The best bujo theme ideas
Looking for theme ideas for your next bullet journal spread?
Maybe you’ve been bullet journaling for years, and have used up all your good theme ideas.
Or perhaps you’ve decided to create your first bujo spread… but don’t really know how themes work.
This post is all about bullet journal themes, including a massive list of bullet journal theme ideas for you to try (we’re talking hundreds!).
What is a Bullet Journal Theme?
If you’re new to the bullet journaling world, you might be wondering what a bujo theme is.
A bullet journal theme is when you give your content a certain look to help tie it all together.
Monthly themes are the most common, where you make sure all your spreads within that month follow a consistent style.
Do I Need A Theme For My Bujo Spread?
The short answer is: no, you don’t need a theme for a bullet journal spread.
However, they are super fun to create! And help give your spread a bit of life.
Where To Find Bullet Journal Theme Ideas
As a bujo newbie, it can be difficult to come up with a theme to start off your bullet journal.
And if you’ve been in the bullet journal world for a while, chances are you’ve used a lot of themes already, and are looking for fresh theme inspiration.
Before you reach the massive list of bullet journal theme ideas, here are some places where you can find ideas for your next bullet journal theme:
- Make notes throughout your day. Inspiration can strike at any time! Whilst you’re out and about, make sure to keep something on you that you can jot down your bullet journal ideas down as they come to you. You can keep a small notebook and pencil, or create a note in your phone that you can revisit.
- Look online (websites, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook groups, Reddit). One of the joys of the internet is you can find plenty of inspiration (and fast!). Most social media sites will have bullet journal content you can use as inspiration; Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook pages or bullet journaling Facebook groups; most social media sites will have bullet journal content you can use as inspiration. The hashtag “#bulletjournalideas” has over 1 million posts on Instagram at the time of writing!
- Ask bujo buddies. Lastly, if you can’t find any ideas that inspire you online, try asking friends, family, or other bujo buddies for themes you can try.
- Read round up posts of bujo theme ideas (like this one!). In this post, I’ve done all the hard work for you! And you should finish reading feeling inspired, and have lots of creative ideas for your next bujo spread.
Where To Use A Bullet Journal Theme
If you want to create a theme in your bullet journal, you need to give your designs a consistent “look”.
You can do this in the following places to help create an overall theme:
- The cover page: when you start planning a monthly spread, a cover page is used to introduce the month. You can include a theme look in your cover page for whatever month you are creating; this will help to introduce the theme for the rest of the spreads you will create throughout the month.
- Headers: as you’re creating your various spreads in your bullet journal, the headers of any pages can be drawn with your theme in mind.
- Doodles: who doesn’t love to doodle! If you’re a creative who likes to add drawings into your spreads, you can draw images that relate to your theme.
- Trackers: these are a great feature to include in your spreads to track different behaviours. You can design your trackers with theme colours and designs in mind.
- Logs: similar to trackers, your logging sections (like future logs) can be drawn to fit your theme.
- Quotes: lastly, if you’re including quotes in your spreads, you can select specific quotes that relate to your theme, such as quotes about flowers for spring. Or you can pick a quote that isn’t necessarily related to your theme, but draw it in a way that the design of the quote is.
Bullet Journal Theme Ideas for 2022
Now you know where you can be including your theme in your bujo spreads, below are the best bullet journal themes you can try!
Bullet Journal Seasonal Theme Ideas
As bujo themes are often used for monthly spreads, it can be really helpful to think about the time of year you are creating the spread for.
Below are some bullet journal theme ideas organized by season:
Bujo Spring Theme Ideas
- April showers
- Baskets
- Bees
- Bike rides
- Birds
- Bunnies
- Butterflies
- Camping
- Chicks
- Cleaning
- Daffodils
- Ducklings
- Eggs
- Flowers
- Gardening
- Hikes
- Honey
- Ladybirds
- Lambs
- Picnic
- Plants
- Rainbows
- Snails
- Umbrellas
Check out some amazing spring spreads from Instagram below:
Snails are a super cute spring theme spread to try!
I love the spread created by Jenny (pictured above).
Bujo Spring Theme Ideas
The snails and flowers definitely give spring vibes, and the warm colours used also remind me of the sun starting to show in the spring months.
I also really like the use of washi tape and paper; it makes the spread look so full and have depth, without stealing the show from the cute snail illustration!
This gorgeous spring inspired cover page is created by Nadia.
The quote is beautiful, and ties in really well with the illustration below it.
I also like the mixture of illustrations and patterned paper used; adding cut outs instead of colouring in your designs can help to add more texture to your spreads.
This is another example of a really subtle spring inspired spread by Sarah.
The flowers and pastel colours create a light and upbeat vibe perfect for Spring.
I also love the use of layering the different paper and washi tape to help give the spread depth!
This spring spread by Bien is bright and beautiful!
It’s inspired by King’s Day, when the Dutch celebrate their King’s Birthday.
The colourful tulips give the spread an upbeat vibe; remember, your spreads don’t need to be super detailed to be a theme spring. Some bright and colourful flowers are all you need, as Bien has shown here with gorgeous tulips.
I love bees and flowers for a spring theme, and this one by writing_with_rachel_ combines the two beautifully!
The layering of the vivid yellow honeycombs behind the darker purple flowers really gives the spread depth, and help to make the flowers pop.
Using a combination of two theme colours is a great idea, especially if they’re opposite on the colour wheel (like Rachel has done here).
Flowers and butterflies are a great idea if you’re looking to create a feminine spring theme.
This spread by hoaslife is a really great example; the gentle shades of pinks create a really soft vibe.
I also really like butterflies in a spread as they’re so flexible; you can add one or two/ a handful as Hoa has done, or absolutely fill your pages with them!
This is a super cute Easter inspired spread created by Anigmandra.
Eggs and bunnies are both a great theme idea for spring, so why not include them both?!
In this creation, the bunnies are holding eggs that are for a habit tracker, but you could have anything on the eggs; calendars, small eggs to colour in as part of a mood tracker, etc.
This is another cool bee-inspired spread, created by sophia9_bujo.
The beauty of this spread is really in the simplicity; with just a few hexagons, some splashes of yellow and orange, and a happy lil’ bee at the bottom, and Sophia has created a really fun and full looking page!
Spring Holidays
If you’d rather focus on an event for your spring bujo theme, you can focus on an event or occasion that occurs.
Check out some of them below:
- Mardi Gras Day/ Fat Tuesday/ Pancake Day: March 1st
- St Patrick’s Day: March 17th
- Mother’s Day UK: March
- April Fool’s Day: April 1st
- Easter: April
- Arbor Day: April
- Earth Day: April 22nd
- Cinco de Mayo: May 5th
- Mother’s Day US: May
- Memorial Day US: The last Monday in May
- Ramadan: between March and May, depending on the year
Summer Theme Ideas
- BBQs
- Beaches
- Beach balls
- Boats
- Bucket and spade
- Crabs
- Campervan
- Dresses
- Fish
- Flipflops
- Ice cream
- Ice lollies
- Lemonade
- Mermaids
- Ocean
- Palm trees
- Pineapples
- Sandals
- Sand castles
- Shells
- Starfish
- Sun
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Surfboard
- Swimwear
- Tropical
- Watermelon
- Waves
Bullet Journal Summer Theme Inspiration
Below are some awesome summer inspired bullet journal spreads:
This spread by Sarah is everything summer!
I love the mix of the different illustrations, as they’re all on theme for summer, but allow her to use a mix of really vibrant colours.
Don’t feel you have to stick to one idea for your summer spread; this is a perfect example of how to add a bit of everything to a spread, and still make it look super cute!
Shells are a simple but effective nod to summer, and this mood tracker by Nani has definite summer vibes thanks to the cute shell illustrations!
The colours you use can also greatly influence the theme for your spread; Nani has coloured in the mood tracker with vibrant colours related to summer, such as blue for the sea and yellow for sand.
So keep in mind how colours can also add to a theme; oranges and reds can give an autumnal vibe, and blues and cooler shades will remind people of cold winters.
Sea creatures are definitely on theme for summer, and the jellyfish illustrations in this creation by Adele are absolutely gorgeous!
I love the use of watercolours; the jellyfish appear to be floating under the sea.
There are just 3 jellyfish and a quote in this spread, but it still looks full and complete. So don’t feel you have to fill your page in order to create a theme; just a few drawings and a bit of colour is all you really need!
Here’s another example of a beautiful sea creature bullet journal spread for summer, created by July.
Often when people think of under the sea, they tend to jump to blue.
But this spread uses warmer tones like yellows, reds and oranges, proving that you can use an array of colours for an under the sea theme!
What’s more summery than palm trees?!
This tropical mood and habit tracker by dreamlyjournal has serious tropical vibes; the warm colours especially remind me of sitting on a beach in the sun!
Sea creatures = summer vibes!
This spread, again by Adele, has the perfect summer feel.
The stunning turtle and flowers drawing with a bit of colour is all that’s really needed to make this into a summery spread!
A nautical inspired spread is another way to nail the summer theme.
This spread created by journalbyrosemary is a different way to capture the beauty of the sea, focusing on lighthouses and boats rather than the sun and sand.
Here is another beautiful example of a lighthouse theme for summer created by le_bujo_de_morro:
I love the rope border surrounding the illustration in the middle, with the lighthouse slightly breaking through!
If the beach isn’t your thing, perhaps food is a better theme idea.
I love this watermelon spread by ziuredo:
What’s more summery than watermelon?
I also love how simple this spread idea is; just a few slices of watermelon here and there, and you’ve got the perfect summer inspired spread!
Summer Holidays
There aren’t really many official holidays in summer, but you can certainly create a bujo spread inspired by the following:
- Father’s Day: June
- Independence Day: June 4th
Fall Theme Ideas
- Acorns
- Autumn Trees
- Apples
- Baskets
- Birds
- Bonfire
- Candy Corn
- Foxes
- Hedgehog
- Leaves
- Marshmallows
- Mushrooms
- Pinecones
- Pumpkins
- Pumpkin Pie
- Oak leaves
- Owls
- Rake
- Scarecrow
- Squirrels
- Sunflowers
- Toadstool
- Turkey
Bujo Fall Theme Inspiration
Here are some wonderful Fall bullet journal spreads!
I LOVE this October cover page by Rosemary; it’s a whimsical mushroom ring!
Mushrooms are so autumnal, and easy to incorporate into any spread; you can add lots like Rosemary has here, or add one or two here and there. Whatever suits you!
I also really love the colours used; reds, browns and oranges also add to the fall theme, as the leaves start to change to these shades around this time of year.
What says fall more than pumpkins?!
I love this pumpkin moodtracker by _jessdoodles. It’s a really interesting twist on a mood tracker; rather than adding colour like you typically see, instead you give your pumpkins little faces depending on your mood.
Such a sweet idea!
This is another great autumn bujo idea created by Vane.
Orange is a definite fall colour, and this spread uses just that!
I also love the little fox at the bottom; adding an autumnal animal(s) to your spreads, such as foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels, etc, are an easy way to give your spread a fall vibe.
The quote is also very sweet, and adds to the fall theme. You can add a quote about leaves, autumn, or anything to do with fall!
This is an amazing Halloween inspired spread created by lillyjosefus.
Just like with the other seasons, you can choose to focus on an event that occurs in that season and incorporate it into a theme, like Lilly has done here.
It has Jack-O-Lanterns, bats, ghosts, candycorn, and then just fall related illustrations like leaves and hot drinks.
This awesome October cover page was created by bujo.with.josh.
Creating your own drawing inspired by the season is a unique way to give a definite feel to your spread, like Josh has done here with his quirky Halloween inspired illustration.
This stunning September spread created by makin_art uses beautiful earthy colours and brown tones.
I love the blocks of colours and the line drawings layered on top to create depth.
Selecting a colour associated with fall and using different shades is a cool idea for an Autumn inspired spread; I imagine this would also look amazing in orange, with line drawings of leaves on top.
Fall Holidays
- Chuseok: between late September and early October, depending on the year
- Oktoberfest: late September and early October, depending on the year
- Halloween: October 31st
- Diwali: between late October and early November, depending on the year
- Day of the Dead: 1st – 2nd November
- Thanksgiving: 4th Thursday in November
- Moon Festival: Between September and October depending on the year (15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar)
- Bonfire Night: November 5th
- Remembrance Sunday: November
- Thanksgiving: November
Winter Theme Ideas
- Baubles
- Bells
- Candy canes
- Christmas jumpers
- Christmas lights
- Cranberries
- Earmuffs
- Eggnog
- Elves
- Father Christmas
- Fir trees
- Fireplace
- Gifts
- Gingerbread house
- Gingerbread men
- Gonk
- Hats
- Holly
- Hot drinks
- Icicles
- Igloo
- Letters
- Mistletoe
- Nativity
- Penguins
- Poinsettia
- Polar bears
- Presents
- Reindeer
- Scarves
- Skates
- Skiing
- Sled
- Snowballs
- Snowboarding
- Snowflakes
- Snowglobe
- Snowmen
- Snowy mountains
- Stars
- Stockings
- Sugar cookies
- Sweaters
- The Grinch
- Winter Wonderland
- Wise men
- Wreath
- Yule Log
Bullet Journal Theme Inspiration for Winter
Here are some amazing winter bullet journal spreads:
I love the snow globe idea for a winter bujo cover page; above is a beautiful example created by Nina.
The house in the snow in this illustration definitely has a wintery feel, but you can put anything in your snow globe drawing. A snowman, sled, a fir tree; there are so many options!
Who doesn’t think of Christmas when it comes to winter?!
There are so many different Christmas themes you can try, and presents/ gifts are excellent as they’re so versatile; you can do a quote about gifts with a cute illustration of presents to go with it, add a few gift doodles here and there, etc.
I really like this gift themed mood tracker created by Eva; a simple present is a really great doodle to use for a mood tracker, as it’s really easy to replicate.
I also like that the ribbon has split the present into four sections, so Eva can track her mood really thoroughly throughout the day, rather than just sum it up at the end of the day!
If you’re a bit more of an Elsa, and you’d rather a cooler tone to your spreads, icey blues, silvers, and whites are a good alternative to the reds, greens, golds, and other cosy colours sometimes associated with the winter months.
A great way to use blues and whites is to go with a snowflake and ice theme.
Snowflakes are so intricate and magical, that they make for beautiful spreads, as Rita shows here!
There’s no denying it; Christmas is one of the best things about Winter!
And this spread by all.in.a.notebook is all things Christmas.
The candy canes, snowflakes, gingerbread, baubles; what more could you want?!
I also really love the Christmas-sy Gonks; these seem to have been gaining more popularity in recent years, and they’re a great theme idea for your bullet journal!
When I first saw this winter themed bujo spread by illustrated_joy, I was convinced it was a printed out picture that had been stuck in.
But it’s actually a painting!
A snowy scene is a great winter inspired theme for your bullet journal, but don’t think you have to be an amazing artist to create one.
Joy has a serious amount of talent, but you can paint, sketch, draw, or even do a simple doodle of a snow covered landscape; whatever suits your skill set!
Sometimes, all it takes is for a simple drawing to create an awesome theme.
Julia has done exactly that; she’s taken cosy mittens, and made a super cute theme for the month with it! Repeating the mitten doodle throughout her spreads.
I love that each spread has a fun and unique layout, and no doubt Julia will have taken a great deal of time planning these spreads!
Winter Holidays
- Labor Day: December 5th
- Hanukkah: December 10th – 18th
- Las Posadas: December 16th – 24th
- Winter Solstice/Yule/ Christmastide: December 21st
- Soyal: December 22nd
- Christmas Eve: December 24th
- Christmas: December 25th
- Boxing Day: December 26th
- Kwanzaa: December 26th – January 1st
- New Year’s Day: January 1st
- Epiphany/ Three Kings Day: January
- Chinese New Year: between January and February depending on the year
- Groundhog Day: February 2nd
- Valentine’s Day: February 14th
- The Super Bowl: February
Bullet Journal Theme Ideas by Colour
Another fun bujo theme spread idea is to design your spreads based on a certain colour.
Below are some colour-inspired bullet journal theme ideas!
Red Bujo Theme Ideas
- Red animals: ladybird, octopus, lobster, crab
- Red food: apples, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, chillies
- Red flowers/ plants: roses, poppies,
- Red cartoon characters: Elmo, Angry Bird, Pumba, The Incredibles, Mario, Mr Krabs, Lightning McQueen
- Random: hearts
Orange Bullet Journal Theme Ideas
- Orange animals: tigers, foxes, nemo fish, monarch butterfly, goldfish
- Orange food: pumpkins, oranges, peaches, beans
- Orange flowers/ plants: tiger lilies, butterfly weed
- Orange cartoon characters: Garfield, Nemo, Crash Bandicoot, Tigger, The Lorax, Velma, Darwin, Flame Princess
Bujo Themes That Are Yellow
- Yellow animals: ducklings, slugs, birds, fish, snakes
- Yellow food: pineapples, bananas, lemons, cheese
- Yellow flowers/ plants: daffodils, sunflowers
- Yellow cartoon characters: Spongebob, Winnie the pooh, Jake the dog, Pikachu, Minions, Simpsons, Lemongrab
- Random: stars, sun, sand, crown
Green Bullet Journal Themes
- Green animals: frogs, crocodile, snake, lizard, tortoise
- Green food: avocados, pepper
- Green flowers/ plants: cacti, ivy, potted plants, grass
- Green cartoon characters: Mike Wazowski, Shrek, Yoda, Kermit, Beast boy, Plankton, Hulk, Mojo Jojo, The Grinch, Peter Pan, Luigi, Prince Naveen, Sid the sloth
Blue Theme Ideas For Your Bullet Journal
- Blue animals: peacock, morpho butterfly, whales, dolphins,
- Blue foods: blueberries, slushie
- Blue flowers/ plants: hydrangea, globe thistle, bluebells, forget me not, cornflower, sea holly
- Blue cartoon characters: Stitch, Sonic the Hedgehog, Smurfs, Genie from Aladdin, Squidward, Dory, Sully, The Cookie Monster, The Ice King, Tom (from Tom + Jerry)
- Random: sea, waves, icicles
Purple Bullet Journal Themes
- Purple animals: raven, octopus, jellyfish
- Purple foods: grapes, aubergine
- Purple flowers/ plants: lavender, allium, foxglove, lilac, wisteria, aster
- Purple cartoon characters: Amethyst, Raven, Barney, Cheshire Cat, Fear (Inside out), Randle, Gengar, Waluigi, Eduardo, Ursula, Purple Minion
Pink Bullet Journal Theme Ideas
- Pink animals: pigs, flamingos, axolotl, starfish, jellyfish
- Pink foods: cotton candy/ candy floss, bubble gum, dragon fruit, turkish delight, cupcake, doughnut
- Pink flowers/ plants: roses, cherry blossom, peonies, campion
- Pink cartoon characters: Pink Panther, Patrick Starr, Piglet, Peppa Pig, Snagglepuss, Jigglypuff, Toadette, Princess Peach, Princess Bubblegum
- Random: lipstick, nail polish, ballet slippers
Brown Bujo Theme Ideas and Inspo
- Brown animals: bears
- Brown foods: chocolate
- Brown flowers/ plants: trees, mushrooms
- Brown cartoon characters: Scooby Doo, Tasmanian Devil, Jerry (from Tom + Jerry), Paddington Bear, Bambi, Gingie, Sandy, Mator,
- Random: woodland
Black Bujo Theme Ideas
- Black animals: panther, bat, raven, spider
- Black foods: blackberries, olives
- Black flowers/ plants: black delight viola, black hollyhock
- Random: night sky
Fun Bullet Journal Themes
Lastly, here are some random, fun bullet journal theme ideas:
- TV show inspired spreads: Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Simpsons, Friends
- Film spreads: Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Studio Ghibli
- Game themes: Animal Crossing, Minecraft,
- Disney characters: Disney Princesses, Lilo + Stitch, Alice in Wonderland
- Themes by decade: 90s (yellow, purple, blue and pink, cassettes), 70s (shades of brown, red, and yellow, flowers, peace symbols),
- Places to visit/ travel: London themed, Paris, etc
- Space: Galaxy, planets, aliens, UFOs
- Food inspired spreads: Candy (M+Ms), donuts, cake
- Sporty spreads: Olympics, football, Super Bowl
- Mythical creatures: Fairies, mermaids, dragons, gnomes
Bullet Journal Theme Inspiration Roundup
Hopefully this list of hundreds of bullet journal ideas will have given you some inspiration for your theme.
As there are over 300 to chose from; in fact, it may be difficult to pick just one!
Related Bullet Journal Inspo Posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other posts on bullet journal ideas and inspiration:
- Bullet journal weekly spreads you need to try
- Bullet journal future log ideas
- Bullet journal daily spread ideas to help you be more productive
- June bullet journal themes
- July bullet journal ideas perfect for Summer
- August theme ideas for your bullet journal
- Best September bullet journal themes to try
- October theme ideas for your bullet journal
- November bullet journal themes
- Best December bullet journal spread ideas
- 16 February bujo ideas you’ve never thought of
- Best bullet journal themes for March