Bible Journaling Supplies: The Master List!

Hi friend! Here, you’ll find a one-stop-shop for all the Bibles and art supplies that I recommend… in some cases, I’ve also linked to specific tutorials that show how to use each item.

As you may know, I’ve created a ton of Bible journaling posts and tutorials which focus on various tools and techniques, BUT those posts don’t always get updated or include ALL the supplies I recommend. Which is why I created this master list… I try to update this page fairly regularly, anytime I find new journaling Bibles or supplies that I’ve personally tested and loved. Enjoy!

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Bible journaling on 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Journaling Bibles

NIV Journal the Word Bible: This was my first journaling Bible, and as such, it’s my most cherished Bible. It has two-inch margins, and a lovely teal faux leather cover. And it’s quite full now!

Illustrating Bible: This is the Cadillac of journaling Bibles! With four-inch margins, it has tons of space for your notes and artwork. I purchased one in 2019, and I love it. (Check out my full review of it here.)

Bible journaling - armor of God stamp set

NIV Pocket New Testament: I got this handy little Bible in early 2022, and I love it because I can easily carry it anywhere!

pocket Bible journaling - a new creation in Christ

NLT Journaling Bible: Since my original NIV journaling Bible is now quite full, in 2022 I purchased this NLT one (my first entry in it is pictured at the top of this page). And I love this one, because it has crisp white pages, and it comes with the Filament Bible study app which is very handy.

Coloring Bibles: If you want a Bible that comes with pre-printed art in the margins, there are two that I’ve personally reviewed and given as gifts: the Beautiful Word Coloring Bible (which is NIV), and the Inspire Praise Bible (which is NLT). (Check out the full reviews + more pictures of both Bibles HERE.)

Inspire Praise Bible with Prismacolor Premier Pencils

Pens, Pencils, Etc. (Dry Media)

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils (Set of 72): These pencils are awesome; they come in smaller sets, or larger sets, but mine is the 72-pencil set linked here.

Pigma Micron pens (Inductive Bible Study Kit, set of 8): These are fabulous pens; archival-quality, and they last a really long time. You can get them in lots of different sets and tip sizes, too. I use the black ones all the time… but for more vibrant colors, I prefer the Tombow markers below…

Tombow Twintone Markers: I love these markers, especially for their beautiful colors and dual tip. Currently, there are three sets to choose from: rainbow, brights, and pastels.

Gel pens: Gel pens are super awesome if you like the use neon colors, glitter, or metallic. They’re generally cheap and plentiful, and yield great results. The only caveat, is they do take a while to dry (especially on a gessoed Bible page). So, be careful to not smudge the ink while it’s still wet! 😉 ***The specific glitter set that I have is this Color Technik set from Amazon.

clear gesso

Page Prep for Wet Media

Dina Wakley clear gesso: My most-recommended brand of gesso to prepare your Bible page for painting or other “wet” media. ➡️ If you’re new to gesso, check out my how to use gesso tutorial!

Loew-Cornell 1″ foam brushes: These are my preferred brushes to apply the gesso to my Bible page with.

Logan deli paper: I use these deli paper sheets to protect the adjacent pages while I’m painting on gesso or other wet media. They’re pre-cut, and are the perfect size for the Bible pages.

gesso and tools

3M removable scrapbooking tape: this stuff is super handy for lots of things, but especially for keeping the deli sheets in place while I’m painting. It’s stays in place, but then is easily removed when you’re done.

Ranger Heat It tool: If you’re impatient like me, and don’t want to wait an hour or more for things to dry, this drying tool is essential. It speeds up drying time for gesso and all types of paint, to a mere minute or two. (The only things that are stubborn and still take longer to dry in my experience, are pigment ink (from stamp pads), and ink from gel pens. Those things I still leave to dry overnight.)

Esther Bible journaling page

Paints, Stamps, and Inks (Wet Media)

Uni Posca paint pens: These pens are so handy for painting on a dark background! I have the white ones, and the silver and gold as well, but they also come in a rainbow of other colors.

FolkArt acrylic craft paint: This is my go-to brand for using acrylic paint in my journaling Bible, simply because I already had so much of it on hand before I started journaling. Really, I think any brand would work (such as Apple Barrel), just keep in mind that you’ll want to dilute the paint if you want to see the Bible test through it (more on that below…)

Golden acrylic glazing liquid: This stuff is very handy if you want to use acrylic paint in your Bible! You can mix it with any cheap acrylic craft paint, to make the paint more transparent so it won’t obscure the Bible text. I use it with my FolkArt paints, but really any cheap craft paint that’s meant for wood or paper will do (just not the paints that are meant for glass or outdoor use).

Bible journaling watercolor page on Psalm 113

Winsor-Newton Cotman watercolors: I use these professional tube watercolors, simply because I already had already bought them for a watercolor painting class I took, and they work great, so I see no reason to buy another brand. However, if you’re shopping for your first watercolors to use in journaling, I’ve heard great things about Gansai-Tambi watercolors.

Finetec metallic watercolors: I LOVE these paints. I’m crazy about things that glitter, sparkle, and shine, and these paints have such a beautiful shimmer! They come in a six-piece gold/neutral metallic set, and also a 12-piece color set (which does include gold and silver, but also colors like red and green).

Sweet n Sassy Stamps for Bible journaling

Sweet’n’Sassy stamps: This is by far my favorite brand of Bible journaling stamps. Bonus points for the fact that it’s a woman-owned, Christ-centered small business, and the stamps are top quality. (For more about using stamps, check out this blog post.)

VersaColor pigment ink pads: These are my chosen brand of ink pads to use with my stamps. I just love the rich color! However, there are lots of other great pigment ink brands out there that I’ve heard great things about, such as Catherine Pooler, Hero Arts, and VersaFine Clair.

Delicata Golden Glitz ink pad: I’m also a big fan of these Delicata metallic ink pads! I use gold the most often, but they do come in other metals like silver and copper.

Ranger clear embossing powder + Hero Arts embossing ink pad: Lately, I’ve gotten more into embossing, and have even started using heat embossing on my Bible journaling pages! And these are the two things I use most… the clear powder works great with any pigment ink pad, and the clear embossing pad is best paired with colored embossing powders. (Check out my heat embossing tutorial HERE!)

Ranger Archival Ink stamp pad (black): The only time I don’t use pigment ink pads, is when I want permanent smudge-proof ink that I can color on top of or paint over. So, I keep this archival ink pad around for those times!

Jesus calms the storm - Bible journaling with Gelatos

Faber-Castell Gelatos: These genius little tubes of color are the best thing (really, if I had to only pick one favorite Bible journaling supply, gelatos would be IT! They look like a tube of lip balm, and you can use them in all sorts of ways. I have all the metallic and iridescent sets, and I like to smear some onto a paint palette, spray it with water, and apply it with a brush like watercolor paint. However, you can also use them dry, sort of like pastels… just smear some on the page, and spread it around with your finger! (Check out how to use gelatos in Bible journaling to see them in action!)

Tim Holtz Distress Inks: I love using these to make colored backgrounds for my Bible journals. When applied on top of gesso, they’re very blendable, and you can build layer upon layer to make them as sheer or as richly colored as you like. I apply them with the Tim Holtz blending tool (the foam circles that come with the tool are totally washable and reusable!).

Psalm 61 - God is my rock

Did I forget anything? If you have questions about a specific item, or if there’s something I missed, please send me a message! I try to keep this page up to date, but sometimes things still fall through the cracks.

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