The Beginner's Guide to Bible Journaling

Last month, I told you all in my Must Have Items for Spring post about a Bible journal that I had bought my 14 year old daughter. I pre-ordered it but it wasn't released until a few weeks ago. You know when you give a gift and then you sort of wish you had kept it for yourself instead? Yeah, this was that.

Let me start by explaining what Bible journaling is just in case you aren't quite sure. Bible journaling is basically doodling or writing about what you are learning while you are in the Word. It could be as simple as hand letting a small passage or drawing out a depiction of a verse.  Whatever it is, it's a great way for creatives to express themselves while digging into the Bible.

I must say that when I decided to get started, my new journaling Bible sat staring at me with blank pages and I was a bit intimidated. I didn't know where to start. If this sounds like you, I have a complete beginner's guide to Bible journaling full of the essentials {there aren't many!} and a few tips to get you started on those first few pages.

My guess is, if you are interested in Bible journaling it's because you have a little bit of a bend towards creativity. You probably have everything you need to get started in your craft closet but there may be some specific items you will want to pick up. Here are my guide to the essentials.

A journaling Bible- I like this one because it has full blank pages and the most beautiful leather cover

stamps and ink- I have some from my card making days, but I did get some new ones in this kit

pens- my favorite for journaling are these or these

washi tape- there are TONS of options for this

watercolor paints- I've been using these because you don't need water and they don't bleed through

Once you have everything you need out in front of you, you can get started.

I am new at this, so I feel better if I have a sketch or an idea first before I get started. I have a pinterest board full of ideas to help me get inspired, but really, I start with verses that I know. Verses that I have already memorized or are my favorites. This particular verse I'm using in Song of Solomon is a verse from a song I used to sing in vacation Bible school {and now it's stuck in your head too if you know it!}.

After I sketch out my idea on a scratch piece of paper, I flip to the page that the verse is on in my Bible. Then I use my pencil and I get started. I am not a perfectionist. I don't think that Bible journaling should be about being perfect. It should be a way to learn and get engaged in the Word, so just do it. After I draw it out in pencil, I trace over it with my brush tip pen. I love these pens because they have a brush tip for the hand lettering and a fine tip for the drawing.

I'm super new to hand lettering but I'm learning and I love it. Basically all I know is that the stroke is thicker going down so I do that. It seems to work. I use stamps, washi tape or other embellishments and then I use my brush pens to color in my work. You can also use your watercolor paints too. 

That's it! It's finished and super easy! 

Last week I made a little video on Facebook live showing you a few of my other pages in the Bible journal. Go check it out for some more tips on how to get started illustrating your faith.

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