We've wanted to make our own dot grid journals for years and are so happy to announce that they're here and available to order!

Now, you know we LOVE an Archer & Olive journal, but we appreciate that the higher price point isn't accessible for everyone and so we set out to design a more affordable high-quality bullet journal.

Keeping the covers plain meant that we were able to keep the price down without sacrificing quality and those features we all know and love from Archer & Olive's luxury bullet journals:

💖 160 bright white 160gsm pages - we absolutely couldn't scrimp on paper thickness!

💖 Hardback linen-texture cover - so tactile!

💖 Elastic fastener & two different coloured ribbon page markers

💖 Lay-flat binding

💖 Back cover pocket for keeping notes and ephemera handy

You can choose between four gorgeous shades: Berry, Mustard, Navy Blue and Peacock. I love how great these shades look together! Get yours here!

Now, a plain journal absolutely doesn't have to mean boring! While the covers do look beautiful as they are, there are loads of ways to customise and personalise them. You can see heaps of suggestions in this blog post, but it just so happens that our first Mokuyobi wholesale order arrived at the same time as our new journals! Fate, no?

If you've not come across them before, Mokuyobi design bags, apparel, and accessories and are led by a desire to create something new and different using bold colors and magic. They are based in Los Angeles, CA and all of their products are made in the USA. I believe we're currently their only UK stockist, and we couldn't resist grabbing a selection of their fun iron-on patches to go with our new dot grid journals.

Now, I know what you're thinking...

How do you add an iron-on patch to the cover of a journal?

1. Remove your chosen patch from its backing card, ensuring you peel off any of the glue blob that's held it in place.

2. Move your elastic closure to the inside to avoid accidentally catching it with your iron or heat press.

3. Place your patch on your journal cover, measuring to check that it's central if you're anything like me!

4. Cover the whole journal with a pressing cloth, a piece of scrap fabric or a sheet of baking paper or greaseproof paper. You can also use clean tea towels to surround your patch to build an extra layer of heat protection for the surrounding area.

5. Set your iron or heat press to medium-high. If you're using an iron, ensure that its not set to steam mode and that all water has been emptied. Give that steam button a few presses to make sure that none has remained - moisture is not invited to this patch party!

6. Press your patch for 60 seconds ensuring that all areas of the patch have been pressed and taking care to avoid the surrounding area of your journal as much as possible.

7. To really make sure the patch adhesive sticks as it cools, you can stack a pile of heavy books on top for a few minutes or press it down with your hands, taking care not to shift it around.

8. Check that your patch has adhered and repeat the above steps as necessary.

I've tried to be as thorough as I can with these instructions but please note that we aren't responsible if it doesn't go to plan! If your iron isn't getting hot enough and your patch won't stick, you can always use fabric glue to attach it instead. This is also a good option if you want to attach a patch to a non-fabric journal as you absolutely shouldn't try and iron a patch onto a vinyl or vegan leather journal cover!

You can shop our full range of Mokuyobi patches here.

I hope you're just excited as we are to try out new journals! If you’ve been inspired to add a patch to your journal, we’d love to see! Please tag @nikkissupplystore and #NikkisSupplyStore on Instagram, where you can find heaps more journaling and stationery inspiration. You can also follow me, @joy.margot, for more craft content and pictures of my cat, Juniper.