As the holiday season approaches, we’ve put together the ultimate gift guide for someone who loves to journal. It can be hard to find the perfect gift, especially for journal lovers. There are so many different types of notebooks, pens, journals, pencils… but finding the perfect gift is possible!
14 Unique Gifts for Journal Lovers
Every avid journaler knows the right journaling accessories can make a big difference in your journaling routine. So, we’ve included a wide variety of journaling gift ideas in our gift guide - from photo printers to pen sets. You should be able to find something to buy for someone who loves to journal that fits your price point!
Gift # 1 - Leuchtturm1917 Notebooks
Leuchtturm1917 journal with dotted pages for bullet journaling.
Chances are the journaler in your life has been eyeing one of these well-known notebooks. They are one of the best notebooks for journaling and note taking on the market. They also have a dotted page layout for bullet journaling. Not only do they lay flat with a stitched binding, but they’re fountain pen friendly. And they come in all colors, page styles, and sizes.
- All colors and sizes
- Around $20
- Amazon and Leuctturm.com
Gift #2 - Subscription to Silk+Sonder Journals
Silk+Sonder Holiday Gift Set
Even if the friend or family member you’re buying for already has a journaling routine established, trying a new type of journaling is always a fun challenge. Silk+Sonder Holiday Gift Set includes their 31-Day Dateless Wellness Planner, Silk + Sonder pen, a Wild Ambitions soy candle, bath bombs, and exclusive access to their Sonder Club.
Silk+Sonder is a subscription-based monthly journal loved by the bullet journal community and great for people who love monthly habit trackers, meal planning, self-care ideas, and reflection for everyday life.
- Holiday Gift Set: Limited Edition
- $56
- Silk+Sonder
Gift #3 - Pen Holders and Pencil Cases
Pen loop made from brass and vegan leather by TheInspiredStories on Etsy.com
It may not seem like much, but someone who loves to journal with a favorite pen will tell you that keeping their pen accessible is key. There are lots of ways to attach a pen to a journal. Some journals have a pen loop built-in. But for journals that don’t, there are pen holders and attachable pen loops.
- Vegan Leather Loop & Brass Clip from TheInspiredStories, $6
- Itoya ProFolio Sidekick Pen Holder, $23
- Bookaroo Pen Pouch-Mint, $10
You can also go the route of giving a pen or pencil case in lieu of a pen holder. This might be a better gift for someone who loves to journal with a variety of highlighters, brush pens, and pencils. Especially for someone who has lots of bullet journal accessories, a pen case or pen pouch is a thoughtful gift.
A Bellroy pencil case in Limestone color
Gift #4 - Washi Tape
MT (masking tape) Brand Washi Tape in 10 bright, assorted colors
If you haven’t heard of washi tape, you may not know what it is or why it's such a great journaling gift. Washi tape is a type of decorative tape made from traditional Japanese paper. Similar to masking tape, it is thin but very durable. And because it is often colorful with designs on it, washi tape is great for adorning journals, notebook pages and books.
- MT Washi Tape Assorted colors, $16
- Holiday Paper Tape by Rifle Paper Co, Set of 3 rolls, $13
- Walnut Washi Tape Dispenser for multiple rolls, $38
- Karu Cut Washi Tape Cutter, $6
Gift #5 - Zebra Mildliners Highlighters
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A Zebra Pen Midliner double ended highlighter set comes with 15 colors
These are not your average highlighter. Zebra Midliners are rich in color but mild in strength so they don’t bleed through the page. They are great bullet journaling gifts especially for someone who wants to make journaling artistic, creative and colorful. Each highlighter pen set comes in 15 assorted colors, and there’s even a double ended highlighter option. Are they worth the extra cost over your “off-the-shelf” highlighter? We think so!
Gift #6 - Barnes & Noble Gift card
You can buy Barnes & Noble gift cards just about anywhere
Sometimes the best gift ideas come from the recipient themselves. A gift card gives the person you love the ability to go buy whatever they want. For someone who likes journaling, a Barnes & Noble gift card would make a great gift. Barnes & Noble is great for the book lover and journal lover alike. They carry popular notebooks, bullet journal notebooks, book brands like Chronicle Books and Penguin Classics, and lots of other journaling gifts. It’s the perfect place for someone who loves journaling to find something!
- $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card on Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
Gift #7 - MochiThings Sticky Notes
Assorted sticky notes in all shapes and sizes from MochiThings.
Journaling is a practice that looks different for everyone. For some, the goal is self-discovery, reflection and personal growth. For others, it may be to keep a gratitude journal, travel journal, or book journal. And for some of us, journaling is a way to catalogue our daily life, keep quotes and affirmations, and even record our ideas.
MochiThings sticky notes are designed for all journal lovers. They come in circles and shapes, warm tones and bright colors, ruled and blank, and even a weekly and a daily-use sticky note system. Whatever the use, sticky notes are one of the best gift ideas for someone who loves to journal.
- Assorted uses, shapes, sizes, colors
- $3-20 depending on set
- MochiThings
Gift #8 - HP Sprocket Photo Printer
The HP Sprocket is every mixed media journal lover's dream.
This gift idea probably falls outside the realm of what you’d consider for a journal lover. But we think it's particularly a great bullet journal gift idea. For art journals, artistic bullet journals, and journals that chronicle travels, memories, and personal lives, adding photos is a unique touch.
The HP Sprocket Photo Printer uses 2x3 sticky-backed paper so you can immediately place the photo in your journal. The photo paper packs come in two sizes, 50 sheets and 100 sheets. Plus the printer itself is portable and uses bluetooth to connect to a smartphone.
- Amazon
- 2x3 Photo Paper: 50 sheets and 100 sheets
Gift #9 - The Five Minute Journal
Gift the popular five-minute journal for gratitude journaling.
The gratitude journal movement began after a book in the 1990s, The Happiness Advantage outlined the keys to productivity and human happiness. One of them was a daily practice of gratitude. Many journal types and designs have been designed to enable daily gratitude practices. And The Five Minute Journal is probably one of the most popular of these. With over 1,000,000 copies sold, this journal has helped make journaling a part of a lot of peoples’ daily routines. And it may be a neat journal to buy the journaler in your life, if they don’t already have it!
- Available in 6 colors
- Intelligent Change or Amazon
Gift #10 - The "Best Pens"
This category could be called “the best pens gift guide,” because there are just so many pens out there. And most people who consistently journal have a pen preference. Whether it's fountain, felt tip (my personal favorite!), rollerball, multi pens, fine tip, gel pens, brush pens, pencils, there are thousands to choose from.
Here are a few of the best pens that make for better gifts than just your average pen at the office supply store:
LAMY Safari Fountain Pen
- The creme de la creme of fountain pens. World renowned, steel nib, metal clip, lots of finishes and colors.
- $25
- JetPens or Amazon
JetPens Fine Tip Samplers
- Like the wine flight of pens, available in pen types (gel, ballpoint, etc.), blue or black
- $25
- JetPens
Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Brush tip and fine tip dual markers, 108 colors, available individually or as a set
- $3 each or $27 for a 10 pack
- Tombow or Amazon
Watercolor Brush Pen Set
- Great reviews, refillable pens, comes with travel case
- $16 for 24 pack or $22 for 48 pack
- Amazon
Gift #11 - Hand Lettering 101 Books
In the last decade, modern calligraphy or hand lettering has become incredibly popular. It’s a fresh take on the fountain pen twirling calligraphers of old. And there are lots of different lettering styles and approaches. Specifically for someone who enjoys the bullet journal method, hand lettering can be a great element to add to their bullet journal notebook.
Learning how to write in these hand lettering styles takes practice. A great gift to help dive into the world of hand lettering is one of these well-known books on the topic:
- Happy Hand Lettering by Maghon Taylor, $20
- Hand Lettering A to Z by Abbey Sy, $18
- Mastering Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe, $17
- Hand Lettering 101 by Chalkfulloflove, $16
Gift #12 - Anything from Uncommon Goods.com
My life in chapters is one of many different journaling gifts on the Uncommon Goods website.
This one is a little out of the box. But we’ve recently discovered this website and think it's a great catch-all website with some of the best gift ideas. The person in your life who loves to journal has other things they like too - whether it accompanies their journaling practice or not. Plus, they have an entire page dedicated to gifts related to journals and journaling.
- Journals, pens, accessories, and more
- $10-50
- Uncommon Goods
Gift #13 - Planner Pouch or Carrying Case
An Erin Condren planner pouch is a great gift for journal lovers.
This one is similar to a pen or pencil pouch except it’s big enough to also hold a journal or planner. A planner pouch is a unique gift for someone who loves journaling, because they likely don’t have one. As the name suggests, these are more for planners, but they’re great for the bullet journal community and others who use multiple pens and mixed materials as a part of their journaling routine. It’s the perfect place to store everything a journaler needs.
- Erin Condren Planner Pouches or Amazon, $10
- Sunny Streak Journal Supplies Storage Case, $28
- A5 Leather Notebook Organizer, $40
Gift #14 - Stickers
Hersticker on Esty has botanical themed stickers.
Who doesn’t love stickers? As a kid, we all collected stickers and adorned our notebooks with them. Lisa Frank stickers and notebooks in the 90s influenced many of us. But what about modern day uses for stickers? A lot of bullet journalers have turned to stickers as a way to add flare to pages. But stickers are a great way to enhance all types of journaling.
There are practical stickers for guiding page layout and notations. And there are also playful stickers that maybe fit a page theme or enhance the meaning of a journal section or entry. Stickers are a thoughtful gift for someone who loves to journal!
- Callaby Crafts, $2 per sticker
- Hersticker, $2-6 per sticker or sheet
- TheGingerCatCo, $4 per sheet
check out our Silk+Sonder blog!