Once you have your Bible Quilt Journal and you flip to the first page you'd like to start, you might have questions about what supplies you might need to get started.
I'd encourage you to experiment with resources you may already have, so you can get started on the process of Bible Quilting and gradually identify what supplies might work best for your particular style. Keeping it simple at the beginning will help prevent you from getting overwhelmed by all the possibilities.
Keep in mind that your journal will expand over time as you add embellishments, just as YOU will be growing as you spend more time in the Scripture. Take your time and enjoy the journey!
To help you along, I've compiled a list of the typical supplies I've used.
Pens & Pencils
The "tried and true" pens that I've used for years are Papermate Flair pens that come in bold colors, don't bleed through, and last a long time.
For years I've used Crayola pencils from my boys' school stash and they worked fine.
Last year I received a gift of a boxed set of prismacolor pencils and love the smooth application and array of deep hues. There's a botanical set that has great combo of natural colors.
I recently discovered that eyebrow pencil sharpeners work great to sharpen colored pencils, too! I tucked a small one with a removable lid into my pencil drawer and it's now readily available at my craft table.
Whenever I need to sharpen a batch of pencils, I use an electric pencil sharpener.
Often when I'm using larger hand-lettering, I'll outline letters with the Papermate Flair Pens, then fill in with a gel or glitter pen. These Kaiser Color gel pens have worked great to add a touch of shine/glitter to titles and highlighted words.
For metallic pens, I've had good luck with Uni-ball Signo pens (white, gold & silver). They write consistently well.
Tip: For small handwriting mistakes, you can use a white gel pen to correct black/color markings. Just trace over the error, allow it to dry, then write the correction.
I also like this set of Fiber-Castell pens because they come in a variety of tip sizes (AKA nibs). You can experiment with them to see what works best for your hand-lettering style. It's also a great way to get a different look just by using a broader or thinner tip.
You don't have to have "fancy" pens. Use what you're comfortable with and just make sure they don't bleed through the page. (If bleed-through does occur at any point, then you can glue a template page on the back side for a fresh start.)
To corral pens and pencils, I use zippered pen pouches that are handy to carry around with my journal. These are available in the BQ Bonus Kit and include a set of the Papermate Flair pens, too!
Washi Tape
I gather up washi tape from a variety of sources. Try your local craft/hobby stores as well as discount stores. You can also purchase washi tape online. Start with some basic colors and different widths.
The quantity on a roll and the quality of "stickability" varies between different brands. I've learned you can add a swipe of glue to help adhere it to a BQJ page (but you won't be able to reposition it once you've glued it.)
Glue
I use a simple Elmer's glue stick to attach tabs and templates to my #biblequiltjournal pages. You could also use glue runners or glue dots. I favor the regular glue sticks because they're inexpensive and readily available, especially during back-to-school season when I like to stock up.
Stickers
Stickers add a fun pop of color when used in titles or to add an illustration that otherwise would be hard to draw. You can find them anywhere craft supplies are sold. Like washi tape, I tend to pick them up here and there.
I've just added a STICKER MEDLEY option to my online store. You can get an assortment of 3 sticker sheets as an ADD-ON to any physical Bible Quilt Journal order.
Want to print your own sticker pages? I've used these full sheet shipping labels and they've been great! I would recommend filling up the page as much as possible with your images and texts to maximize the space.
Since we repeat the topic words so many times in our monthly #biblequilting series, I'm experimenting by making some lists of these words that I can incorporate in my pages as I go.
Some journaling sites offer free printables that you can make into sticker sheets.
Sample: Garments of Splendor - Loved
Stamps
A bunch of options for stamps are looming out there for you to choose from! I like to have a variety of letter sizes, but again, you can start with a basic set to see how much you'll actually use them.
My favorite alphabet set is a click-together stamp set because you can align all the letters together and stamp a full word at one time.
Feb 2021 update: I recently found this small set of alpha stamps and they're working great for the limited space in the Monthly BQJ quilt squares. medium size UPPERCASE lowercase
Another option is acrylic stamps. The main benefit to this style of stamp is that you can see through it to more accurately place your word on the page. Usually the stamp block has grid lines on it to assist with alignment.
You can find acrylic sets that have a variety of words & designs to help you embellish pages or individual sheets with flowers/leaves. Consider what words/images you're most likely to use over and over again rather than get too many that you won't use that often. I've got a sheet of the Fruit of the Spirit characteristics that I probably use the most. (Sorry, I can't find the link for these, but chances are I found it at Hobby Lobby.) There's a Names of God acrylic set coming out that I've got on my wish list.
Bible Quilting together comes in handy: swap some of these durable resources and put them to frequent use! Coordinate with a friend to exchange happy mail!
As with most new pursuits, we tend to get excited about gathering up all the accessories associated with it. However, with Bible Quilting you can probably repurpose some things you already have around the house.
You can use bits of ribbon and twine to decorate the spiral of your BQ journal to personalize it in a colorful way. You can use tags off clothing to use for journal tabs.
Stencils
If your kids have done posterboards or art projects, chances are they might have a few stencils tucked into their craft supplies that you can borrow. I get a lot of mileage out of 2 stencils, one with square shapes and one with circles. These come in handy for outlining titles or key verses.
Don't have stencils, but like to bake?
Maybe you have some cookie cutters that can be adapted for some shapes to outline on your BQ pages.
This could be a fun way to include your younger kids. Have them trace the shapes on the page or color them in, then you can print the verse.
Post-Its
I use post-it notes for a variety of things. I jot down references of verses on post-its and stick them on the topic page I plan to put them on when I have more time to create that particular page. When I've got several post-its collected on a topic page, I know I've got enough "meat" to start incorporating all of those verses together on a page.
You can practice writing out a verse on a post-it to estimate the amount of space it needs on a page. This can be a great option for kids who might want to practice spelling, etc. before they write directly on the BQJ page.
A really fun way to use post-its is to create a patchwork quilt using post-its and washi tape!
Gelato Pastels
Gelatos add a soft yet vibrant color to the background of your BQJ squares. Here's an overview of the process:
Templates
A fun way to start pages on a variety of topics is to add a pre-formatted template. Several women in the Bible Quilt community have contributed to these creative designs. Browse the BQJ shop and see what inspires you!
As you create, you may have a God nudge to bless a friend with a verse, a BQ template page, or even a Starter BQJ. Go for it! #biblequiltwithlove đ§Ą
Any other supplies you're wondering about?
What are YOUR favorites? Drop ideas/questions in the Comments below!
I've had several people ask about my Bible tabs. These pictured are from a site called Farm Girls Journals. The set comes with a handy guide for placement and you can watch a video for helpful tips. Use our special BQ coupon code QUILT15 to get 15% off your order!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means my site may earn a few pennies but at no additional cost to you. I hope this helps you find some BQ goodies!đ