How to Create a Bullet Journal for Blogging: Part Three

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Over the last few days I have posted Part One: Materials and Ideas and Part Two: Spread Layout of my How to Create a Bullet Journal for Blogging series in which I gave hints and tips on materials available, content ideas and set up and layout of spreads. The final instalment of this is decoration and design – something that I enjoy immensely. It isn’t for everyone and isn’t actually necessary at all, but one of the many exciting things about creating your own Bullet Journal is that it can be personalised according to your own preferences and available time. These can be as simple or as complicated as you like. For me, if a spread that I’m working on looks nice, I’m more inclined to use it and therefore inspired to make more.

Remember: they don’t have to be super complicated or something that causes stress levels to rise – stick with what you are comfortable with.

Developing a Theme

One major idea in Bullet Journal decoration focuses around a theme. This can be anything – a colour, season, event, celebration, an object, flower, types of weather, space and planets, buildings… I’ve seen endless designs and ideas that are all unique and beautifully done. The theme is often started on the cover page and continued throughout the spread. You can see this idea in the pages I have started to create below – a simple leaf theme with a hint of different green colours to accent it.

Here’s other ideas of themes from readsweekly – with the same colours and illustrations being used throughout the spreads, and a cover page in the form of a mason jar from Pauline.mariee – this is a simple and yet perfect idea to continue through the next few pages are there are a number of lovely elements that work well. Click on the images for a full view.

Font Ideas

You may wish to write certain things in different fonts, or adopt the same font for a particular month. I haven’t thoroughly mastered the art of many of these (particularly calligraphy) yet, but I have been able to develop a faux-calligraphy style that I like. I change my font style from month-to-month simply to make it more interesting for myself in the planning process. There a lots of font tutorials available on YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest – one of my favourites is by AmandaRachLee.

Check out these font ideas from plannedpurpose and universtudies

Writing can be done directly onto the page, or (if you’re feeling a little more artistic) onto a coloured piece of paper and stuck in. Sticking pieces of paper in is also useful when you’ve made a mistake and don’t want to start again. Here are two further examples across a spread from h.andwrittens and Pernillereads

Banners and Dividers

Two things that are common in Bullet Journals: banners and dividers. These are used to write dates or titles in and divide the page into different sections, depending on what you are putting into a spread. Rather than giving a hugely detailed explanation, I have created a selection of some of these onto a page, along with a few simple corner ideas, to give you an idea as to the different styles that can be used although this small amount barely scratches the surface of possibilities. Some are quite intricate, some are simply a coloured line, but all are effective.

Here is a lovely example from studunicorn that show how a simple design around the dates in a month can really highlight them:

Doodles and Illustrations

Doodles play a huge part in spreads. Pages are illustrated with little ideas that fit within the chosen theme – often making them more aesthetically pleasing and filling some space. Depending on your artistic talent, you can do whatever you like – plants, flowers, succulents, planets, mason jars, insects, animals, weather, food, sports, seasons, seashells, leaves and balloons are quite common. These can be drawn directly onto the page or on a different coloured piece of paper and stuck in. I’ve also seen illustrations of social media icons (which is useful for bloggers). These examples from crinspire and bluelahe show small drawings and doodles on a page can really take it to the next level. Click on the images for the full view.

Here are three more examples from mylifeina_bujo, theletterlingo and dolceartist of how doodles and illustrations can be used to enhance different spreads. Click on the images for the full view.

Blocks or lines of colour, washi tape or printed images can be added to your spreads to make them look special. Here are beautiful examples of how these can be used from Crystal.studies, peachmilkstudy and troubles.bujo 

There are some lovely designs that can be created with stickers too – check out kaistudi’s spread using Happy Planner stickers

 

Other Ideas

  • Quotes are also a nice idea to put into your spreads, and even simply done it can look effective. I like to include at least one quote a month for inspiration.
  • Photographs of places you have visited that month
  • Pictures of your favourite inspiration people or your pets
  • Song lyrics
  • Stamp designs – you can buy stamps and ink from good craft stores
  • I’ve even seen decoupage ideas!

Here’s two brilliant example from Vivian.studies and wilmastudies as to how two totally opposing ideas within the same colour palette can be used – images, washi tape, different font styles, doodles, or simple lines and a small quote… And they both work really well!

There you have it – the basic guide to setting up a Bullet Journal for blogging, covering everything from materials, set up and layout designs, developing spreads and decorating it to suit your own needs… It’s something that I’m looking forward to developing further over the next year!

What about you guys? What sort of ideas do you like for Bullet Journal decorations?

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog, and don’t forget to follow my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks, my Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/suzie81speaks and my Instagram page http://www.instagram.com/suzie81speaks

46 thoughts on “How to Create a Bullet Journal for Blogging: Part Three”

  4. I’d like to figure out how to do some of this on my blog. Making notes of my resources as part of my planning process, and exactly how to access them, would cut down my search time significantly. Pretty planning would help so much. I get derailed whenever I get busy, like during my recent move. This should help me get back on track.

  5. Pingback: How to Create a Bullet Journal for Blogging: Part Two | Suzie Speaks

  6. These are just so beautiful Suzie, and very inspiring too. I have been having a go on some dotted paper first before i commit to writing in my notebook. I am really looking forward to seeing how yours progresses 🙂

  7. I’ve loved this mini series on bullet journals and you’ve really inspired me to make one myself – even though I have roughly zero artistic ability and I’m totally convinced it’s going to look appalling lol! I’ve ordered a load of materials and I’m going to start to create a bullet journal ready for 2018, so I can go really slow and take my time.

  8. It’s so beautiful! You are very talented. I would have neither the skill, vision or patience to create something like this, but I have enjoyed watching you create yours. Is this the beginnings of a new product line we can expect to see in stores soon? to see

  9. When you first started these posts my initial reaction was how has anyone got time to do this and then complete the actual tasks they are reminding themselves to do! But then I looked at my (very uninspiring) ‘to do’ list in my planner, and considered my quest to live a more creative life, ‘lightbulb moment’!! If I can get my brain out of grey logical ‘list writing’ mode and in to a more creative inspiration mode then this could impact on my work as well. Amazing isn’t it, I use to draw and colour all the time when I was a kid but then this ‘perfection’ thing kicks in and you are told you are wasting your time unless you ‘get it right’ or that it’s just a ‘waste of time’. Thanks very much Suzie, you are a STAR! 😀 xxx

  10. Ooh this is so much fun! I am telling myself for quite some time that I wanted to start a bullet journal. Do you actually use your journal? Or you are just having fun making it? 🙂

  11. Oh, I’ve enjoy reading your three part bullet journal post. I’m intrigue, I gotta say, I have never heard of it before, I want to try it now, going to look more into it. Thank you for sharing all your insight. 🙂

  12. I have this really brilliant planner that I use for my everyday life and I’ve already taken one of your tips and used fancy tape to mark certain pages…Brilliant, its really helping!!

  14. Pingback: Adding @Zentangle to Your Bullet Journals #Arts #Crafts – Motivate Me

  17. Wonderful post on Bullet journals…..this is a complete new thing for me and will have to get into the deeper of this…..thanks for the guide, Suzie.

  19. Recently been reading a lot about bullet journaling and this ties in so neatly with my 2018 plans for the blog. Definitely bookmarking and using these ideas. Thanks, Suzie!

  20. Oh my gosh, Suzie, how beautiful! That said, I will enjoy drooling over these beautiful pages but will never try to emulate, either for my personal BuJo pp or my blogging ones – I totally get into artists’ paralysis if I make it too fancy! Yes, I CAN do beautiful things, but it would take me forever and eat up time that should be used on other things (like the actual work of blogging 😉 ), so my BuJo has always been less pretty but more utilitarian. That is one of the great things about the BuJo system, though, isn’t it? – so long as it works for the user, that’s all that matters! 🙂 (This is why I have also resisted the temptation to buy out the washi tape section at my nearest crafts store, so do add some to your pp for me, OK? 🙂 )

    • That’s why I love it – you can design it to your own specifications and what you’re comfortable with. Ooh, don’t give me an excuse to buy more washi tape haha!

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