Faith & Art Blog

Bible Journaling is a way to way to creatively and artistically respond to what you read in the Bible. It's a way to worship God... to study scriptures... and to document your testimony.

The Bibles that most people use for Bible journaling have been designed for that purpose. These Bibles will have wide margins. Some will have illustrations printed in the margins and ready for you to color, while others have lined or blank margins. There is often a permission page right at the beginning of the Bible assuring readers that their Bible was designed to be written in and used for journaling purposes. Essentially saying, "It is OK to write in this Bible!"

You can use many different supplies in your Bible. Pens, paints, pencils, stamps, and stickers are really popular. If you have those items around your house, you can certainly start using them in your Bible! I always recommend that you test the art supplies on one of the back pages of your Bible. Some items bleed through Bible pages, so you want to make sure you know how your products will react, before you work on one of your main pages.

Just in case you would like some suggestions, we will list a few of our Top 10 Favorite Bible Journaling Supplies here. These have all been tested by us and we use them in our own Bibles:

1. Journaling Bible: I recommend getting a Bible specifically for this purpose. Keep your regular reading/study Bible for taking to church and reading at home. You can respond to what you've read in your Journaling Bible. As far as versions & translations, there are lots of options. Check out our website for Bibles and even Scripture Journals, if you want to start small and with just one book of the Bible.
2. Study the Scripture Black Journaling pen. You will use this all the time!
3.  Bible Mat: this is the best one to protect your pages and give you a solid surface for colored pencil coloring.  Without it, your Bible pages can get a little "smooshy"... and colored pencils aren't quite as vibrant.
4. Acrylic paints: This was the biggest shock to me! I never would have guessed that acrylic paints could be used in a Bible, but they can be! They don't bleed through at all and the dry pretty quickly. Artist-quality have a better finish than craft-store bottled varieties. The artist-quality have a smoother finish and you can still read scripture verses through them. Also, acrylic paint markers are really nice for detailed designs and coloring. You can apply them with a brush, a rubber stamp, or even a plastic card!
5. Watercolor paints are a favorite of ours, too. Make sure to test them in your Bible. The first few times that I used watercolors in my Bible, I used the Crayola brand that was in my house. The designs showed through completely to the other side of the page. I wasn't mad about it, but also, I was a little mad. (lol) So, the brands that we carry have been tested and are safe for your Bible. Remember not to use too much water. Also, use a heat gun or give your page plenty of time to dry.
6.  Date Stamp: This is handy and fun to use! It is NOT a need, lol. You will find that putting the date on a finished page will be a detail that your future-self will appreciate. So even if you don't have a special stamp for it, please remember to write the date down.
7. Ink Pad that doesn't bleed. You will find that alcohol-based inks and pens bleed through pages. Avoid those. Look for inks that are water-resistant. 
8. Die-cuts (aka "Ephemera") with scripture prompts: These little embellishments are perfect for adding a cute detail to your page. They are also so helpful when you need a little suggestion on where & how to start Bible journaling.  Just use a tape runner or glue stick to adhere them to your page.
9.  Bible Brites: These Bible highlighters are similar to a twistable crayon. They are compact and are easy to use.
10. Bible tabs: Find the books of the Bible quickly with these helpful, self-adhesive tabs. 

I hope that you find this list helpful. I know that when I was a beginner, I looked for information everywhere! Keeping your Bible pages protected is important. So we want to help you start this project with confidence. Buying all the things is not nearly as important as spending time in His Word.
I hope that you love this practice. It really is a spiritual discipline and a way to worship. 

...and please remember this most important tip... IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! You are not going to ruin anything or make God angry if you make a mistake. This really is just something between you and the Lord.

So now, let's do this ...and allow that creative spirit that He gave you to have some fun!
~Ann