Bullet journaling is as popular as ever and with good reason! Keeping a journal, either as a place to express personal thoughts or as a tool to help keep you organized is a highly beneficial activity. While some people have held back from starting a bullet journal due to creative fear (Don’t worry there are tips for that too!) others have more trouble justifying the cost. This is completely understandable! While the basic supplies needed to start a bullet journal are not overly expensive they can add up and it’s easy to be sucked into buying more specialized items. If you have been holding off on this fun and surprisingly cathartic hobby then perhaps creating a dollar store bullet journal is the answer!
Creating a Dollar Store Bullet Journal
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Bullet Journal Tools from the Dollar Store
NoteBooks
Your typical bullet journal is a grid dot journal. This can be hard to find at a dollar store and if that’s what you really want this is the one item you might want to splurge on. There are some pretty good and inexpensive options on Amazon.
However, that’s not to say that you can’t find a suitable option at your local Dollar Tree. There are a variety of lined notebooks at our local store including some with very pretty hardcovers! Of course, if none of them strike your fancy you can always opt for a plain paper sketch pad, a softcover notebook OR a binder with loose-leaf paper.
These options might not be the conventional choices but the beauty of bullet journals is that you can make them any way you want. There are no ‘rules’ and you can personalize them any way you like! If you hit up the Dollar Store during back to school season you will likely find a lot of notebook and binder options to choose from. Creating a dollar store bullet journal might mean thinking outside the box but it doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the personality or beauty of your journal!
Stickers
When it comes to stickers the Dollar tree is top-notch. You might have to dig a bit, this section of my local store is always a bit unorganized BUT you can find some seriously amazing and cute stickers!
I have found planner based stickers which can be very helpful for labeling specific activities in layouts as well as a giant selection of random cute and seasonal stickers that can really add to a bullet journal (or planner) page. Stickers are especially helpful for those who do not have the time to design full page hand drawn spreads or those who are never happy with their own artistic talent.
Make sure to look not only in the stationary section for stickers but also in any seasonal sections. While looking through the recent summer items at our local Dollar Tree I found some seriously sweet flamingo stickers that were perfect for my summer themes. Had I only looked in the stationary section I would have missed out on these completely!
Washi Tape
While the washi tape selection in the Dollar Tree might be a bit small when compared to the major craft stores I have managed to find some really nice ones! In fact, all of my washi tapes come from the Dollar store. The selection changes on the regular so you really have to keep your eye out for new designs. I typically find these hanging at the end of the stationary aisle but have also found thinner tapes in small kits near the markers and pens.
Washi tapes work really well for marking the edges of a particular page or laying out dividing lines in a spread. I have also seen them used to create a personalized notebook and binder cover- so if you can’t find a notebook or binder you love but you DO see a washi tape you adore this might be an option!
Stationary Tools
Pens, pencils and markers, the Dollar Tree is certainly not lacking in option’s here! I have found colored pens in a variety of options at my local store including neon gels and metallic glitter. Highlighters, markers and pencil crayons are also pretty easy to find!
If you feel the need for a super cute pen to use while journaling I highly checking out the novelty items near the checkouts. I have found unicorn ens, mermaid tail pens and most recently a giant fuzzy purple flamingo pen! Sometimes the tools we use are just a part of the fun and writing with a giant fuzzy flamingo makes me smile.
Aside from writing utensils, you can also find a decent selection of rulers, paper clips and even watercolor paints if you want to try a painted spread. I have found stencils at my local Dollar Tree several times though they are most often located in the craft aisle so make sure to check there too! You might also find a selection of sticker back paper and stamps in the craft and children’s aisle as well. If you want to do a black spread with white writing don’t discount white-out pens from the stationery aisle or if your store doesn’t carry those – look for nail art pens in the make-up aisle.
A Matter of Being Creative
Creating a dollar store bullet journal might mean thinking outside the box a little bit but it’s more than doable! The supplies available at most dollar stores are more than enough to get you going and if you really want to splurge on something special elsewhere you can do so without stressing so much since you’ll already be ahead budget-wise!
If you have been holding back because you don’t want to invest a lot of money into starting – or if you doubt your ability to keep up with it, I highly suggest you reconsider! Using the ideas above you will be able to give bullet journaling a try worry-free!
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Love this. My first attempt at a bullet journal was done using a dollar store notebook and stickers. It’s a great way to try it because you still get the benefit of a bullet journal without expense of a dot grid notebook that most people use. Plus if you mess up a page it’s less frustrating when using a cheaper notebook.
Exactly! It’s a really great way to get over the fear of ‘ruining’ your journal when you first get started!
I love this post 🙂 Journalling is one of my favourite hobbies, and you’re right about it being expensive! I’ve never actually thought about trying a dollar store, well, pound shop over here, for craft/journal supplies 🙂 I’m going to have to check them out now.
Pity I didn’t read this before I bought a blog planner last week though lol.
You really should! I hope the pound shops over there are as well-stocked with stickers and fun journal items as the ones here are!
Love this post. I’ve been thinking about starting a journal to keep up my anxiety and exposure therapy logs. So a bullet journal could be perfect for this. But I’ve always been worried I’ll ruin it and that I’m not that creative! Using a cheap notebook sounds ideal as I won’t be as worried about ruining it on my first try. Great tips.
It really does help with that sort of anxiety for sure! For the price, you can even buy a practice book and a ‘nice’ book so you can test out layouts or sketches before transferring them to the nice notebook!