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Putting together a bullet journal starter kit is such a good idea. But what should go into it? What do you really need?
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Bullet Journal Starter Kit – Introduction
I know I have said it before – you only need a notebook and a pen and then you can bullet journal. Which is true.
WHAT ARE THE 2 MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS IN BULLET JOURNALING?
For bullet journaling to be effective the 2 most important items are a dot grid notebook and a writing tool of choice. For me, that’s a pencil, but for you it could be a pen. Beyond this you can add many more items.
But here we want to talk about 5 bullet journal essentials.
If a notebook and pen are all you need why am I saying ‘5’? – I hear you ask.
Good question!!
I am presuming that if you want to create a bullet journal starter kit, then you are probably wanting to go in for the more creative planning angle of bullet journaling, and you are wanting to invest in it a little more than just doing the paper and pen technique.
So these essentials are for those who want to get into creative planning and spend the time to create a bullet journal that inspires them to pick it up each and every day.
Also not all the essentials are physical as we will go on to see.
The All Important Notebook
So, yes, I imagine this is what you expected to see here as number one.
It is the most essential supply you will need. The type of notebook of course is where it gets interesting.
The most common notebook for the bujo starter kit is a dot grid notebook.
You can find many different variations, such as the thickness of the paper, and the color of the paper, but those are details that you will be able to discover for yourself.
Many ask if you can use other notebooks, such as a lined, or ruled notebook, or even a grid notebook? – Of course, you can use whatever you prefer. The freedom of the dot grid notebook is that the lines you see are the lines you create, so it looks more like a planner, but you do still see the dots. So it’s completely up to you.
A Pencil & Eraser
I believe a pencil is essential to bullet journaling essentials because it is a way to build confidence.
If you are not sure about what you are doing, then do it in pencil first. Of course, the add on is that you need the eraser afterwards so that you can rub out the pencil marks.
If is so handy, not just for the art, but checking you boxes for your layouts. So many times, I have gone in with a pen to save time, only to mess up my grids and box spacing and have pen lines I didn’t want.
If you have a pencil and eraser in your bullet journal starter kit, you will find that you build confidence to do a really quick sketch to know you are happy with the final result before you go in with the pen.
[Side note – I also use my pencil as my writing tool, but most people don’t, hence the next point]
Your Preference of Writing Tool
Bullet journaling essentials include a writing tool – it cannot be done without a writing tool!
What kind of writing tool though, does it matter?
I bought a set of black fine liners. They are handy because you can use different sizes depending on whether you are doing thick outlines or fine artwork. So you have options.
Then some people prefer to use a regular ball point pen for filling in their bullet journal, and of course, you can get them in a variety of colors to suit what you like. You might choose one for the writing color and one for the ticking off color.
Be aware if this is a starter kit not to include too many pens all at once, you can always add more later. But for now, keep your starter kit simple and manageable.
Correction Tape or White-out
I learned fairly early in my bullet journal journey that mistakes are inevitable. I’m sorry to say it but you will mess up at some point.
This is why I include as an essential to the bujo starter kit – something to correct mistakes, whether that is correction tape or pen or whatever, there are many options nowadays.
In fact it’s possible to use a nice thick white gel pen over some small spots and it is a great way to hide mistakes.
I found it so helpful to just quickly be able to run over a wrong line, or bit of stray coloring. It makes it fast and easy to be able to correct mistakes.
Inspiration
Now this isn’t a physical thing that you can put in your bullet journal starter kit [unless you want to print out a visual mood board idea].
But you need it!! It is an essential.
So many times I have hit the bullet journal wall, with no motivation left, I felt like giving up. But what gets me back is inspiration.
Sometimes I get inspired by looking back at my old work, it re-sparks something and I start getting creative with ideas again.
Sometimes it is looking at all the amazing bullet journal ideas that are out there to see, there is Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and the big World Wide Web. Really there is plenty of inspiration available it just takes a little time of looking.
Conclusion
In conclusion to get your starter kit set up and running these are your 5 essential ingredients:
- 1 – The notebook
- 2 – A pencil & eraser
- 3 – A writing tool
- 4 – Some correction tool
- 5 – Inspiration
READ: Build The Perfect Bujo With These Bullet Journal Supplies For Beginners
I hope you agree with me that these tools are the most needed.
Of course for each individual there will be other essentials, for some it might be a ruler, for me it is definitely markers. But you can find your own way with that.
Why not check out a buying guide for Budget and Eco Friendly supplies.
Let me know are you planning a starter kit? How is it going? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks so much for being here with me – happy planning!
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