Journal Gift Ideas for Her, and for Anyone Who Writes
A journal is a good gift for someone who already writes, and a hard one for someone who does not. The notebooks that get filled are the ones that suit the way their owner writes: a diary kept at night, lists made at a desk, drawings made on a walk, letters written at the kitchen table. This guide matches a journal gift to each of those four writers, with a notebook, a pen chosen for it and a small extra, all priced from listed prices.
Start with how she writes
Before choosing a notebook, think about what she does with paper now.
- The diarist writes in sentences, usually at the same time each day. She wants lines and a book that lasts the year.
- The list keeper plans, tracks and checks things off. She wants pages she can find again, and room to spread out at a desk.
- The sketcher draws more than she writes. She wants plain, heavier paper.
- The letter writer writes to other people. She wants a good pen and something to send.
For the diarist
A ruled A5 notebook and a first fountain pen
The Leuchtturm1917 Medium (A5) hardcover has 251 numbered pages of 80 g/m² ruled paper, a blank table of contents, two page markers and a thread-bound spine that opens flat. The maker uses a slightly chamois-colored paper to improve readability (shop the Leuchtturm1917 Medium ruled notebook in Sage, $24.50). It measures 5.75 by 8.25 inches. The same notebook comes in navy, stone blue, powder, Pacific green, anthracite and black.
Pair it with a Lamy Safari fountain pen in a medium nib. Lamy dates the Safari to the 1980s and describes a matt plastic body, a polished steel nib and a self-sprung clip; the pen comes with one blue Lamy T10 cartridge (shop the Lamy Safari fountain pen, blue, medium, $25.00). Together: $49.50.
For the list keeper
A desk notebook and a pocket pen
The Leuchtturm1917 Master Classic (A4+) is a desk book: 8.75 by 12.5 inches, 235 numbered ruled pages and a blank table of contents to index them, plus eight perforated, detachable sheets for a list that has to leave the book (shop the Leuchtturm1917 Master Classic ruled notebook, $39.95). For lists made away from the desk, the Lamy Pico is a pocket ballpoint that extends to full size with a push of the button (shop the Lamy Pico ballpen, $39.20). Together: $79.15.
For the sketcher
A sketchbook and a pen loop
The Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook has 112 pages of 150 g/m² white, acid-free paper, which the maker recommends for pencils, felt-tip pens, markers, charcoal, ink, pastels and chalk. It is thread-bound, so it opens flat for a drawing across the spread, and it has a gusseted pocket at the back (shop the Leuchtturm1917 Medium sketchbook, $25.95). Add a Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop, a self-adhesive elastic holder that sticks to the inside back cover and keeps a pencil or pen with the book (shop the Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop, $5.00). Together: $30.95.
For the letter writer
A heavy pocket pen, ink and two cards
The Kaweco Brass Sport is the heavy model of Kaweco's pocket fountain pen. Kaweco says the brass develops its own patina with daily use and that the weight of the pen presses lightly onto the paper by itself, so the hand can write longer with less effort (shop the Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen, fine, $88.00). Kaweco cartridges are standard international size; a pack of six in Royal Blue holds about 1 ml of ink each (shop Kaweco Royal Blue cartridges, $2.50). Add two cards to send: Coral & Tusk's Beekeeper Bears, 5 by 7 inches and sized to fit a standard frame (shop the Beekeeper Bears card, $15.00), and Ice Pond Press's letterpress The Mountains Are Calling, with a kraft envelope (shop The Mountains Are Calling card, $4.00). Together: $109.50.
For a smaller budget, the Lamy AL-Star is an aluminum fountain pen with a polished steel nib and a transparent grip that shows the ink (shop the Lamy AL-Star fountain pen, $30.00).
Matching the pen to the paper
- Medium nibs lay down more ink than fine ones. On the 80 g/m² paper of a classic notebook, a fine or medium nib is the safer choice; a broad nib suits heavier paper.
- Check the cartridge. Kaweco pens take standard international cartridges. Lamy fountain pens take Lamy's own T10 cartridges, the kind the Safari comes with.
- Ballpoint and pencil work on anything. For the sketchbook or a list keeper who writes fast, they avoid the question entirely.
For rulings and paper weights in detail, see the notebook guide; for nib widths and filling systems, see the pen and pencil guide.
Journal gifts, by writer and price
| Writer | Gift | Listed price |
|---|---|---|
| Diarist | Leuchtturm1917 Medium ruled notebook, Lamy Safari fountain pen | $49.50 |
| List keeper | Leuchtturm1917 Master Classic ruled notebook, Lamy Pico ballpen | $79.15 |
| Sketcher | Leuchtturm1917 Medium sketchbook, Pen Loop | $30.95 |
| Letter writer | Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen, Royal Blue cartridges, two cards | $109.50 |
| Any, smaller budget | Lamy AL-Star fountain pen | $30.00 |
Prices follow the listed price on each product page. Products ship across the continental U.S. from theambrosianpantry.com.
Short answers
What is a good journal gift for her? A notebook that suits how she writes, with a pen matched to it: a ruled A5 notebook and a fountain pen for a diarist, a sketchbook for someone who draws.
Should a journal be ruled or plain? Ruled for writing in sentences, plain for drawing. The Leuchtturm1917 Medium comes ruled; the sketchbook is plain.
What goes with a journal as a gift? A pen, a pen loop to keep it with the book, or a card to start her first page.
For someone who would rather receive a letter than write one, gifts for grandparents includes a notebook for recipes and letters. The shop is at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver.
See also: Christmas gifts for teens, where a sketchbook and a first fountain pen make a kit for a teen who draws.
