The Best Gifts for People Who Love Pens, Notebooks & Pretty Stationery

I may be writing this for myself, just to explore all the pretty notebooks, pens, and stationery out there right now. There is nothing I love more than a notebook! Just ask my husband. He rolls his eyes everytime I gasp over a notebook in a boutique or when I stand in front of a card section for much longer than he has the patience for. But come on! There is just something so soothing and calming about pretty pens, a fresh notebook covered with tiny botanicals or a pack of stationery with a little bee and my initials at the top, in heavy cardstock, am I right?

I think, for me, the appeal of stationery is it’s indicative of all the possibilities that await to capture things and moments in time. Will it be a grocery list or my musings from the day? It may be that will hold the daily notes from a trip we had long looked forward to. Or something as mundane as taking notes at work. I have notebooks for everything. I keep one in my purse to write down observations or funny and interesting things I overhear. I have one strictly for household to-dos and notes on changes I want to make, flowers I want to plant and recipes I want to cook. Another notebook keeps all my thoughts about what I want to blog about. I even have a notebook dedicated just to gifts I want to get for people. I often see something that reminds me of someone and if I don’t purchase it right away or write it down, poof!, it’s gone.

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As for pens, I am undoubtedly picky about my pens. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good pencil (NOT mechanical) but a medium point gel pen is where it’s at. Particularly, Sharpie brand or Tul. However, I was given a really beautiful pen for my birthday, it’s heavy and a very pretty gold. I was worried I would lose it but i think it has so much heft to it, that it’s remained in my possession.

Other elements of the stationery world are lovely little things. Washi tape, page markers, sticky notes, reminder pads, journals, planners, stickers… the sky is the limit! Here are some of the things, coming from a self-proclaimed stationery expert, that would please your person!

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Pretty Notebooks For The Stationery Lover

In looking for notebooks, hard covers are good options for someone that may be jounaling in bed or taking them in and out of bags and will take a bit of wear and tear. Soft sided notebooks are good for someone that likes to have a bit of flexibility and really like the notebook to lay flat against the surface. Spiral bound is also a good option for someone that wants to just work on one page at a time. It’s also good to know if they prefer lined or unlined. Lined is great obviously for notetaking or someone who tends to be tidy and organized. Unlined is great if someone likes to doodle, glue things into it, write little blips of notes or want a bit more flexibility with creativity on the page. Dotted notebooks are universally loved by people who like to do bullet journaling.

Pens and Pencils for Journaling and Everyday Use

Pens can be particularly personal to some people and other people will use whatever. If you’re gifting a nice writing instrument, look for something that is of a good weight, has a rollerball or gel ink. If the person is more of an artist, you may want to consider something with a felt tip. A pretty pen and nice pack of stationary makes for such a lovely gift.

Lovely Stationery & Paper

There’s really nothing like getting a handwritten letter and unfortunately, it seems like an art form that is quickly disappearing in the age of tech. I fully believe there is something special about getting out some pretty stationery and writing a thank-you note or even a note to a friend that’s going through a tough time. College kids are still tickled to get a letter in their mailbox since it’s such an uncommon occurrence. Things to look for or keep in mind when picking out stationery? Deciding between smooth (good for gel and fountain pens) paper and a grittier texture (good for pencils and graphite) and picking a heavier paper weight to avoid ink bleed-through. Some of the brands I love? Rifle Paper Co., Papier, Crane Stationery, and Minted.

Other Fun Stationery Gifts

Stationery gifts do not have to be limited to just journals, notebooks, pens and notecards. There are a lot of fun gifts that fall outside of the box and are sure to surprise and delight anyone! Consider giving things like washi tape, bookmarks, desk accessories, stationery sets, planners, notepads and photo books. The little accessories can actually be the most fun for someone who likes journaling or writing. We often like to have all the little things on hand to make our spaces organized and pretty.

Whether you’re gifting a pretty journal or just want to givey our favorite pen at a Favorite’s Thing Party, giving stationery is a really lovely and unexpected gift.

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