A little over a year ago, I received a journaling Bible as a gift from my grandparents. The trend was beginning around that time: A new style of Bible, with text on only half of each page, was becoming more and more popular. Some people used this space for notes, but it was becoming trendy to be artistic in this space.

Though I had one of these Bibles, it took me a while to get into the trend-- I thought I just wasn't artsy enough. But in the last few months, with the help of watercolor paints, washi tape, and the attitude, "Who cares if it isn't a work of art?" I've come to love my journaling Bible.

Here are 13 tips (everything from helpful hints to ideas for specific verses) to use in your journaling Bible, if you've joined this amazing trend.

1. First of all, don't feel like you have to come up with every design on your own.

I went to a fun little workshop to practice, Pinterest exists, and my sister has a journaling Bible that even has some designs already sketched in.

2. Start at the beginning.

When I don't have a specific verse already in mind, I just start at the beginning of the Bible... or the first page I haven't already filled in. A great idea for the first few pages is to illustrate the seven days of God's making of the world. This is even more fun if you can paint the page black and write in a white pen.

from my Bible

3. Speaking of paint... get paint.

Watercolor paints are easy to use, even if you (like me) don't have any painting experience. When in doubt, you can always paint an entire page: You can still read the words through the paint, as long as the color isn't too dark.

4. Illustrate Genesis 6.

This is the story of the flood and Noah's building of the ark. Because it's such an interesting story, you can do a lot of creative things on this page. My sister Ashtyn made her very own ark out of twine.

photo used with permission of Ashtyn Vandiver

5. Illustrate Genesis 9.

This is after the flood, when God uses a rainbow to seal a promise to His people. Of course, rainbows are pretty to draw or paint, and I went for a simple route by painting the entire page with the colors of the rainbow.

from my Bible

6. Think of your favorite verses and illustrate them.

Maybe your favorite verse is John 3:16 or Jeremiah 29:11 (I decorated this page right after my high school graduation). Choose a verse that is special to you.

7. Start with the Psalms.

If starting in Genesis doesn't sound appealing to you, the Psalms have so much imagery and beautiful language that you could illustrate them or, what I often do, just write a verse in pretty lettering.

8. Get washi tape.

Washi tape is super cute decorative tape that I didn't know I needed so desperately until I had it. After a trip to Hobby Lobby, I have many rolls of cute tape, and I now use it in both my journaling Bible and my regular journal. Here is me excitedly showing off my Hobby Lobby finds:

9. Use the washi tape to mark the first page of every book.

I haven't done this in my Bible, but my roommate did it, and it looks really cool.

photo used with permission of Sally Martin

10. Even if you don't want to use washi tape, decorating the first page of every book is a great idea.

I drew inspiration from one of my roommate's designs to decorate the first page of Song of Solomon.

from my Bible

11. Look for the connections among the different books of the Bible.

The Bible is one whole story, and it's really cool to see all of the foreshadowing in the Old Testament and the references to the Old Testament in the New Testament. On the page with the Passover, found in Exodus 12, I wrote John 1:29, which is about Jesus being the Lamb of God.

12. Use song lyrics.

So many Christian songs are based on Scripture, so match up lyrics with the verses they're based on. For example, one of my favorite songs right now is "No Longer Slaves" by Bethel Music, so I recently wrote the lyrics "You split the sea so I could walk right through it // my fears are drowned in perfect love," on the page with the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea on dry land.

13. Have the right attitude.

This isn't meant for showing off or getting Instagram likes (confession: I have posted a picture of my journaling Bible on Instagram) but glorifying God through art. It's an incredibly fun way to be in the Scriptures and make something beautiful! After all, God is the perfect example of a beauty-maker.