Sometimes rainbows can verge on the childish side, but this spread by @bullet_journal_today is anything but!
It’s a really classy and artistic rainbow inspired spread; I love the way the rainbow spills across the double page, and isn’t conventional in its shape.
Don’t feel that incorporating rainbows into your spread has to be by the book; as Lucy shows here, your rainbow can take on any shape, and still look amazing!
Above is a really sweet and fun rainbow bujo spread for June, created by @studyreadlove.
This is another pride inspired spread, with the rainbow colours and “happy pride month” quote in the cute hearts. The hearts remind me of the love heart sweets!
Again, this is another great example of creating a rainbow theme with vivid colours used throughout; you don’t have to draw horse shoe shaped rainbows in your spreads (if you don’t want to!).
This is a super cute rainbow bullet journal spread created by @emma_art_3995.
The repeat pattern of the rainbows and stars really fill the page.
I love the use of the traditional rainbow shape, but that Emma decided not to incorporate the traditional colours of the rainbow; instead she used a very soft and feminine colour palette, sticking to different shades of pinks, browns, and yellows.
Flower Bullet Journal Spread
Flowers are another great idea for a June bullet journal theme.
The flowers are blooming from spring, but are now thriving in the sunshine!
Below are some amazing flower bullet journal spreads for June:
If you’re not much one for drawing, you can still create a beautiful bujo spread using other methods.
As Jen shows here, stickers are a great way to quickly add beautiful imagery to your spread; she’s perfectly combined the bold background colours and butterfly stickers to create a gorgeous, feminine spread.
Fruity BuJo Theme
Food is another idea for a theme for different months, and a fruit inspired spread is perfect for June!
This spread by @bujo.apprentice below uses all different types of fruits in a cute repeat pattern.
I like the mix of the different types of fruits, rather than sticking to just one, as it means you can use different ones on each page throughout the month (or combine them all in a drink, as they’ve done on the left!).
This fruity drink inspired bujo spread created by @banikeswani_wall definitely says summer to me; I can almost taste the mint and citrus as I’m sitting in the garden sun!
Don’t be afraid to stick to one colour when it comes to setting a bullet journal theme for the month.
The colour here is clearly green, but there are lots of different fruits and leaves incorporated into the design, meaning there are plenty of different shades of green to work with throughout the month!
Picnic Bullet Journal Spread for June
In the same vein as food, a picnic inspired bullet journal spread is another cute theme idea for June.
Below are some picnic bujo spreads from Instagram:
Created by @planning_with_danni, I really love this unusual idea of almost dissecting the sandwiches, and seeing them before as initial slices of cheese and loaves of bread, etc! A really cool idea.
I also love that they have been laid out in a kind of repeat pattern style; repeat patterns are such a good idea for bullet journal spreads, as you can carry them on as much as you want and fill your pages if you wish, or just add a couple of doodles here and there for simplicity.
Beach Bullet Journal Spread Inspo
The beach is a great theme for your June bullet journal spread, as most people are starting to enjoy the longer days swimming in the sea and relaxing on the sand!
Check out some beautiful beach inspired spreads below:
I really love the simplicity in this spread by @vandasbujo.
Just a cute line drawing of a boat, the sun and the sea, and a splash of bold colour here and there, and Vanda has created a really gorgeous bullet journal spread for summer. No need to complicate things!
I also really like the idea of drawing something in a polaroid style frame; it helps to make your page seem full, but without having to completely fill it with a drawing and colour.
Vanda has used a silver colour from a pen to give it a 3D effect, and make it seem like there is a polaroid stuck onto the page, which is a great idea. You could also use washi tape if you wanted a 3D effect (or just couldn’t be bothered to draw it yourself, ha!).
June Bullet Journal Spread Idea: Gardening Bujo Theme
This June bullet journal review page by @twosidesofabulletjournal is simply magical!
I love the different plant and flower illustrations dotted around the page; it’s always so interesting seeing people’s drawings.
Gardening is definitely a great theme idea for June; the plants and flowers are enjoying the sunshine, just like the rest of us!
And there are so many different paths you can go down if you create a gardening theme; you can focus on beautiful flowers (of which there are hundreds!), vegetables, the green grass, gardening tools like rakes and shovels, plant pots… The list goes on!
Random June Bullet Journal Ideas
Lastly, here are some cute bullet journal spreads for June I simply had to share.
They didn’t really fit into a category of their own, but I thought they made really nice June theme ideas!
This is a really unique bullet journal spread idea for June, created by @journal_with_joyce.
The colourful canal houses are drawn beautifully, and whilst they’re not a typical theme idea for June, but the colours are so vibrant and uplifting that they really give the spread a cheery, summery mood.
I also love this idea of drawing buildings/ a place as part of a theme for the month if you are visiting that place during that month.
For example, if you are visiting Venice in June, your spread theme can be buildings on the water’s edge and gondolas!
Again, this spread kinda gives me 60s vibes, with the bubble text and the funky rainbow of colours.
I also like the music quote at the bottom; another good idea to make your June spread more personal is to focus your theme on a band you are going to see that month, or a festival you are attending!
June Bullet Journal Theme Ideas Roundup
I hope these amazing bullet journal spreads have given you ideas for your June spread.
Perhaps even for June over the next few years!
Related Bullet Journal Inspo Posts
If you liked this post and found it helpful, please check out these other posts on bullet journal ideas and inspiration:
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 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.
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:
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!
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!
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 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.
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.
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
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)
It can be really exciting looking for bullet journal supplies.
Whether you’re just starting your first bujo, or you’ve got stacks of journals filled, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting brand new stationery!
But, it can also get overwhelming.
Sifting through the endless amount of bullet journal equipment online; the notebooks, pens, markers, colours, accessories…
There’s so much to choose from, it’s difficult to know what supplies are really worth getting (especially if you’re new to the bujo world!). And it can become easy to overspend.
Whether you’re looking for bullet journal equipment to get started, or you’re wanting to add to your already established collection, this post breaks down the best bullet journal supplies.
Read on to find out what bullet journal supplies are really worth your money!
What bullet journal supplies do you need as a beginner?
If you’re new to bullet journaling, you don’t needloads of equipment.
You only need to cover the basics, which are;
Something to write on/in
And something to write with
So supplies you need for bullet journaling boil down to just a notebook, and some pens!
What types of paper can you use for bullet journaling?
Starting with having something to write on, there are actually different types of paper you need to consider.
There are 4 main different types of paper you can choose to start your bullet journal.
These are:
Grid paper. If you pick a bullet journal with grid paper, the sheets will have a continuous square grid printed on it.
Dot grid paper. Imagine a sheet of paper with a grid on it. If you remove the lines, and just leave a dot where the lines meet, that’s where the dots are on dot grid paper.
Lined paper. This is paper just with horizontal lines on. It’s often used for writing on.
Blank paper. Clue is in the name here; this type of paper has nothing on it!
Which type of paper is best for bullet journal beginners?
If you’re a beginner, having paper with dots or lines helps to keep your text straight and designs neat, as the dots and lines act as a guide.
I recommend getting a notebook with dot grid paper if you’re a bujo beginner.
Dots aren’t as invasive as the lines on grid or lined paper, but they provide subtle guidelines to keep your writing straight and drawings neat.
Which type of paper is best for advanced bullet journalers?
If you’ve got a bit more experience with bullet journaling, I recommend using blank paper.
Having a blank page canbe a bit scary!
But if you’re a creative person who has designed many spreads before, using a journal with blank paper will allow you to have as much freedom as possible when creating your designs.
You can still use dot grid paper, however, if you prefer to have a bit of guidance when designing (like I do!).
What style notebook can you use for bullet journaling?
There are lots of different style notebooks you can choose from for your bullet journal.
You can pick from any of the following style bullet journal notebooks;
Spiral notebook
Soft cover journal
Hardcover journal
Journal specifically for bullet journaling, with special pages like habit trackers, keys, etc included.
Best bullet journal notebooks
There are lots of notebook brands that produce great notebooks for bullet journalling.
Some of the best bullet journal notebook brands online include:
Leuchtturm1917: This is a highly recommended brand of notebooks in the bullet journal world.
Archer & Olive: Look online and you’ll see plenty of praise for Archer & Olive Notebooks. Their journals are on the expensive side, but the paper in them is super thick (some have pages that are 200gsm!).
Yop & Tom: This is another great bullet journal notebook brand, but with slightly cheaper price points than Archer & Olive.
These are just some of the best bullet journal notebook brands, but there are more available.
If you’re looking for specific bullet journal notebooks to try, read on for some notebook recommendations!
Best bujo notebooks for beginners
Here are my favourite notebooks for beginner bullet journalers:
This is a well known brand that is constantly recommended by bujo enthusiasts.
For starters, the size is ideal; A5 is convenient, and well-sized for carrying around.
It’s also been designed with travel in mind; it has a hard cover, so you can lean on it when writing or drawing out and about. It is also thread-bound, meaning it opens flat, allowing you to bring your designs right up to the centre of the two-page spread.
It also has an elastic closure band, 2 ribbon page markers to easily note what page you are working on, and a pocket in the back cover.
The high page count (over 200 pages!) of individually numbered pages means you have plenty of room to design your spreads in this bullet journal, and included in the pages in this edition of the Leuchtturm1917 is a table of contents and a set of stickers for labelling included.
The pages also have dots to help you plan your designs, making it perfect for new bullet journalers who need some guidance on the page.
Laslty, the journal comes in plenty of different coloured covers, including black, dark red, green, and blue; whilst I like the shades of the colours on offer, I wish there were a few more!
Hard cover, so you can lean on it when writing or drawing
Thread-bound so it opens flat
Lots of pages included (over 200)
Individually numbered pages
Includes a table of contents and a set of stickers for labelling
Has an elastic closure band, 2 ribbon page markers, and a pocket in the back cover
Dotted paper to help you plan your designs
4 different coloured covers to choose from
SIDE NOTE: There are different versions of this notebook available on Amazon (I found one that has a stunning lilac cover).
Whatever you do, make sure you check the paper thickness, and don’t go for any versions where the paper is 80 gsm if you’re planning to use any inky pens. The paper will be too thin and the ink will bleed through.
The ones with 80 gsm paper do seem to have more pages (250+), but the paper is too thin.
The one I have recommended above has most of the same features, but thicker paper!
2. Yop & Tom Dotted Journal Notebook A5 – Moon and Stars – Updated 2021 Design – with Extra Thick Paper (160 GSM) – Bullet Grid Journal – Midnight Blue
I love this bullet journal; it was actually my first ever bullet journal!
I picked it because I liked the cute moon and starts design on the front.
As I said with the previous notebook, A5 is the perfect size for convenient carrying.
The hard cover is stitched lay-flat binding, so you can easily lay the pages flat to work on, and lean on them when writing or drawing.
(Plus the cover is vegan. Go environmentally friendly products!).
The 160 individually numbered pages include a page for a key, index, and pen test pages, and the paper is very thick at 160 gsm (perfect for colourful spreads!).
Lastly, I also recommend this notebook for beginner bullet journalers.
This notebook by Scribbles that Matter has dotted paper to help plan your designs.
The paper is super thick (160gsm), so there won’t be any bleeding through.
It also has a vegan leather cover available in 10 different colours.
Here’s a roundup of why I recommend this notebook:
Vegan leather cover available in 10 different colours
Dotted paper
Thick paper (160gsm)
PLEASE NOTE: Some people have noted recently that the elasticated band on the front is coming in a different colour to what is in the image.
So these are the bullet journals I recommend for beginners.
But if you’re used to bullet journaling, you can check out these bullet journals that I recommend for advanced bullet journalers.
(Of course, you can also chose a bullet journal from those recommended for beginners! But these next bullet journals I only recommend for advanced bullet journalers).
This Leuchtturm1917 notebook is similar to the edition mentioned for beginners; it has a hardcover that’s thread-bound, and individually numbered pages (this one actually has more pages included at 250+ pages).
However, this notebook has plain paper inside; no guides or anything.
If you’ve created a number of bullet journal spreads, the blank space won’t be as intimidating to bullet journal newbies, but will allow you to be as creative as your heart desires.
It’s also worth noting that the paper is very thin compared to the beginner bullet journals at 80gsm, but if you’re experienced (and not using pens that are too inky), you should be able to avoid any bleed through.
Paper is 160 gsm and acid-free, so no bleeding or ghosting and ink will glide over the page
Includes a key code page, index pages, and colour coded bookmarks to help with organization
Pages are dotted and numbered
These are all the 2 bullet journals I recommend trying if you’re looking for a bit more of a challenge with your spreads!
Now we’ll move onto the next bullet journal supply you’ll need; pens.
What types of pens can you use for bullet journaling?
There are tons of different types of pens you can use for your bullet journal
Some include:
Fineliners
Coloured Markers
Brush pens
Gel pens
Fountain pens
Highlighters
What type of pens are good for bullet journaling?
Fineliners are one of the best types of pens to use in your bullet journal.
They’re great for both drawing and writing notes, as they tend to be less inky.
This means your designs will dry quickly with minimal smudging, and the ink tends to not bleed through paper.
Whilst fineliners are great as they’re not too inky, it’s good to keep in mind coloured fineliners can be a bit tricky to colour in with, as they can end up with visible lines.
So for that reason, brush pens or even coloured pencils are best for adding large amounts of colour to your bullet journal designs.
But that’s only if you don’t want any lines showing in your colouring in. If you don’t mind lines, feel free to colour in your drawings with fineliners!
And of course, coloured fineliners are perfectly fine for adding small amounts of colour to your spreads.
What types of pens are best for bullet journal beginners?
If you’re new to bullet journalling I recomend the following pens:
Non inky pens, such as fineliners for writing and drawing/ adding small amounts of colour only (NOT colouring in)
Brush markers to add colour (or coloured pencils, but obviously these are not pens!)
Highlighters are also quite beginner-friendly
What types of pens are best for advanced bullet journalers?
If you have a bit more experience the following pens can require a bit more practice, or have a knack to using them;
Thin nibbed fineliners (the thin nibs require a gentle hand, or the nib might snap)
Gel pens (these can smudge easily)
Fountain pens (again, smudge easily)
Calligraphy pens (these take a lot of practice to get right!)
Best bujo pens for beginners
Below are some of the best bullet journal pens for beginners.
If you want to read more about bullet journal pens specifically, please check out this post on the 18best bullet journal pens.
Bujo fineliners for beginners
Below are the best bullet journal fineliners for beginners;
Staedtler 308 SB6P Pigment Liner Fineliner; these black fineliners have nibs of different thicknesses, from 0.1mm – 0.8mm (I recommend avoiding using the thinnest nibs if you’re not very experienced!).
Colouring brush pens beginners
If you’re looking to add a large amount of colour to your spreads, brush pens are an excellent choice.
The coloured brush pens I recommend for bullet journal beginners are the ones below;
You have plenty of colours to chose from in this set with 36 colours in total, but it’s worth noting that there are more of some colours in the pack than others.
For example, there are 6 shades of pink! But only 3 purples.
However, they are still a great set of brush pens for beginners.
Gel pens for beginners
Generally I recommend steering clear of gel pens if you’re a beginner, as they have serious smudging potential.
But if you’re particularly keen to use gel pens, I recommend the pens below; the ink dries very quickly to avoid smudging!
Now we’ve been through pens for beginners, here’s a list of advanced bullet journal pens.
Remember, there’s nothing stopping you checking these out even if you’re new to bullet journaling!
Just that these pens are advised for more advanced creators, as they require a bit more practice to use.
And remember, even if you’re a bullet journal pro, you can still just stick to the beginner pens recommended if you want to stay on the safe side.
Best bullet journal fineliners for advanced bullet journalers
Uni Pin Fineliner Drawing Pens – 0.1mm / 0.5mm – Black, Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Sepia; I love these fineliners because they are super thin, making them great for adding details to your drawings. I also love that they come in colours other than black! Especially the dark grey; sometimes you don’t want the outline to be dark and completely black, so it’s great to have the dark grey and brown as alternatives.
If you’re looking to add more colouring brush markers to your collection, I recommend the set below, as it includes 72 colours:
Funnasting 72-Colors dual tip BrushPens; these are like a 2-in-1 fineliner and bush marker set, as they’re dual tipped. One side has a 0.4mm fine point, and the other a soft brush tip for adding larger amounts of colour.
Advanced gel pens
Black gel pens for advanced bullet journalers
MUJI 0.38mm Black Gel Ink Pen (Pack of 5); these gel pens are great if you’re careful not to let the ink smudge. The pens are quite small/ short, so they’re also easy to carry around.
Best coloured gel pens
Muji Gel Ink Ballpoint Pen Cap Type 9-Colours Set, 0.38 mm Nib Size; the same brand do coloured gel pens. I recommend this set because again, they’re small and easy to carry round, but there are only 9 colours available in this set (so don’t buy if you’re looking for a yellow gel pen!).
Fountain pens
I only recommend fountain pens as a more advanced bullet journal supply.
Mainly because you do not need them at all!
But they are quite interesting to use.
Black Fountain Pen
Pilot Pen Disposable Fountain Pen – Black (Pack of 3); over 80% of the reviews for these pens are 5 star! They have a 0.58mm bib that gives a medium thickness line, and an ink controller mechanism for no leaks. You can also see how much ink is left in the pen thanks to the transparent ink window.
White Fountain Pen
LAMY Safari Medium Nib Fountain Pen – White; again, this fountain pen is highly rated, with multiple 5 star reviews. The white fountain pen is great for adding white highlights to your illustrations, or creating white text and drawings on a black background. This one is available with nibs of different thickness from extra fine through to broad, and it even comes in a left handed option!
Pens for handwriting
Hethrone Calligraphy Pens; this set has 8 different calligraphy pens including both soft and hard tips. The nibs come in 1mm, 2mm, and 3mm thickness, extra-fine, fine, medium, large, and soft brush. They are also quick drying and waterproof (meaning no smudges or ink running if you accidentally spill something on your journal!).
Coloured markers
Copic Marker 12 Piece Set; Copic markers are top end markers. They’re definitely on the pricier end, but they’re great for illustrations and adding large amounts of colour, as you can layer them. I also love that they have a set of colours just for different skin tones!
Roundup of advanced bullet journal pens
Below is a roundup of the best bullet journal pens for advanced bullet journalers:
Now that we’ve looked at pens, you might want different methods of adding colour to your spreads.
One of which is watercolour paints.
Can you use watercolour paints in your bullet journal?
When you use a medium that is inky/ wet, there is a chance the results will be slightly inky or damp.
And of course, watercolours are designed to be painted on watercolour paper; this paper is thick, and is designed to absorb the water and pigments.
You can however definitely use watercolours in your bullet journal. You just have to make sure the paper in your journal is thick enough to handle it, and don’t go overboard with the water!
Best watercolours for your bullet journal
Below are the best watercolours to use in your bujo spreads:
Faber-Castell is a well known and trusted brand when it comes to watercolours.
This set included 48 highly pigmented watercolour pans, including unusual colours like metallic and neon paint.
It also includes a water brush so you don’t have to worry about carrying a little jar of water around with you if you’re painting out and about, and it also has a detachable mixing palette!
Again, Winsor & Newton is another excellent brand name in the painting world.
This lightweight set has 45 pans; note that this is not 45 different colours, as there are only around 40 different colours in total, but there have bee reserves of colours you may use frequently (such as black) included in the set.
It also comes with paintbrush and mixing space, which combined with its light weight, makes it perfect for travel.
If you’re looking for something on the cheaper side, I recommend this pack of Reeves watercolours.
It’s on the smaller side in comparison to the previous two, as it only has 18 colours. But this is more than enough for simply adding colour to your spreads!
The only other thing to note is that these watercolour paints come in tubes; this doesn’t make it ideal for travelling, as the tubes are e a bit more fiddly to use than a pan.
But they’re a great idea if you’re looking to add some colour at home!
Roundup of the best bullet journal supplies for beginners
Here’s a roundup of the best bullet journal equipment for bujo newbies:
Now we’ve looked at the best bullet journal supplies for beginners and more advanced bullet journalers, you might be interested in accessories.
I want to make it clear that bullet journal accessories aren’t necessary.
You can make beautiful bullet journal spreads without any accessories.
But, accessories are always nice to have!
And it’s great to have a long “bujo wish list” for when family members ask to buy you birthday presents (and trust me, there are plenty of accessories to chose from!).
Check out the best bullet journal accessories below:
Bullet Journal Ruler
A ruler is always handy for helping to draw straight lines in your spreads, in particular for drawing boxes, etc.
This Helix folding ruler is double the size of the previous one, so you’ll be able to draw much longer lines with it.
However as it’s foldable, it’s still just as convenient, and you can fit it into a pencil case easily.
Again, it’s inexpensive (so you’re not breaking the bank!) and transparent (to see your designs underneath as you’re drawing).
Bullet Journal Stencils
tThere are loads of different sets of bullet journal stencils on Amazon.
These sets can be quite big; they usually include 18 – 26 sheets, and have a variety of shapes on each sheet to use in your bullet journal spreads.
These stencils are also quite cheap (both in cost and quality)…
…They’re usually under £15, and the plastic can be thin and flimsy.
However, despite them being cheap and low quality, they are useful. You can get a clean line by using washi tape to fix down the stencil tightly on the page, then lightly trace the shape.
This is good as a starter set; you can test out the different shapes, and figure out which ones you use the most often.
Then you can upgrade to a higher quality stencil with thicker plastic, once you know exactly what stencils you will use.
The main benefit to these stencils being so thin is that you can carry them around in your bullet journal easily as they’re not bulky, so they won’t add any extra thickness to your journal.
Bullet Journal Stamps
Stamps are a great way to speed up your bullet journaling process.
They also look really good in your journal!
There are lots of silicone stamps available from Amazon and other retailers.
However, I don’t recommend silicone stamps; they are fiddly to work with, and are often poorly printed with errors.
Below are some higher quality stamps I do recommend:
This set of 36 wooden stamps includes all the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 0 – 9.
The stamps come in a cute little wooden box, and there is also space to store the ink pad.
Whilst it may be time consuming to stamp each letter or number individually, these long wooden stamps are much easier to hold, and better quality than the silicone stamps.
It also means you’re not limited in your stamping designs, as you can create as many combos and basically write whatever you want with your stamps!
Best Illustrative Stamps for your Bullet Journal
You can also get beautiful illustrative stamps to use in your journal.
I really recommend these, as they’re a super quick way to add pretty designs to your journal (plus you don’t really need any skills to use them!).
Check out some beautiful stamps below:
Top Stamping Tip: When you load up your stamp, make sure you do a first press on scrap paper, then stamp onto your paper, so the ink doesn’t bleed and make the stamper image messy.
The stamps in this set are so unique; they include planets, stars, and even bubble blowing!
I like that in these set of 24, they come in varying sizes; some of the planet stamps are tiny, so you can easily add them into your designs.
The only thing I don’t like about this set is that I think 3 bubble blowing stamps are too many, since they’re very similar; it would have been better to have different designs than 3 that are very similar.
This is another good set to try if you’re looking for planet inspired stamps.
There are 16 different moon, stars and planet wood and rubber stamps in this set, but these ones are all the same size (which is quite dainty, making them perfect to easily fit into your spreads).
Again, these wooden and rubber stamps are the perfect addition to a stamp collection.
There are 16 different butterfly designs in this set.
The only negative to note is as the stamps are quite small, a couple of the designs include writing, but it’s so small it’s virtually impossible to read!
However, the designs are gorgeous regardless.
Bullet journal stickers
Stickers are another great bujo accessory to add to your collection.
Similar to stamps, they’re quick and easy to use, whilst helping to make your spreads more exciting.
This is a very large set of stickers for a journal.
There are over 1,300 stickers included, making it excellent value for money.
It includes a good mix of practical stickers for planning, brightly coloured and fun stickers, and motivational ones. It basically has something for everyone.
The large amount of stickers can be seen as a plus, but it also can be a bit overwhelming, and it’s really unlikely you’ll like or use all of them.
It’s also been noted that they have a slightly “younger” look, aimed more at teenagers.
However, they’re not at all expensive, and you can just pick your favourites out of the set to use!
This washi tape set includes 10 rolls, and each roll uses a different design, from floral and leaves to geometric.
This tape is easy to tear and place and sticks very well, but there are some reports of it causing paper to tear after removing it. So it’s best to only use it if you’re not planning moving it at all it afterwards.
It’s also worth mentioning that it’s advertised as gold foil washi tape… But only some of the rolls actually use gold foil in the design!
If you want to add a bit of colour to your buo spreads, this is the washi tape for you!
This set of 30 brightly coloured washi tape is perfect for adding colour to your designs.
It’s easy to use, and also reasonably priced considering there are 30 rolls included!
Circle Maker
No matter how much you try, it’s pretty much impossible to draw a perfect circle.
And whilst you can probably get it near enough over time, if you don’t fancy practicing drawing circles, a circle maker is a smart bullet journal supply to invest in.
Lots of different option colour combinations to choose from
90 sheets per pad; good value for money
Very good stickiness
These colourful square post its are from a well known brand (Post It are perhaps the most well known brand for Post It Notes).
Lots of different option colour combination sets to choose from.
Each set has 90 sheets per pad and the pages have very good stickiness, making them good value for money.
They are slightly large depending on how you’re intending to use them in your designs, but there’s always the option to cut them smaller and glue them into your spreads if need be.
These bright and colourful heart shaped sticky notes are super fun your your spreads!
The link is for the hearts, but there other shapes post its available, like flowers and speech bubbles.
A Set of Clips
Paper/binder clips are really handy for laying your bullet journal pages down flat.
The clips keep the pages down instead of your hands, so the pages don’t spring up suddenly and smudge your designs, plus they help to make sure you can go right up to the middle of the double page.
Your binder clips don’t need to be fancy, as they don’t feature in the final product! They’re just a tool that helps to create your spread.
This set included 100 clips of various sizes; mini, small, medium, jumbo, large, and extra large, so you can pick the best size to fit your bullet journal.
The best thing about this bullet journal supply unlike others mentioned is you can reuse them, so you only need to purchase them the once!
Glue
Glue is another handy supply to have in your collection; you never know when you’ll need to stick something in!
Glue dots are good option because you can reuse them/ remove them without making a mess
They’re also a great option for sticking stuff down if you want to give it a slight 3D effect, as they tend to be slightly thicker than traditional glue/ glue rollers, and therefore leave a slight gap.
However, they’re not a good choice for sticking sticking items down flat.
Sticky fixers are an even better option if you want to create a 3D effect, as they’re slightly thicker than glue dots.
They’re also a bit larger, but can be cut down to smaller sizes with a scissors if need me.
But again, as they’re quite thick and create a 3D effect, I would not recommend using them too much in your bullet journal, as you might not be able to get it to close properly if all the pages are extra thick!
Tippex mouse
Tipp-Ex is good for covering up pen any mistakes you make in your spreads (providing your bujo paper is white of course!).
Again, whilst not a necessity, if you’re the kind of person who is into stationery, you also the kind of person who will want to keep it organised (or even if you don’t want to, it’s probably still a good idea!).
Below are some bullet journal accessory storage ideas:
Desk Storage
It’s good to keep your most regularly used bullet journalling supplies neat and organised on your desk using desk organisers, so you can access them easily.
This vertical desk organizer is advertised as a pen organizer, but it’s actually good for keeping all your stationery neat and tidy (not just your pens) as it has compartments of varying sizes.
This desk tidy is definitely on the smaller side; the slanted storage in particular will only be able to hold a couple of pens each, so you definitely won’t be able to store all your supplies in just one.
But you can either purchase multiple, or invest in a larger desk organizer if you have a lot of supplies to organize…
Large Desk Organiser
If the last two suggestions were slightly too small for you, check out this large mesh desk organizer below:
This desk organizer is larger than the previous 2; it has 5 compartments that are various shapes and a drawer, so you can store different types of stationery in it.
The mesh also means you can see all your stationery at a glance, so you know where everything is.
This organizer also comes fully assembled (yay for unbox and go), and is available in blue, gold, and rose gold.
This drawer divider has 5 different compartments to help organize your drawers; you can purchase multiple to fill your drawer, and also stack them on top of each other.
(It’s worth pointing out that it does not come with a lid, and isn’t exactly large. But this means you can fit more together in your drawer!).
Stationery Supply Storage Boxes with Lids
If you’re looking for storage with a lid, check out these storage boxes below:
Remember, when gathering supplies for your bullet journal, you decide how much or how little you need.
You can push the boat out and get all the supplies and accessories… Or you can keep it conservative with the bare basics – it’s totally up to you.
There are plenty of good quality, affordable supplies available, and lots of varying designs, so you can make sure your bullet journal equipment is exactly what you need.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, but most importantly – have fun with it.
And use your supplies and stationery to make your bullet journal whatever you want it to be!
Related Bullet Journal Supplies posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other posts on bullet journal supplies you might like:
If you’re new to the bullet journal world, you’re probably searching for fun ideas and spreads inspo to recreate.
You also probably started your bullet journal because you want to be a bit productive (and creative, of course!).
If you’re looking for creative but productive bujo spread ideas, you need to try a daily spread.
What is a bullet journal daily spread?
A daily bullet journal spread (or daily log) is part of the original bullet journal idea of combining planning and tracking.
A daily spread in your bullet journal is a spread that allows you to plan and track each day of your week.
You can include things like a daily to do list to plan a productive day, but you also have space to review your day; to track and take note of things that happened.
You can plan and track important things in your daily spread, like;
Plan each day of your week, and organise upcoming days in advance
Pace a reminder for events happening the following day, and then review that event once the day is over and the event has happened
Track important habits with a habit tracker; you can record your mood, the weather, your water intake for the day, the amount of steps you took, the amount of sleep you got, etc
Now you know a little more about daily spreads, you might want to create your own.
This post is all about daily spreads for beginners, including the pros and cons of daily spreads, and daily spread inspiration to make your own!
So read on for inspiration and ideas for your daily spread.
When do you make a bujo daily spread?
If you’ve decided you want to start a daily spread in your bujo, you might not be sure when to start one.
Typically, you create a daily spread the night before the upcoming day (or first thing the morning of that day, if you don’t have time the night before!).
This is to make sure you are planning the day just before it begins; by leaving it close to the day, you are ensuring you include everything you need to for each day.
If you plan it too early, you may have new plans that come up for example, and may not have left enough space to fit them in.
So creating your daily spread the day before or of the day means you can be sure it is up to date and as accurate as possible.
As daily spreads are made very regularly, you can leave as much space as you need to, and add anything you want in; as much or as little information as you like.
What should be in a daily bullet journal log?
Your daily log can contain a mix of plans for your day, and then tracking the day after it’s finished.
In terms of planning your day, you can make lists of things you have to do for the day, such as;
To-do lists
Appointments and meetings to attend
Events happening that day
Reminders for the day
Then in terms of tracking in your daily spread, you can;
Tick off as you complete the tasks you planned
Journal your thoughts for the day
Track your habits throughout the day
And make a note of anything else you want to track.
Aside from planning and tracking, your daily spread can also be used as a place to write goals and quotes, and record important ideas.
The positives and negatives of a daily journal
A daily spread can be a great tool for productivity in your bujo.
And there are a lot of advantages to keeping a daily log.
The pros of a daily log
As you make the spreads daily, you can ensure there is the right amount of space for you for each day. This means you can leave plenty of space to write in and track your habits if you know your next day is going to be a productive one, or leave less space if you know you’re not going to have much to say for the following day.
As you decide how much space you leave for your daily spread, you can allow plenty of space to be thoroughly organised for each day (if you want to be super productive with your daily spread that is!).
You can also allow more space to be creative; you can leave a full page or even a double spread for your daily log to fill with drawings and illustrations.
If you like writing, a daily spread allows you to be more free flowing with your writing, as you can leave dedicated journal space to fill thoughts and feelings for each day (sometimes bullet journal spreads are not very wordy).
A daily log also allows to solely focus on what is planned for each day; you can take each day is it comes, and not worry about the days, weeks, or months ahead.
The cons of a daily log
Whilst a daily log is a fun spread, it does have some disadvantages.
Since daily spreads are usually created the night before, you can’t pre-plan your spreads any earlier. So it’s not great if you like time to plan your spreads, and prepare them days in advance!
They are daily spreads, so you have to create a page everyday; it can be time consuming creating new spreads each day.
If you’re mentioning things in your daily spread you’ve already covered in your weekly spread, you might find yourself re-writing some things.
What is time blocking in your bullet journal?
Time blocking is an easy but super productive feature to include in your daily spread.
Time blocking is a way for you to break down and manage the time you have in each day in your bullet journal.
You take a block of time, and then assign that time to complete a certain task or activity.
When the time in your day is laid out clearly in front of you, you can easily see all the time you have to work with.
You might think this could be overwhelming, but by breaking the day down into small chunks, your time becomes much easier to manage and plan.
Which should help you to be more productive with all the time you have, and hopefully complete more tasks!
How do you block time in a bullet journal?
To create a space for time blocking in your bullet journal, you firstly need to decide what hours you are planning for.
For example, on a working day of the week, you might want to plan your time between 9 am and 5 pm (perhaps later if you’re a student and need to study).
Either way, start by deciding your scheduled time you want to plan for.
Then, draw a small square in your bullet journal.
Each square represents a certain time of day, and an amount of time.
So that one square can be 9:00am, and what you’re going to do at 9:00am for 30 mins.
Once you’ve drawn your first square, on the left of that block, write the time of day you have decided to start your plan for.
Once you have drawn and labelled one block with the first time of day, you then draw another block next to it (either above or below it).
I recommend drawing your second block below, as you’re going to be writing next to each block, and I find it easier to write across the page than down, but either way is fine.
This square represents the next block of time you have to plan.
So if your blocks are 30 mins each, this second block will represent 9:30am.
(Each block you draw does not necessarily need to be equal; you may plan the start of your day in 30 minute increments, then tail off to 1 hour increments in the evening. But to start, it is simpler to stick to having a block meaning an exact amount of time).
Continue to draw multiple blocks or squares underneath each other in your spread, and label them the time of day they represent as you go.
Keep drawing out squares until you have your full day out in blocks labeled with the designated times; if you are planning a working day, keep creating blocks until you reach 5pm, or later if you want to plan your evening too.
Then, next to each block on the write hand side, you can write your plan/ to do tasks for that set time of the day!
If you have a task that will take more than half an hour (and you are sticking to each block representing 30 minutes) you can group together multiple blocks to show it will take longer than the given amount of time a block takes you.
You can also colour code the blocks, or use a key to plan your time more efficiently.
Adding trackers to your bullet journal daily spread
Whilst time blocking is a great way to make sure the hours in your day are productive, another way to monitor you day for productivity is to include a tracker.
A daily tracker is a way to monitor an activity or habit for each day.
Some trackers you can include in your daily spreads are:
Habit trackers, like water intake trackers, exercise trackers or a total step count, sleep trackers .
The weather
Mood tracker
Activity trackers
Study trackers
You can include just one of these trackers, or all of them, depending on how many of your habits you want to keep track of!
Bullet journal daily layout inspiration
Now you know all about daily spreads, including how to make one and what to include in your daily log, it’s time to make your own!
Check out these amazing daily log ideas below:
Creative bullet journal daily pages
If you’ve got the time to spend, you can make really creative daily logs with illustrations.
This daily log by Dear.tinna has an amazing torchic illustration.
Pokémon is a great theme idea for your daily spreads; there are so many different ones, that you can create a Pokémon daily spread for each day of the year for over a year, and not run out of characters to draw!
But even if you’re not a Pokémon fan, you can still take inspo from this spread; by drawing a cute cartoon or character and sticking to set colours, you can create a strong theme for your daily spread.
This spread isn’t just about the looks either; it also has multiple different sections to plan and organise your day, including a daily log, to-do list, and a cute reminder section.
So don’t feel you have to pick either being creative or productive for your daily spread; you can have both.
A great theme idea for your daily logs is to pick a colour, and base your spread around that.
This log by Virginie Le Rouzic uses a vibrant shade of yellow, giving it a bright and bold vibe.
The illustrations of the lemons and lemonade also give the spread a strong summer theme.
Again, Virginie has made sure there is plenty of room to write about her day, by making sure the illustrations are mostly around the border of the page.
But don’t feel too restricted in ensuring your design leaves lots of writing space; Virginie has added illustrations to the center of the page too, and it’s worked out beautifully!
If you’re not one for filling your bullet journal spreads, perhaps a minimalist approach is a better idea to try.
Above is a perfect example of minimal daily spread; it’s concise, and contains very little content compared to the last spread we looked at.
But despite being concise and minimal, this daily spread is still creative; it has a clear feminine theme, and even has a sweet quote at the end, which uses layering to add some visual depth.
We already know that time blocking is a great way to use your daily spread for productivity, and the spread pictured above is good example of this.
This daily spread by Marisa has a very detailed time blocking section to keep your day organised and on track.
There has been time mapped out for the majority of the day in 30 minute increments, meaning most the day can be thoroughly planned if need be.
This time blocking section is also colour coded; colour coding your time blocking means you can get a lot of detail about that day with a quick glance.
You can set different activities as different colours, so if you quickly look at the page, you can see what type of activity you have at that time; for example, meetings and appointments can be in one colour, exercise in another colour, etc.
Or rather than setting an activity in a certain colour, you can colour each block of time depending on whether you completed the planned activity next to it; a green block can mean you completed it, a red block you didn’t start it, and an orange one to show you did start the task, but couldn’t finish it.
These are just suggestions of course; you can colour code your time however you want!
Here is another great example of a daily spread with time blocking.
This spread by curlsarestudying makes the most of each page; the time blocking fills the vertical space, meaning the day can be thoroughly planned from start to finish.
They have also made clever use of the space, by splitting up the pages into different sections.
If you’ve got different parts of the day you want to time block for, you can also split up the page into different sections like above.
For example, you can have 9 – 5 planned in detail (perhaps in 30 min increments), but after 5, you can split the page by drawing a line across it, and then just plan the evening by the hour.
You can also split up the page for different purposes, like essential tasks being done before a certain time, then less essential tasks in a second section to be completed after a certain time.
But either way, splitting up the page into sections is a great idea to fully utilise time blocking to its full potential.
If you’re new to bullet journaling and looking for layout ideas for your daily spread, a single page daily spread is a great idea.
This is because having only a single page means there is less space to feel overwhelmed by.
(It also helps to keep your daily spread concise, as a single page means you can only include the most important details for the day!).
The daily spread above is a good example of a one page daily spread.
A single page doesn’t mean that you have to skimp on the details of you day either.
In the above daily spread, despite being only one page, lots of information about the day has been included.
The small space has been divided into sections and labelled with multiple headings and titles, giving each section a clear purpose.
Your daily spread can have a number of different purposes, like tracking habits, making to do lists, etc.
Splitting the page into sections helps to allocate enough space for each job you want your daily spread.
This spread has some great ideas for other topics to cover in your daily spread too, such as what you’re working on, things to update, and tracking stuff you need to buy.
Daily habit tracker
Another thing you can add to your daily spread is a habit tracker.
These are great for helping you track certain behaviours throughout the day, and can even help to make sure you’re improving these habits.
For example, if you include a sleep tracker in your daily spread, you can work on getting more sleep if your tracker is showing you’re not getting enough rest each day.
The above daily spread by Eva is a great example of a simple yet effective habit tracker in a daily spread.
Despite only including a few drawings and some words, it clearly tracks a lot of key information, including how much exercise was done that day, what time they woke up, how long they slept for, how long they read for, etc.
The habit tracker above also includes some super cute doodles.
If you don’t want your habit tracker to take up too much time, but want to track multiple habits, you can pick a simple icon to represent each habit like Eva has.
You will get quick at drawing each icon the more times you draw it for each daily spread!
Expenses daily tracker
If you’re into budgeting and keeping on top of your finances, another tracker you might want to include in your daily spread is an expenses tracker.
Making note of all the things you are spending money on each day can really help you to notice a pattern in your spending habits.
Hopefully if you can clearly see where your money is going, it will help you work out if it’s going to the right places, or if you need to start budgeting a bit better!
Above is an example of a daily bullet journal spread with an expenses tracker.
There is a box at the bottom right of the page, which has plenty of room to note down all your purchases for the day (no matter how many there are!).
This spread also shows you that you don’t have to dedicate the whole of your daily log to just one item.
Despite having plenty of space for an expenses tracker, there are also boxes for writing to-do lists, notes, and even a water intake tracker.
So don’t feel you can only track your expenses in your daily log, if you’re creating a daily spread for budgeting purposes; you can still fit plenty of other information around your spending tracker (even if you do like to splash the cash).
If you think you’ve got too much stuff to include in a single daily spread, check out this example above.
This daily log has loads of detail, but has the perfect blend of organizing on the left page, and creativity with quotes and images on the right.
The right page in particular looks full, and has layered different materials like washitape and pictures to help add more dimension to the page.
One of the most productive things you can include in your daily spread is a checklist.
Just like the example above, to help with productivity, try including a list of things you need to do that day, and tick off your tasks after you complete them; either as you do them throughout the day, or as you’re filling in your daily log at the end of the day.
You can even write your checklist the day before, so you can wake up that day knowing exactly what you need to do!
Above is another great example of a bullet journal spread with a checklist.
This spread by Cecile has clear spaces for each day, and dedicated checklist spaces for each day.
This daily spread has been drawn out, but not filled in yet.
This is really helpful to see, as creating a layout before you start filling anything in is a great idea if you hate working with a blank page.
You can map out the space and set up where you want things to go, then come back to fill in the details; for example, you can set out boxes for your checklist, then write what needs to be done alongside the tick boxes.
I also really love the use of stickers in this spread; they help to add lots of colour and personality to the page, but the sticker process is much easier than having to hand draw it all yourself!
This spread by Kas shows how to make your daily bullet journal spread productive by using a key.
After writing out tasks for the day, rather than ticking them off once the day is completed, you can do little symbols next to the task to mean different things.
For example, a tick can mean the task listed was completed, a cross means wasn’t started, a dash can mean it was partially started, a * can mean it was moved to a later date, etc.
Rather than just crossing things of a list, using a key will allow you to add even more information to your spread, but without taking up much extra room.
So by just creating a key, and putting different symbols next to each task, you can look back at a later date and see exactly what happened with each task on that day, rather than reducing it down to “Did I do this; yes or no?”.
Daily bullet journal spread with writing
If you prefer to write than plan, a daily spread is actually one of the best bullet journal spreads you can create.
You can draw out your page for the upcoming day, and leave your page pretty much blank, then write all about your day in the space after the day has taken place.
You can write as little or as much as you like; it’s your bullet journal, after all!
Here is a great example of a bullet journal daily spread with lots of writing.
Whilst they have included plenty of information about the day, such as the date, events happening, and tasks for the day, there is also a huge section on the left to write in.
So if you’re more of a journaler than a bulletjournaler, you can still make a daily spread work for you!
I also love the use of layering here; the additional layers of paper for the events and tasks help to make sure they are highlighted, and the room for writing about the day has a dedicated space on the left.
Daily spread with quote
The last idea for your daily bujo spread is adding a quote.
Adding a quote or thought is a great way to make your spread both creative and personal.
You can chose a quote that means something to you, and design it in a way that allows your creativity to flow when drawing it out.
Want to learn how to doodle flowers in your bullet journal?
Perhaps you want to add flower drawings to your spring spreads?
If you’re looking for flower doodles, an easy flower to learn how to draw is lavender.
Why learn to draw lavender flowers?
Lavender is an amazing flower to draw in your bujo spreads.
They are a beautiful, elegant flower, and the bright purple will add vivid colour to your bullet journal spreads.
But also because the lavender plant has deep meaning.
The symbolic meaning of lavender flowers
The lavender flower is a great flower to illustrate as it has a number of different meanings:
Lavender symbolizes a number of powerful emotions, such as devotion and love
The lavender flower also represents more soothing ideas, such as calmness, tranquility, peace
Lastly, the colour of the lavender petals themselves have deep meaning. Purple is a royal colour, that symbolizes elegance and luxury
With these different meanings in mind, lavender doodles can be used in your bullet journal for various spreads!
Lavender bullet journal ideas
So now you know what lavender symbolizes, you might be wondering how exactly you can incorporate it into your bullet journal designs.
Check out these different ideas for lavender drawings in your bullet journal below:
Spring and summer spreads. Lavender plants are typically summer-blooming flowers, so adding them to your summer spreads is a great idea. Some Lavender flowers bloom early in springtime, so you could also use them in a spring spread.
As a theme spread. When creating monthly spreads with definite themes, it can be hard to think of ideas for every month of the year. Rather than just adding them into a spring or summer spread, you can pick one month in the summer, and dedicate it to a lavender theme.
Colourful spreads. Perhaps you don’t like creating themes for your spreads, but like to focus on set colour? If so, lavender drawings are a great doodle to add to a purple themed spread (providing you colour them in of course!).
With quotes. As the lavender flower represents powerful emotions like love and devotion, you could draw some next to a relevant quote.
Meditation tracker or self care page. Because they also represent peace and calmness, you could also add lavender drawings into any spreads relevant to these, such as a meditation or mindfulness tracker, or a self care page.
Goals spread. Lastly, as lavender can symbolize luxury, you could also add them onto a goals spread (if you have luxurious goals, of course!).
Hopefully these have given you plenty of ideas for adding lavender doodles to your bullet journal.
Now it’s time to learn how to draw them; check out the lavender drawing tutorials below!
How to draw lavender – easy for beginners
Lavender drawing supplies
Before you actually draw your lavender doodles, you need to make sure you have the right equipment.
Here’s what you need to create an awesome lavender drawing:
Something to create your lavender drawings in. This can be paper, a sketchbook, or we recommend a bullet journal.
A black fineliner to draw your lavender flower. We recommend one with a medium thickness nib.
Coloured pens to add colour to your doodle. You can use either fineliners, pencils, or brush pens. (Just make sure you have a purple and a green to hand!)
Now you know what supplies you need, check out the lavender drawing tutorials below!
Lavender doodle – step by step tutorial
How to draw lavender- quick and easy
Below is a very quick and easy way to draw a gorgeous lavender doodle:
Step 1. Draw a long, slightly curved, vertical line.
Step 2. Draw a small, thin petal coming off the top of the line.
Step 3. Just underneath that first petal, draw a set of two petals together.
Step 4. Add another set of two petals just underneath.
Step 5. Continue drawing sets of petals all down the stem. Make the petals at the top smaller and more sparse, then add more, slightly larger petals towards the middle. Stop a bit before the bottom.
Step 6. Add a long, thin leaf or two towards the bottom of the stem.
Step 7. Add some colour, and you’re done!
Repeat the above steps to create a bunch of lavender flowers.
Here’s a picture tutorial:
This has shown you how to draw a simple lavender plant.
However, if you want to draw a more detailed lavender flower, check out the tutorial below!
How to draw a detailed lavender flower
Step 1. Draw a long, slightly curved line (this is the stem).
Step 2. At the tip of the line, draw a single petal.
Step 3. Slightly down from the tip, draw two petals next to each other.
Step 4. Then draw three petals together just under the last bunch. If you want your lavender to appear full and thick, leave very little space between each set, or you can leave a slightly larger gap for a sparser looking lavender plant.
Step 5. Draw another four bunches of three petals on the line, leaving the slightest gap between each set of petals.
Step 6. Then draw four bunches of four-petal doodles down the line.
Step 7. Now draw three lots of five petals.
Step 8. Draw two lots of six petals. Make sure to leave plenty of space at the bottom of your line, to add in leaves.
Step 9. Further down the line, you can also add a few sets of two-petals, if you want your lavender flowers to gradually thin out.
Step 10. Lastly, add a few long, thin, wavy leaves towards the bottom of the plant. Only add in two or three leaves max.
Step 11. Add colour if you wish; light purple to flowers, and light green to the leaves.
Step 12. Repeat the above steps to create multiple lavender flowers together in a bunch!
Below is a picture tutorial to follow for your lavender drawing:
Lavender drawing tutorial – final thoughts
Whether you want to draw lavender quickly, or you want a more detailed lavender doodle.
Hopefully this post has shown you how easy it is to draw lavender!
Related easy doodle tutorials
If you found this post helpful, check out these other easy drawing tutorials:
Learn how to draw more flowers in your bullet journal with this dandelion tutorial:
You’ve just purchased a notebook to start your bullet journal.
You added it to your basket, maybe thrown in some washitape and stickers for good measure, and pressed “order”.
Your bullet journal is on its way!
But then you realise, to create your spreads, you need… pens.
Finding the best bullet journal pens
There areso many great bullet journal pens out there to choose from.
Thick markers, coloured markers, gel pens, brush pens…
The never ending choice can be a little overwhelming if you’re just starting out.
But, because there are so many good bullet journal pens out there, there are plenty of options for you to create some really gorgeous bujo spreads.
So whether you’ve just started your first bullet journal, and all you need are some pens to write with…
…Or you’ve got stacks of bullet journals filled with notes and doodles, and a collection of bullet journal markers you want to add to…
This post will guide you through buying the best bujo pens for you.
You’ll learn all about finding the best bullet journal pens to add to your pen collection, including:
The things to remember when buying pens for your bullet journal
What bleeding and ghosting are
And a list of the best bujo pens!
Things to remember when buying pens for your bullet journal
So, before you even start looking at possible bullet journal pens, some things you need to remember are:
Less is more. If you’re new to the bujo world, remember to start small; just buy one or two sets of bujo pens, and you can build your pen collection as your bullet journaling confidence grows.
Skills comes over tools. People often think you can only create amazing bullet journal spreads if you have the best equipment. But remember, good equipment alone won’t make you an amazing artist!
It’s not just about the pens… Whilst we’re talking about tools, remember, bullet journaling isn’t just about pens. You can have the most amazing, expensive bujo pens, but if your paper is rubbish, you’ll get bleeding and ghosting.
Which is the next thing to discuss when considering what bullet journal pens to buy.
What are Bleeding and Ghosting?
When looking for bujo pens, you might see bleeding and ghosting mentioned in some of the reviews.
These are both things you need to watch out for when using pens in your bullet journal, as neither are something you want!
What is ghosting in bullet journaling?
In bullet journaling, ghosting is when you draw or write on one side of a page, and the ink shows through to the other side of the paper.
The ink does not come through, but you can still see the drawings and writing on the other side (it’s a faint ghost of the other page).
What is bleeding in a bullet journal?
If the pens you are using are particularly inky (or the paper particularly thin), some of the ink might actually seep through to the other side of the page.
In bullet journaling, bleeding is when ink soaks through the page you are writing on andcomes through to the other side of the paper.
If your pen bleeds through the paper too much, you won’t be able to create a new design on the other side of the paper, and you’ll have to skip the page.
If you’re skipping multiple pages in your bullet journal, this can be quite wasteful.
But not only that, pens bleeding can mess up the designs in your bullet journal.
If your spread is supposed to be across two pages, and there is ink seeping through on the one page, you might not be able to create the spread on that page at all.
What type of pen doesn’t bleed through?
Now you know what bleeding and ghosting are, you’ll want to think about them when deciding what bujo pens to buy.
You might even be searching for bullet journal pens that don’t ghost or bleed.
If you’re looking for pens that are definitely not going to bleed, remember that the inkier the pen is, the more likely it is to bleed through.
This means that certain pen types are more likely to bleed.
Highlighters, gel pens, and ballpoint pens are less likely to bleed, as they’re not very inky.
But certain fine liners, brush pens and markers might bleed, because they have more ink in them.
However, you also need to remember that bleeding is not just about the pens you use.
It’s also about the paper you use; the combination of the paper in your bullet journal and the pens you use will determine whether there is bleeding.
The thicker the paper you use, the less likely the ink will bleed through.
So you can use one pen, and it will cause bleeding on one sheet of paper, but not in another.
What type of pen doesn’t cause ghosting?
Again, you are more likely to be able to see ink through the paper if the pens you are using are inky.
And the thicker the paper, the less likely you will get ghosting.
But avoiding ghosting completely is almost impossible.
You are more than likely to see some of your design on from previous page when creating spreads in your bullet journal.
The only way to avoid ghosting is to make sure your bullet journal has very thick paper (almost as thick as card), and don’t use inky pens like markers or fineliners.
However, this limits your choice of pens for your spreads.
So whilst we will try to avoid bleeding as much as possible and choose the best bujo pens to avoid bleeding, ghosting is likely to happen here and there.
Just don’t stress over it!
How to prevent bleeding in your bullet journal
The best ways to prevent bleeding in your bullet journal are;
Use a bullet journal with thick, good quality paper with a high paper weight. When shopping for your journal, look for anything with paper that’s over 100 gsm (the one I bought recently had paper with 160 gsm)
Alongside using a bullet journal with high quality paper, use good pens created specifically for bullet journaling.
When using your pens, try not to colour multiple layers on top of each other, if you can help it.
Now you know how to avoid bleeding in your bullet journal spreads, let’s get back to buying those pens!
What to ask yourself when looking for a bullet journal pen
When you’re looking at different bujo pens, you want to make sure you’re only buying ones that are right for you.
Some questions to ask yourself are:
Versatility– how versatile are they? Can you use the pens in different ways for multiple different spreads? Or do they only have one purpose?
Reviews – are there any reviews of the pens online? If so, are they mostly good reviews? Read what they say carefully; a common complaint is pens bleeding through paper. But remember, often that depends on the paper in the journal being used.
Cost – are they affordable? Expensive doesn’t always mean better. Make sure to check the reviews (and if they are more expensive, make sure they are worth the money!)
Brand – is the brand known for being a good bullet journal supplies/ stationery brand? If so, is the brand name worth the money? Or are you paying more for it? Remember, there may be similar versions of pens and other bullet journal supplies, but without the brand name, for a lower cost (like makeup dupes).
Now you know what you need to be considering when you’re looking to buy, check out the best bujo pens below!
Which pens are best for bullet journaling?
Best pens for beginner bullet journalers
If you’re a bullet journal newbie, you’ll want to stick to the simple pens.
All you really need to start are some black fineliners and a few colours.
Similar to the previous pens, these brush markers are worth the price; they work out as under 40 pence per pen!
They’re also very versatile because they are dual tip pens.
One side has a 0.4mm fine point tip, and the other has a soft brush tip (although this is more like a marker than a soft brush).
As each pen has both a fine point and a soft brush, these versatile pens are a good set to have to begin your bullet journal journey.
The only downfall is there are more shades of certain colours than others. For example, there are 6 different shades of pink, whereas there are only 3 shades of yellow.
But this shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as there are still plenty of shades to work with.
Just be sure to take a good look at the shades available before you purchase; if you’re planning a bujo spread filled with yellow flowers for example, you might want to look at a different set instead!
As we’ve already seen, Staedtler are a well known stationery brand, and these coloured fineliners are another great set to add to your bujo pen collection.
Again, they comes in a solid plastic case, which is great for storage and keeping them safe and travelling.
Another good thing is that the reviews mention these pens don’t dry out very quickly, so you can colour in plenty of spreads with them and they will last a while.
The only disadvantage is that there are only 20 colours, which isn’t great for variety, but it isn’t the end of the world (there are enough colours to doodle with!).
These pens are from the well known, high quality brand Paper Mate.
They’re another set that don’t smudge; the ink dries very quickly, so your paper will be smudge free.
Plus, there are more colours available in this set than in the Muji set of gel pens.
The only thing to note is that the textured grip is listed as an advantage, but some reviewers have mentioned the rubber coating picks up dirt quite quickly.
But this does not impact how the pens work themselves!
Sharpies are a huge brand, and their products are generally inexpensive.
These sharpie pens have a sharp, fine tip, and are highly recommended with lots of good reviews.
The only disadvantage to note is they are advertised as being pens with permanent ink that marks on paper, plastic, metal, and most other surfaces, but the reviews suggest the ink is not permanent on all these surfaces.
But as we’re using them on paper in a bullet journal, that doesn’t really matter!
Best ballpoint pens
Ball point pens are a great idea for your bullet journal.
Because they are not very inky, there is no chance of any ghosting or bleeding.
These pens are almost the same as the plain black ones, but come in the following colours;
Pink
Green
Blue
Purple
They’re great for adding a bit of colour to your writing!
But if you’re looking to colour in large drawings, I recommend using a different type of pen; ball point pens aren’t very inky, which can be a plus, but it’s difficult to colour in with them as they don’t layer well.
They’re inexpensive considering how many you get, and there’s a wide range of colours and shades included.
These brush pens are also dual tipped, and each tip has a different size (a 0.4mm fine point tip for outlining and detail and a 1-2 mm soft brush tip for shading and colouring).
So it’s actually like you’re getting double the amount of pens!
They also come in a plastic case, which makes transporting them around easy.
The only downfall is they are not a very well known brand – but don’t let that put you off.
These pens are great for handwriting; this set has 8 different pens included, with a number of different sized nibs, so you can create plenty of different looks for your text.
They also dry very quickly, and are waterproof.
So it doesn’t matter if you spill something on your bullet journal by mistake!
There are tonnes of bullet journal weekly spread ideas online.
In fact, at the time of writing there are almost 40,000 images with the #bulletjournalweeklyspread hashtag on Instagram!
But if you’re new to bullet journaling, you may not have tried a weekly spread yet.
Perhaps you have just stuck to the monthly ones.
If you’re looking to create a weekly spread for the first time, but not sure where to start, this post is all about bullet journal weekly spreads for beginners, so you can start planning and tracking your weeks!
What is a weekly bullet journal?
Weekly bullet journal spreads are bullet journal pages that map out your week.
Bujo weeklies tend to be a one or two page spread that contain a section for each day of the week.
Just like daily or monthly spreads, you can plan, track, and make notes of what’s happened in your life in a weekly spread.
But they are mostly used as a place to plan your upcoming week.
Believe it or not, weekly journal spreads are not part of the traditional bullet journal system.
But they are a great way to plan for the week ahead, and combine with a monthly log (it’s also fun to carry over a theme from your monthly bujo log, if you have one!).
So if you’re a beginner, it’s a great idea to start a weekly log.
Bullet journal weekly log vs monthly log
You might be wondering what the difference between a weekly bullet journal spread and a monthly one is.
The clue is in the name; one is for planning/ tracking by month, whereas a weekly spread is week by week within that month.
Monthlies are used for a general overview of the entire month.
Traditionally, monthly spreads always include:
A calendar overview of that month
A monthly to do list
But you can also plan for specific events in a monthly spread, write down the things you’d like to do/ achieve for the month, track things over the month, etc.
Whilst weeklies are similar to the monthly bujo spread, a weekly spread gives an overview of the upcoming week specifically.
And of course, you tend to make then each week, whereas a monthly spread you plan once a month (and then fill in throughout the month).
The two actually go hand in hand; a weekly spread breaks down your monthly plans and tasks into weekly bites, which are more manageable.
Bullet journal weekly vs daily – what’s the difference?
Now you know the difference between a monthly and weekly spread, you may be wondering what the difference is between a daily bullet journal spread vs a weekly one.
Whilst a weekly spread helps to break down the monthly tasks, the daily spread helps to break down your week.
The weekly bullet journal spreads are created weekly for the upcoming week, and the planning for dailies can be completed weekly too.
But the journal part where you track what happened each day will be filled in at the end of each day.
So daily spreads are completed more regularly than weekly spreads.
Often, you do not need to start a daily spread in advance; this allows you to create as much space as you need, depending on what happened during the day.
Somedays, you will have lots of content you want to note down.
Whereas other days, you will not have much to put!
Should I journal daily or weekly?
Lots of people get stressed over whether they should be writing in their bullet journal weekly, or daily.
Remember, a daily spread can do most of what a weekly bujo spread can.
Both can help you plan your time, set daily goals, give space journaling and thoughts, and track your moods.
But, there are differences between the two.
Some questions you should ask yourself when deciding are:
What are your Bullet Journaling goals? What do you aim to achieve by writing in a bullet journal? Do you want to look back at what you did week by week? Or do you want to see your activities on a more specific level, day by day?
What do you want to track in your logs? If you want to track things you are doing daily (e.g tasks you have completed, thoughts for that day, etc) it is better to do this daily, so you are noting your feelings whilst they are still relevant, and tasks you have just completed that day. Plus, you can make sure you have enough room for each day, if you are creating them daily. If you are more interested in noting more weekly activities however, it is better to do a weekly spread.
How much time will you have for planning? If you’re a busy person (aren’t we all), you might not have enough time to plan a whole bullet journal page every night. In which case, it would be better to dedicate one night a week where you plan a weekly spread.
The other way to decide if you should journal daily or weekly is to look at the pros and cons of each.
The pros of a weekly bullet journal spread
There is less planning, as you only set up the spread once a week.
When looking back, you get to see an overview of your week at a glance.
It’s easy to see the progress you’re making during the week as you fill out the weekly spread, as well as if you move tasks to different days.
You do not have to write too much for each day of the week.
The cons of a weekly bullet journal spread
You don’t have much room, so you can’t go into detail with planning each day, or journaling daily. There also isn’t as much space to add other elements, or draw and be creative.
In comparison, here are the positives and negatives of a daily bullet journal spread.
The pros of a daily bullet journal spread
Because are completing it daily, you can add as much space as you need day by day. This means you have more space to draw and be creative, as well as adding more detail to your to do lists.
Because you are completing a full week in small daily chunks, it allows you to be more focused on tasks for each individual day.
Bullet journaling daily helps you to get into a rhythm and solid routine.
The cons of a daily log
You have to allow enough time every day to journal, as you need to create a new page daily. This can be time consuming.
You can’t pre-plan pages, because they are usually done the night before. This means if you know you are going to have a busy day in the week and you won’t have much time to journal that day, you fall behind.
Whilst it is good to have plenty of space to work in, having too much space to write in each day can be overwhelming (especially for beginners).
Because you decide how much space you want for each day, some days will be bigger than others, meaning your days will be uneven.
Hopefully, this will help you decide which is right for you.
But remember, there is no set rule; you can do weekly spreads, daily spreads, or both!
Just try them out, and see which system works for you.
How do you do a weekly journal?
A weekly journal can be really simple, and doesn’t have to take very long.
You simply draw a weekly layout before each week begins, including small sections for each day.
Then, you add tasks and other things to each day.
When you set up your weekly, you can also reference your monthly log, and move things from your monthly into your weekly (e.g if you were going on holiday for a week this month, you can reference this during that week in a weekly spread).
What should you put on your weekly spread?
The joy of bullet journal is that your bullet journal is completely customizable.
So you can decide what goes in your bullet journal.
If you’re just starting out, it can be really difficult to keep up the habit of bullet journaling if you’re putting lots of work into it.
So if you’re new to bullet journaling, start off with a very simple weekly spread.
Weeklies can literally just contain a simple overview of the week, with the days of the week with their dates, and notes.
Then, once you’ve started to get the hang of it and are journaling regularly, you can start using different layouts, collections, and spreads, and seeing what works for you.
What to include in a weekly bullet journal spread
Here’s a list of ideas for a weekly bujo spread:
The days of the week with the date
Calendar for the month
Appointments on certain days
Special dates for that week (birthdays, etc)
To do tasks for the week
Important notes
Weekly habit trackers
Weekly water tracker
Exercise tracker
A meal plan for the week
House chores list
A review of the week
Plans for the upcoming week
Bullet journal weekly spread ideas
So now you know all about bullet journal weekly spreads and how to make your own.
Here are some bujo weekly ideas to inspire you!
Remember, there are so many different looks and bujo themes.
So I have tried to include as many as possible!
Minimalist bullet journal weekly spread ideas
Simple weekly spreads can contain just contain an overview of the week.
These minimal designs tend to be much easier for beginners, to help keep your bullet journal functional and stop it being overwhelming.
Check out some minimal weekly spread ideas below!:
This spread, whilst still minimal with only the dates, days of the week, and notes for next week, has a bit more creativity thanks to the gorgeous flower drawing.
Another way to make sure you have a productive weekly spread is to have a single page to track the days, and then dedicate another page to track and log activities.
You can see in the bright yellow spread above there is a whole page dedicated to being productive; there’s a notes section for the week, a place to log upcoming events, a checkbox to do list, and even a small habit tracker with multiple habits to track throughout the week at the bottom left!
Floral Theme Weekly Spread
If you’re looking for themes for your bujo weekly spread, a floral look is a great idea.
Flowers are easy to draw, and there are so many different looks you can create!
This spread has been split into 2 vertical sections on one page; one half is for planning each day of the week, and the other contains beautiful illustrations.
This is another stunning vertical bullet journal weekly spread idea.
The spread itself is very simple, with just the date for each day and room to write about that day.
But the cute illustrations with the block colours help to give the design a full look.
So don’t feel you have to spend hours drawing and shading to make your spread look full and fun; this is a perfect example creating a wonderful, exciting spread, with just a few colours and drawings.
I also love the colour scheme used here – purple is my favourite colour!
Horizontal Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads
Alternatively, if you don’t enjoy the vertical weekly spreads, you can try a horizontal bujo weekly spread.
The spread also has plenty of room to plan and track each day of the week, and despite there being set space for each day, there have not been actual boxes drawn in the spaces.
This is another great example of a block layout for a bullet journal weekly spread, but without the blocks being visible.
There is clear space underneath each date of the week to write about that day, but there is no box, meaning the writing for that day is not limited to a set space.
The images at the bottom right are also a special touch!
Dutch Door Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads
Last on the list is dutch door weekly spreads.
A Dutch door bullet journal is when out of a set of pages, the outside pages remain stationary, whilst the inner pages are designed to move and be turned.
Typically, the inside pages are cut thinner than the outside pages, so more of the outside pages can still be viewed, even when the inside pages are not being turned.
Below are some examples of dutch door weekly spreads:
The section on the right with Thursday and Friday on is actually a much smaller page.
Turning it reveals the weekend days on the next side, followed by the start of a new week!
It is a clever way to go through each week, whilst still having the content on the outer pages (the quote on the left and the images on the right) visible.
This photograph shows the dutch door being turned; the pages in the middle are turned to show days throughout the week, whilst the month on the left and the events for that month on the right stay visible.
A round up ofBuJo Weekly Spreads
I hope this post has taught you all about bullet journal weekly spreads.
And you now have plenty of ideas for your own bullet journal!
Related bullet journal inspiration posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other bullet journal inspiration roundups:
What about different types of books? Perhaps you want to learn how to draw a stack of books for a bullet journal book tracker?
Whether you want to create a gorgeous book spread in a journal, or you simply want to get better at doodling, this post will teach you how to draw a book (even if you’re a beginner!).
Bullet journal book ideas
Before you learn how to draw books, you might be looking for ways to add books into your bullet journal.
If so, check out these bullet journal book ideas below:
A book tracker. You can track books you have read on a dedicated spread in your bullet journal. You can track them each month, or create a spread to track what books you have read throughout the year.
A book rating spread. You can both track and review your initial thoughts on books as you finish reading them.
To-read list. Instead of tracking what books you are reading, you could make a list of books you would like to read some day, then tick them off as you read them.
A reading challenge. Instead of tracking books as you read them, or making a goal reading spread, you can set yourself a reading challenge and aim to read certain books by certain dates.
Books to take on holiday. If you have vacations planned, you can draw books and make notes of what books you would like to take with you on each trip.
Now you have a few ideas for doodling books in your bullet journal, let’s learn how to draw them!
Art supplies to draw a book
Something to draw in or on. This can be plain paper, a sketchbook, or in a bullet journal.
A pencil and an eraser to plan your drawings out (if need be).
Pens. I recommend a fineliner. You can use any colour pen you want, but I tend to use black.
Colours if you want to add colour to your book doodles.
How to draw a book – book drawing step by step tutorial
How to draw a simple book
First we will learn how to draw a simple book.
Step 1. Draw two straight lines across. Draw them at a slight angle sloping down, and keep them parallel.
Step 2. Add a curved line from the edge of one straight line down to the other. Repeat on the other side, and make sure the second line curves in the same direction.
Step 3. Draw two straight lines in parallel from the corners of the top line. Draw the straight lines diagonally. Join the two straight lines across at the top with a straight horizontal line, at the same angle as the spine of the book.
Step 4. Draw another straight line at the same angle off the last corner.
Now fill in the space with small lines to create pages, and you’re done!
Draw a stack of books 3D
Drawing a stack of 3D books is similar, except you add more lines initially (and eventually end with more books!).
Step 1. Draw four straight lines across. The gap in between each line is a book, so this will create a stack of 3 books; if you want a taller stack, draw more horizontal lines.
Step 2. Draw curved lines at the end of each set of horizontal lines. This will create the edge of the spine for each book.
Step 3. Create diagonal lines back from the corner of the spine of each book. Make sure each line stays at the same angle.
Step 4. Draw straight lines across each line to draw the back of each book. Add in small lines from the top left corners of each book, at the same angle as each of the other lines. Create lines down at the end of each corner to create pages.
Now you have a 3D stack of books!
Exactly the same as the first book, but now multiple are stacked.
How to draw a book cover
Step 1. Start by drawing a rectangle. Draw it at a slight angle.
Step 2. Add in two curved lines from the two left corners, and a straight line down between these two curved lines to create the spine of the book.
Step 3. Create a straight line across the top, in parallel with the top of the book. This will create the back of the book.
Step 4. Draw a wobbly line down from the back of the book to the front of the book, to create the space where the pages go in.
Lastly, add in some decoration to finish!
I added a few lines in to show the pages, and some lines and curves to the spine to make it more decorated.
I also added some scribbles on the front of the book to represent a book title.
Open book drawing step by step
Now we will learn how to draw an open book.
Step 1. Draw a straight vertical line. This will be the center of the book. Then draw two vertical lines; these will form the two pages of the open book. The two outer lines should tilt inwards slightly at the top and then gradually come out at the bottom.
Step 2. Create some wavy lines coming from the center of the book outwards to the edge of the pages. Make sure the shape of the wave is the same on the top of the paper as it is on the bottom. I also recommend making the line wave up when it was closed to the center, and then dipping downwards when it reaches the edge of the page.
Also, add a little triangle at the bottom in the center of the two pages, to be the spine.
Step 3. At the bottom and on the right hand side, draw some of the same shaped lines around the open pages. These will be the more pages in the book.
Step 4. To finish, add some straight lines around the pages. This will create the hard cover of the book.
Add some text in on the open pages, and you’re done!
How to draw a stack of upright books
This is how to draw a book stack:
Step 1. Draw a set of parallel, vertical lines.
Step 2. Draw downward curves between each set of lines. Draw the curved lines at different heights to make the books different sizes.
Step 3. Add in small curved lines at the bottom of each set of lines. Keep these at the same height; if the books were sitting on a shelf, the bottom of the books would be level.
Step 4. Add in some decoration onto the spine of each book, and you’re done!
How to draw a simple stack of books
Now, here is how to draw a stack of books on its side.
Step 1. Create a set of parallel lines across.
Step 2. Draw some more horizontal lines on top.
Step 3. Continue to draw horizontal lines on top to create a higher stack. Make them different heights to create books of different thicknesses.
Then add small downward lines between each set of horizontal lines, to create edges of each book.
Step 4. Add in some decoration on the spine, including titles for the books, and you’ve got a stack of books!
How to draw a notebook
Lastly, here is how do draw a cute notebook.
Step 1. Draw a rectangle. Make sure it’s at a slight angle.
Step 2. Draw two curves downwards from the right and left side of the notebook. Also draw a straight line across and upwards around the bottom right corner.
Step 3. To add in spiral bounding, draw three small circles along the top of the rectangle. Then draw curves coming from inside the circles, over the back of the notebook.
Step 4. Join the curved lines and the corners to create the edges of the paper.
To finish, add in the details. I made the spiral bounding thicker, added the title “notes”, and put some lines in as sheets of paper.
How to draw a book easy: final thoughts
I hope this has shown you how to create a book doodle and other book drawings easily.
And how easy it is to draw different types of books (that look really good!).
Here are all the book drawing tutorials together:
If you enjoyed this post on book drawings, check out these other drawing tutorials:
When you start a new bullet journal for the year, one of the first spreads to create is a future log.
Because, a big reason to keep bullet journals is for planning.
And a future log is a great way to help plan things throughout the year!
If you’re new to bullet journaling however, you may not know what a bullet journal future log is.
Read on to find out all about future logs, including how to use a future log, and how to make your own!
What is a bullet journal future log?
To understand what a bujo future log is, it is helpful to know a bit more about the overall bullet journal system.
There are 3 main types of logs that are used in bullet journaling.
These are the;
Future Log
Monthly Log
And Daily Log
A future log isbasically a calendar spread to plan for anything that is relevant in your long-term future.
It can hold important monthly or yearly tasks and events.
What is the purpose of a future log in a bullet journal?
The main reason to keep one is so that you can plan for upcoming tasks and eventsthroughout the year.
Of course, you will have monthly and weekly spreads in your bullet journal to keep track of plans that are coming up too.
But those spreads are for events that are more immediate.
A future log allows you to plan for tasks or events that are too far in advance for you to include in your dailies, weeklies, or monthlies.
What to use your bullet journal future log for
As it is used for planning future events and tasks, you can use a bujo future log for any part of your life where you require planning of future activities.
This includes;
Your personal life
Your work orbusiness tasks
Your school tasks if you are a student
You can use your future log to track for one of these aspects of your life, as some may not be applicable to you.
Or, you may find you plan for things that overlap these categories.
For example, you can keep a note of upcoming birthdays; these can be birthdays for your friends from school, family, and work buddies.
Where do you put a future log?
A future log is also typically kept at the front of a bullet journal.
Having all these tasks in one place means you can easily flip to the front of your bullet journal and see an overview of your future plans and ideas.
Plus you can check when a specific event for the year is happening.
It basically allows you to keep track of tasks that are easily forgotten, because they are so far away!
Future log bullet journal vs monthly log: what’s the difference?
Because there are multiple logs you can create for your bullet journal, it can get confusing what each one is for.
The main difference between a future log and a monthly log is the amount of time that each log covers.
A future log is an overview of the upcoming year.
Whereas a monthly log focuses on the specific month that is approaching.
So whilst there isn’t a difference in their purposes (as both are for tracking and planning), as they cover different amounts of time, you will use both differently.
A monthly log you will use just for that particular month; once the month is over, you will not use that monthly log again because you create a new one.
But as a future spread tends to cover a whole year, it is more open ended, and you continue to update it throughout the year as different events and plans come up.
Using a bullet journal future log and a monthly log together
As a future log typically goes near the front of the bullet journal, you would start your bullet journal by setting up a future spread at the front.
Then, as you set up your monthly log for each month, you would refer back to the future log, and note any relevant events or plans from the future spread into the monthly.
It’s also important to keep up with your future log every month, so you are ready for when it’s time to create each monthly log.
For example, in March you are working through your March monthly spread.
But you would also need to make sure you are completing your future spread for April, since you will be setting up an April monthly log next month and you don’t want to miss anything important out.
Creating a bullet journal future Log
So now we know all about a future log, it’s time to learn how to create one!
Starting with what to put in it.
What should I write in my future log?
It’s important to remember that your future spread will be unique because you will create a future log that suits you.
If you are a very busy person, with multiple commitments planned months in advance, then your future log will likely cover the whole upcoming year, and it will be very full.
But if you’re not as busy, you can create a simple one, and update it throughout the year.
What to include in your future log
A future log can include anything that occurs in the future.
However, it is typically used to store items with definite datesyou know are set for the upcoming year.
These include:
Recurring events, such as birthdays, bank holidays, and anniversaries
Events that are not on a set date every year, like trips and vacations, concerts, gigs or shows, appointments, parties, and more
However, you can also include things that you want to get around to at some point in the year in your future spread.
For example, you might pencil in a week in March for spring cleaning, or a week in November for Christmas present shopping.
A list of things to include in a bujo future log
Check out this full list of things you can include in your future log!
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Parties + celebrations
Gigs and shows
Holidays, vacations, trips + travels
Bank holidays, such as New Year’s Eve, Christmas Day
Meetings, such as business or school meetings
Appointments, such as doctor/ dentist appointments, vets, etc
Revision days
Exams and tests
Cleaning days
Quarterly and annual bills
How do you draw a future log?
Step #1: Pick a page to create your future log in
To start, you need to remember that your future spread will be one of the first pages in a brand new bullet journal.
This is so you can quickly access all your future plans and events for the year, and revise it as needed.
So to start, pick a page near the front of a new bullet journal.
(If you are starting a future log midway through the year however, you can just start one on a fresh page in your journal).
Step #2: decide on the number of months your future log will have
There are generally 4 different future log options that contain a different number of months;
The 3 month setup
The 4 month setup
The 6 month setup
A full future log spread with all the months (also known as a year at a glance).
It is up to you how many months your future log contains.
If you’re working in a brand new bullet journal, you may want to include all the months for convenience, and to save time creating a new one at a later date in the year.
Or, if you’re creating a future log midway through the year, you will likely want to create one with less months.
You may also want one with less months if you are new to creating a future log, and are just trying it out to see if it works for you.
Or if you have a lot of information to input into each month, and want to make sure you have enough space.
Step #3: Decide on your content
Now you need to decide what content will be included in your future log.
Remember, everyone’s future log will be different depending on their needs, and you can include as much information or keep it as minimal as you’d like.
Some things to ask yourself when you are creating a bullet journal future log is do you need:
A monthly calendar with all the dates? Or just blank section with the month as a header?
A section for colour coding/ including a key?
A space to write notes?
Hopefully, answering these questions will help you realise what content needs to go into your future log.
Step #4: Start drawing!
Once you’ve decided what info you want included, it’s time to start drawing your future log!
I always find it helps to see some other future logs for inspiration before I start.
And there are plenty of examples of different future log layouts to help you further down in this post!
Tips for creating a future log
Here are some other tips for creating your future log that should be helpful;
If you are including mini months, keep a calendar close by whilst you are creating see the dates. This will help prevent mistakes. You can print out a calendar, or use the calendar on your phone.
Use tools, like stencils or stamps, whenever you can to make creating a future log quicker and easier. For example, you can use dated washi tape to make vertical columns for calendar months, stamps for the dates, or even a date stencil to keep your numbers and letters in line.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race! Take your time as you’re creating it. The slower you go, the less chance you have of making mistakes! And remember to take plenty of breaks.
Bullet journal future log ideas (for 2021)
Now that you have the best tips for creating a future log, here are some bullet journal future log inspo ideas!
Vertical future log
To start, vertical future spreads are a really simple and easy layout to follow.
This spread above by soniascribbles is a excellent example of a minimal future log that runs vertically down the page.
The name and number of the month are clear at the top of the page.
Then underneath, there is plenty of room underneath to make plans and track events for that month, with every 5 days being marked clearly to help keep track of the date.
Similar to the examples we have seen so far, the name of the month is written is gorgeous script font at the top of this future log.
But this time, instead of a line underneath dedicated for each day of that month there is a small calendar (AKA mini month).
Then underneath the calendar, the creator has written the date for that month, and then whatever is happening on that date next to it.
Only noting down dates you have events on underneath a mini calendar is a great way to save space if you want a smaller future log spread.
The only issue is you have to be content with your dates underneath possibly being out of chronological order, if you need to keep coming back as you start making plans.
In this one, you can see that in the mini calendar, some days have been marked with a different colour depending on the event or task happening during that day.
This helps to make sure when you are looking at your future spread, you can not only see when things are happening throughout the month, but also get an idea what those events are at a glance.
For example, birthdays have been marked on the mini calendar as a bright orange.
So whenever they see a bright orange date in the calendar, they know there is an important birthday that day.
Here is another example of a colour coded calendex, using multiple different colours to note certain events throughout the month.
Whilst this is a great way to get a quick indication as to the type of event or task planned for that day, the only downfall is it can be tricky to mark multiple events on one day, if you have already colour coded it for something else.
To get around this, you can perhaps use a combination of colour coding and then illustrations for certain events, so you can mark multiple things on the same day in the mini calendar.
Sidewaysfuture log
Now you have seen multiple examples of vertical future logs, check out these sideways spreads!
This is a beautiful example of a horizontal future log that also uses mini calendars for each month.
It is a horizontal plan within a larger vertical template.
I really like the alternating layout with the title of the month and the mini calendar in each box, and the font with the black and white theme also gives it a cool newspaper vibe.
In this future log, the layout is similar to the previous design, except this time the month is consistently written on the left hand side of each box, with a mini calendar next to it, and then space for notes.
Writing the names of the months in alternating colours helps to give it a bit of a colour pop, without requiring taking lots of time to colour everything in.
The name of the month is followed by the mini calendars underneath in each box, with the days of the week at the top of the calendar.
I love the different pastel colours for each month, and the mix of the colours for the “future log” heading.
As well as helping to brighten up this log, the different colours help to differentiate between each month; when you quickly take a glance, you can easily see each box is a different month.
So when creating your own future log, you may want to assign a colour or theme to each month, so you can quickly tell which month is which.
Circlefuture log
If you’re looking for a unique future log layout, why not try creating a circular one?
You can check out some examples of circle future logs below:
In this example, the future log holds similar information to previous future logs we have looked at; there is a title for each month, and a mini calendar with the days of the week and their dates.
The main different is the future log title is in the middle of the page, and then each month is spread around the center.
The stars are a super cute theme, and you could even create one that is relevant to a circle, like a pizza or cake, and each month is a slice, etc.
This future log takes the circle idea, but uses only half a circle to represent half the year.
The month number starts at the center, followed by the name of the month with a mini calendar, and then plenty of space for notes.
The half circle spread is a great idea if you only need to include 6 months in your future log.
Or because this future log spread is only across 1 page, if you wanted a double page spread, you can put it across the center of the 2 pages, and make it into a full circle with all 12 months.
Grid spacingfuture log
As your future log tends to go at the front of your bullet journal, it can be helpful to include other important information with it.
The future log above has all the information for this month sectioned into different sized boxes.
Having a set section with clear borders can be really useful if you’re a beginner.
It helps to make sure your spread looks neat and tidy, and you are reminded of how much space you have as you’re filling out information for each month.
If you want to add lots of colour to your future log, feel free to!
This example is full of colour and decoration, and it really helps to bring the spread to life.
But, whilst this future spread is beautifully decorated, it isn’t actually that complicated to replicate yourself!
There’s just plenty of bright colour around each month name, giving it a 3D effect, and then the same colour is used underneath for the notes section for each month.
Then there is some colour added to the star illustrations at the top, and that’s it!
So don’t think you need to do tonnes of shading to make your future log look vibrant and full of life.
Future log with notes section
It’s handy for your future log to include lots of information for the upcoming year, and one way to do this is to include a notes section.
In both those examples, you can see the future log has 6 months in total; 3 months on one page, and 3 on the other.
A 6 month future log is a great idea if you’re a beginner, as it means you can have a practice at creating a future log with less information.
It also means you have plenty of space to work in, compared to a full year future log.
Bullet journal year at a glance
Whilst discussing future logs, we can’t forget the year at a glance.
A year at a glance is basically what it is called; a spread that is a quick overview of your year, which you can read at a glance.
Bullet journal future log vs year at a glance – what’s the difference?
A bullet journal year at a glance is very similar to a future log, in that it can provide you with a quick overview of the months of for the year.
You can also mark the same events in both of them, such as holidays, birthdays, etc.
The main difference is that a year at a glance is created with the intention of giving you a quick overview of the whole year (hence the name).
But whilst a future log can include 12 months, you can cover less than 12 months in your future log spread if you wish; some future logs are cover half the year, some 4 months, and some even just 3.
Here is another example of a year at a glance with mini months.
As this one simply has the year it is covering as the title, there is plenty of room around the heading for drawings, if you want to be a little creative with your future log.
The illustrations in this one are simple line drawings, but super cute!
Here’s another great example of a year at a glance.
You can see the mini calendar for each month is in a box, which helps it stand out against the page.
So drawing boxes in your future log can not only help you to work out how much space you have, but can also make your months stand out and change the look of your future log design.
If you want to mark events in your year at a glance, a good idea is using a key.
Above is a great example of a year at a glance with a key.
The key on the right covers when there are important days, so when you take a glance at the mini calendars, you can easily see what days are inset days, school holidays, and bank holidays.
Remember, your choice of colours or illustrations for your key can help to create a visual theme for your at a glance.
The shades of pink used in the example above help to give it a cute floral vibe.
Year at a glance double page spread
When creating your year at a glance, you’ll want to think about whether it spreads across 2 pages in your bullet journal, or just uses one page.
Whilst the mini months in the previous example only filled one page, the post below is a great example of a year at a glance double page spread:
I love the sweet pastel colours in this one, and the star illustrations help to give it a kawaii feel.
The 12 months being spread across the two pages means there is space under each month to include more information if needed.
And spreading the months across 2 pages means there is more room for decoration around the months, if you want to be creative!
Year at a glance with quote
Because you take quick looks at your year at a glance spread throughout the year, adding a quote in is a great way to make your spread more personal, and remind you of something each time you look at it.
Check out this great example of a year at a glance with a quote below:
The floral drawings are stunning, and the quote in the center of the flowers is a great reminder to stay positive that they will see throughout the year when they take a quick glance.
If you’re including a quote in your year at a glance, it’s up to you how you incorporate it into the design.
You can put all the months on one page, and then dedicate a whole page in the spread to a quote and illustrations, if you’re feeling creative.
Or if you want your mini months to be across a whole double page spread, you can subtly incorporate a quote somewhere in the design around them.
Remember, if you want to include a quote in your year at a glance, you don’t have to be good at drawing!
Above is a great example of a year at a glance that’s been created in a bullet journal with minimal drawing.
The mini months and month headers appear to be created using a stencil or stamp, and the quote has been included in a beautiful collage.
So if you want to use a quote in your yearly glance, but you don’t want to draw, you can try some collaging instead!
Birthdays and holidays spread
Lastly, whether you’re creating a future log or a year at a glance, a spread that’s helpful to include when it comes to tracking your year is a birthday and holiday spread.
Below are some great bullet journal birthday spread ideas:
This is another great birthday spread idea if you like to have equal sized spaces to track birthdays for each month.
However, unlike the last spread where the box for each month had definite borders, this one is slightly more forgiving as there are not definite boundaries you need to keep within for each month.
Again, I like the flags used in this spread to give it a celebration theme – having the bunting go across the top and writing each letter of the header onto an individual flag is a great idea!
Above is a great birthday spread idea if you’re looking to be a little creative and use drawings.
Instead of having equal sized spaces to track the birthdays for each month with, this one has balloons to write in.
This is a great idea if you want a colourful birthday spread in your bullet journal.
Plus, having different sized balloons means you can draw balloons bigger for months you know have more birthdays you need to track, and smaller balloons if you don’t have any birthdays to note for that month.
Bullet journal future log inspiration – final thoughts
I hope this post has taught you all about future logs!
Including how to create your own future log in your bullet journal (it’s really not as hard as you’d think!).
And also provided you with some future log layout ideas.
Related bullet journal inspiration posts
If you enjoyed this post, check out these other bullet journal layout posts:
Whether you want to learn how to draw, or your looking for doodle ideas for your bullet journal, dandelions are a great flower to draw.
Read on to learn all about dandelions, and how to draw them!
What is the symbolic meaning of a dandelion?
A dandelion is a cute doodle idea for your bullet journal due to its symbolic meaning.
The dandelion is said to be a symbol of hope, happiness, joy, and love.
Many people make a wish on the seeds as they fly away into the sky, so they are also quite whimsical flowers.
Dandelion bullet journal ideas
If you are looking for bullet journal doodle ideas, a dandelion flower is a great idea!
Not only because of its symbolic meaning, but also because there are plenty of ways you can include it in your bullet journal.
Here are some great ideas for adding dandelions into your bullet journal spreads:
Travel and adventure spreads. As dandelion seeds travel far and wide in the wind, they are often a symbol of travel. If you have travel ideas or vacation spreads in your bullet journal, dandelion doodles are a good addition to these.
Spring and summer spreads. Monthly spreads often include themes for that specific month; a dandelion is often associated with spring and summer, as that’s when they bloom, so you can create a dandelion theme for a spring or summer monthly spread.
Goals spread. As people often make a wish before blowing dandelions, including dandelion drawings in your goal pages is a great way to show you are wishing for your goals to be met.
Include in your journal with a quote about strength. Despite being considered as weeds, dandelions are perennial flowers that return every year. You can include a dandelion doodle in your bullet journal to symbolize strength.
So now you have some ideas for adding a dandelion drawing into your bullet journal, here is how to draw a dandelion.
How to draw a dandelion – easy for beginners
Dandelion drawing supplies
First, you need to make sure you have the right drawing supplies.
Check out what you need for a flower doodle below:
Paper, sketchbook or a bullet journal to draw your dandelion on
A Pencil
An Eraser
Drawing pens. You will need both a thin pen like a fineliner, and a thick nib pen in whatever colour you want your dandelion to be (I suggest black, but of course you can use other colours!)
Colours (if you want to colour it in)
Something circular to draw around, like a coin or tin depending on how big you want your drawing to be.
How to draw a dandelion step by step
Step 1. Take the circular object, and place it on the paper. Draw around the circular object using the pencil. Make sure to press lightly with the pencil, as we will be erasing this circle later.
Step 2. Draw a thick black dot in the center of the pencil circle using the thick pen.
Step 3. Using the thick nib pen, draw a line down from the dot in the center of the circle to create a stem. Make the line slightly wavy to give the stem slight bends, or keep it straight if you want a more rigid stem for your dandelion.
Step 4. Now to add the seeds on the head of the flower, using the fine point pen, draw thin lines from the back dot in the center out towards the pencil line. Make the lines as long as you want; some can go over the pencil line, whilst others don’t have to meet it.Step 5. Now it’s time to fill in the dandelion head. Draw small straight lines either side of the lines you drew in the last step in a V shape, at the very tip.Step 6. Then add small dots at the end of each line.Step 7. To finish, erase the pencil circle, and add some more thickness to the dot in the center. And that’s your dandelion!
Below is how to draw a dandelion tutorial using the visuals in each step:
How to draw a blowing dandelion
To make the dandelion appear to be blowing;
Follow the initial steps, but this time draw the stem so the top of the line bends at a slight angle. This will make the dandelion stem look as though it is bending in the wind.
Ddraw slightly more short lines that don’t quite reach the outer pencil circle. This will make it seem as though the dandelion has lost a lot of its seeds in the wind.
Follow the initial instructions, but to finish, draw some individual seeds in the air, blowing away from the dandelion. Make sure the seeds are to the side of the dandelion, and are coming away from the dandelion in the same direction the dandelion stem is bending. This will make it clear the seeds are blowing away in the wind in the same direction the dandelion is blowing.
Here I have followed some of the steps mentioned above, to draw a dandelion blowing in the wind:
Dandelion drawing tutorial – final thoughts
I hope this post has shown you how easy it is to draw a dandelion doodle!
Hopefully, it will help you draw beautiful flower doodles!
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