Bible Journaling - My Simple Recipe

It is a beautiful (cold) day here in Southern California! I’m Sitting by the fireplace and staying warm. Today I have been working on a project that I love. I’ve written quite a bit in the past and I’m just now putting all the many pieces together.

Working on a new Bible and Scripture Journaling Collection – The Hope Collection. It consists of over 30 scriptures for a months worth of scripture reading and focus on Hope. There is a short devotional and a How To page in the collection. Pictures along with clipart to show ideas to decorate a journaling Bible, a planner page or notebook. There are scriptures and word phrases. It is easily printed out, cut and attached to pages.

Many people are interested in Bible journaling and artwork and may not know where to start. So I wanted to share my basic recipe for Bible and scripture Art journaling. Mind you I have two Bibles (actually quite a few!), one for Bible study and scripture marking that I use at church. The second Bible is for my personal Bible journaling and art work. It is a Bible purely for artistic enjoyment. Journaling Bibles can be found at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Bible bookstores, or on Amazon for ordering,

I use a simple recipe for Art and Bible journaling. Rather than looking at a page wondering where to start, I came up with this idea after doing several pages and realizED I followed a certain….recipe.

First I like to highlight the scripture or passage in the Bible that is my focus. I use a colored marker to highlight the scripture I’m working on (usually a coordinating color to the artwork.)

I add a large/medium element first – can be artwork, a sticker, a stamped image or cut piece of clipart.
Add a smaller piece of clipart, a sticker, or artwork – these items go above, to the sides or below the larger piece that was put down first
Add some type of word or word phrase
You can also use rubber stamps to stamp a word or design
Alpha Stickers to write a large word on the side of the margin- vertically or horizontally
Last, if I need to write in a phrase, prayer request, or praise report, then I write in small writing after the larger items are in place.
Date the page if desired!

I decide what the primary focus is going to be. In this case it is the word Hope. The scripture focus is hope. Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in His word I do Hope.

HOPE – Bible Journaling Art Collection – Purchase here

Hope – Scripture Journaling Cards – Purchase here

Opening the Bible to this page, I can see the highlighted scripture and artwork and know it is about hope. Some of my earlier pages look like several things glued on top of one another! Big smile! Well….at least it looks artistic!

Items can be layered or grouped together. They also can be used separately. Think of making a bed! Layering the sheets, folding them back over the blanket, adding the comforter, and then all the pillows! It is a layered look, but the larger pieces go down first before the decorative items/pillows are added last. I hope that makes sense!

Bible journaling serves a great purpose. It helps focus on themes, scriptures, stories that are key to our Christian faith as Believers. It also is a wonderful way to focus, worship and engage with the Bible. I have marked in my Bible since I was a little girl and used my color crayons. My mother knew it would help me when I began to read and memorize scriptures. She also knew I was artistic, and that something good happened when I engaged artistically with my Bible. That process became enjoyable to me as a young girl and it has never left me. Now I use scriptures and decorative Bible art in my planner so that daily I’m reminded of God’s goodness and presence in my every day life.