, then you’ve treated yourself to more journaling materials. Organization is vital when it comes to journaling, so you never have to worry about not finding a pen, marker, or sticker. Try to have a designated spot for all of your journaling materials. One of my favorite ways to organize my journaling materials is countertop storage drawers. I have a plastic three-drawer container to house my materials. It’s functional, affordable, and sits on my bookshelf next to my bed. Thus, it makes all my materials accessible whenever I’d like to journal.
Good luck with your art journaling journey!
Edited by Jenna Fults
By Elizabeth Dubos
Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored. The products, stores, and websites mentioned in this post are my journal material preferences and recommendations.
Journaling is an excellent stress reliever because it allows you to express your thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a safe space. What happens when you can’t find the word or phrase to express yourself? The answer is to create an art journal. You don’t have to be an artist to have an art journal. There are no rules when it comes to an art journal. You can write, draw, paint, sew, staple, or tape anything you’d like to it. For example, if you can’t think of a word to describe how you’re feeling attach a piece of fabric like velvet, denim, or cotton. You’ll associate the thought, idea, or event with the fabric; this is important because it helps you sort through your emotions instead of keeping them bottled up. If you’re feeling stuck and don’t know what to write or create, then I would highly recommend checking out YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest for art journaling inspiration. My favorite art journal creators are Journal With Chloe, Brianna Collins, Jordan Clark, and kaitlyn journals.
If art journaling interests you, you’re going to need supplies. Here are some suggestions to help you get started!
Journal. It’s important to keep size and paper quality in mind. If the journal is too small, then you’re limiting your creative space. If the paper is too thin, then the paint, ink, or glue could bleed through the pages and ruin your hard work. I would recommend a paperweight of 90lb or more. Try to pick a journal that’s medium or large because it gives you enough space to work with, without being too bulky to carry around. I would highly recommend checking out brands like Canson Mixed Media, Moleskine, Leuchtturm1917, or Strathmore Mixed Media journals because they’re sturdy journals, come in various sizes, heavy paperweight, and are affordable. These journals can be purchased on Amazon, at Target, Walmart, or Barnes & Noble.
Pens and markers. You’re going to need pens and markers to jot down your thoughts. Check out Paper Mate gel pens because they don’t streak or bleed. Plus, they come in a variety of colors like blue, red, purple, green, etc. If you’re looking to experiment with calligraphy, then I would recommend checking out Tombow Dual Brush sets or Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens. Please, do not buy these brands full price – wait for store coupons because they frequently go on sale. Affordable pens and markers can be found on Amazon, at Michael’s, Joann’s, or Dick Blick’s.
Rubber stamps. There’s a variety of rubber stamps you can use to personalize your journals such as seasonal, floral, animal, inspirational, letter, or number decor. There’s also an endless amount of ink colors to select. You can correlate ink colors to your emotions. Rubber stamps offer a quick and fun solution to express ourselves, so we always have time to unleash our emotions. If you go on Vistaprint.com, you can create and customize your stamp. Rubber stamps can be purchased on Amazon and Etsy, or at Target, Walmart, Joann’s, or Michael’s.
Stickers. There’s an endless number of sticker options to choose from. There are individual sticker pages or pads. Stickers are manufactured with different materials, so you don’t have to worry about them limiting your creativity. For instance, you can utilize scented stickers, raised scrapbook stickers, foam stickers, fuzzy stickers, or glittery stickers. If you have an inkjet printer, then you can make your stickers with sticker paper sold on Amazon, or at Office Depot/Max and Michael’s. Like stamps, stickers provide easy and quick solutions to express ourselves. Sticker pages or pads can be purchased on Amazon, Etsy, and Redbubble, or at local dollar stores, Target, Walmart, Michael’s, or Joann’s Craft Stores.
Washi tape. Washi tape is a thin and decorative tape. It can stick to numerous surfaces such as wood, plastic, metal, and journal paper without damaging the surface. Washi tape comes in different patterns, colors, and sizes. In your journal, you can use washi tape to create borders, frames, or lines on the pages. For example, if you want to write about a dream you had last night, you could use star-themed washi tape to decorate the pages. Washi tape can be purchased on Amazon, eBay, and Esty, or at Target, Walmart, Michael’s, or Joann’s Craft Stores. It can be purchased in individual rolls or packets.
Storage. If you’ve come across a good deal or coupon, then you’ve treated yourself to more journaling materials. Organization is vital when it comes to journaling, so you never have to worry about not finding a pen, marker, or sticker. Try to have a designated spot for all of your journaling materials. One of my favorite ways to organize my journaling materials is countertop storage drawers. I have a plastic three-drawer container to house my materials. It’s functional, affordable, and sits on my bookshelf next to my bed. Thus, it makes all my materials accessible whenever I’d like to journal.
Good luck with your art journaling journey!
Edited by Jenna Fults
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