Featured Image Credit: Kalon
I’m always looking for new ways to make my planning more effective… So if you’re anything like me, these awesome bullet journal hacks are going to take your help you streamline your process! With everything from modifying your actual journal to creative ways to fix mistakes, I’m sure these ideas will take your bujo to the next level. Don’t forget to check out our best bullet journal header ideas and best bullet journal banner ideas.
Here are some of my favorite bullet journal supplies:
Here are the bujo hacks:
Use A Smudge Test
Photo credit: Kalon on Instagram
Here’s a quick and easy bujo hack that will help you keep all your spreads neat! I think this takes the classic pen test and adds another layer to seeing how your markers will look on the page. You could modify this spread and also add the more classic style pen test details to have the ultimate guide to how the colors will turn out!
With these simple tests, you can see how the markers will smudge, bleed, and ghost. So depending on the type of bullet journal your using, you’ll be ready to deal with any issues that might come from your specific markers bleeding through the pages
Fix Your Mistakes
Photo credit: Plan With Ady on Instagram
Speaking of bleeding through the page, these effective ways to fix your mistakes will also come in handy! Whether you’re using a white gel pen, whiteout tape or covering up an error with some washi tape… these little tips will help you keep your spreads flawless
Grid Spacing Cheat Sheet
Photo credit: Kalon on Instagram
This is one spread that I always flip back to in my bujo when I’m setting up a new layout. Counting out the perfect spacing between columns once and not having to worry about it helps me keep my spreads uniform! This particular example breaks down column spacing but you can also add single lines that break up the page into quarters, thirds, and halves so you don’t have to continually count dots
Use A Dutch Door
Photo credit: Faith on Instagram
A dutch door is when you cut the page in the middle of a spread to add more room in a single spread and so you can see trackers, overviews or anything else that’s on the “base” page. In this example, the dutch door allows for way more room on the weekly spread while still keeping everything easily visible. If you find yourself running out of room on some of your spreads, you might want to incorporate one into your layout!
Use Washi Tape & Stickers
Photo credit: Nicole Josephine on Instagram
While this isn’t the craziest bullet journal hack out there… using washi tape and stickers really helps me add personality to my spreads since I’m not the best at doodling (yet lol). I love how she used stickers for the headers and a few additions to the theme while using the washi tape to add an “outline” to the spread! The best thing is that no matter what monthly theme you’re going with, there
Bujo Pocket Page
Photo credit: Pens & Bullets by Bee on Instagram
If you need a convenient place to store your loose papers, then you can add a “pocket” to one of your pages by taping in an envelope. Or… if you don’t have an envelope laying around, you could cut up some kraft paper and make your own! I love this idea since it adds another dimension to your bullet journal and gives the perfect spot to store your papers without having to worry about them falling out
Color Code Your Pages
Photo credit: Little Coffee Fox on Instagram
A simple super bullet journal hack is color-coding the edge of your pages so you can quickly find the page you need! I love this idea since it doesn’t require anything extra and you could add something like this in just a few minutes. Add a simple color key to the front of your bujo and you’re good to go!
Plan Your Themes
Photo credit: Charles on Instagram
I think planning out your monthly themes is something that is often overlooked! There are so many different options out there that it can get pretty overwhelming at times. I like to get inspiration and plan out my next two or three themes depending on the time of year. Planning out a full years worth of themes doesn’t work for me since I like to switch things up a lot but planning out a few gives me enough time to start getting new ideas
Here are some great theme ideas:
Use Mini Trackers
Photo credit: Kelly on Instagram
While this might not be the most mind-blowing hack out there… it’s still incredibly helpful! Using a mini tracker in your spread a quick and easy way to keep track of those small daily / weekly tasks! It’s also a great way to fill out your spread if you want to keep the layout looking cohesive. Just like the example above, you could add a simple to-do list, habit, task or mood tracker and a mini-calendar to add extra functionality to any page!
Plan Your Color Scheme
Photo credit: Kalon on Instagram
Similar to planning out your theme for the month, adding a color scheme spread can really help you keep the overall look of your bullet journal uniform. This also comes in handy if whether you’re going with a theme or sticking with a few different colors for your spreads. By putting some colors next to each other before setting up your pages for the month, it gives you a good feel for how things will look/turn out in the end!
Step By Step Doodle Tutorials
Photo credit: Julia on Instagram
If you’ve seen any of my other bullet journal posts then you’ll know I’m a huge fan of step by step doodle tutorials! Not only do they give me theme ideas but they help be add super cute decoration to my spreads by breaking it down into easy steps. So if you’re looking to add doodles to your bujo, find yourself a step by step guide and start practicing!
Here are some awesome doodle tutorials:
Bullet Journal Sticky Notes
Photo credit: San Studies on Instagram
Adding sticky notes to any spread is a great way to not only add more room but if you have things that constantly change… sticky notes will let you quickly change them out! Plus, these ideas above are super fun ways to add borders and make them look like they belong on the page. Whether it’s a simple to-do list or daily reminder, I’m sure you’ll find yourself using this easy hack all the time!
Related Bujo Post: Best Bullet Journal Paper Notes Doodles
DIY Pen Holder
Photo credit: Selene M. Bowlby on Instagram
If you’re always looking for that lost pen then this one is for you! There are different ways to make a DIY pen holder but she used a clear traveler notebook cover in the back of her bullet journal to secure the pen. You could also a binder clip and washi tape or fold the elastic strap around the cover to hold it. Whatever way you choose, you won’t be looking for that lost pen any more!
Use Paper Clips or Binder Clips
Photo credit: Casually Created on Instagram
One of the most simple bullet journal hacks has to be using a paper clip or binder clip. I like using a paper clip for the side with a smaller number of pages and the binder clip for the side with more. It doesn’t matter if you’re setting up a spread or checking off a completed task… this one will be helpful daily!
Related Bujo Post: Best Bullet Journal Header & Title Ideas
Use Craft Paper
Photo credit: Lonely Notes on Instagram
Just like utilizing step by step doodles, adding craft paper to your spreads is a super-easy way to add some decoration. I love how it breaks up the white background and adds a new dimension. It’s a simple and quick way to spice things up!
Create A Tracking Dashboard
Photo credit: Alla on Instagram
While this might seem like the opposite of the above bujo hack… I think that adding a single tracker dashboard for all your monthly trackers could really help simplify things. Instead of having a habit tracking spread, mood tracking spread, sleep tracking spread, health tracking spread etc… you could boil it all down into a single page! It would help you get a good overview of everything that your tracking in one place
Use A Foldable Key Tab
Photo credit: Modern Miss Journaling on Instagram
If you’re a bullet journal beginner this one is really going to help! Adding a fold-out tab at the back of your journal with a key on it will cut down on the time spent flipping through pages. Now if you’re already familiar with your key you could use this method but add a mini-calendar for the month instead. The possibilities are endless with this hack!
Add A Foldable Page
Photo credit: Katharina Bluhm on Instagram
I don’t know if it gets any easier than this bujo hack! If you need more room in one of your spreads or a future log, you can tape on an extra page or the edge of the previous one to create a full page fold-out. I haven’t tried this one myself yet but I’d love to hear how this holds up if you give it a try!
Washi Tape Page Marker
Photo credit: Monochromatic Majic on Instagram
Similar to color-coding your pages… by adding a small piece of washi tape to your spreads will help you quickly find whatever you’re looking for. You can also add some washi tape around the corners of your spread to keep them from getting damaged! So it doesn’t matter if you just adding a few page markers or going all out with protecting the edges of your spreads… washi tape will always come in handy
Keep Things Simple
Photo credit: Eline on Instagram
Last but not least, I just wanted to add a super simple yet incredibly elegant spread to remind you that sometimes keeping things simple is the way to go! I know from personal experience that coming up with new layouts, new themes, new trackers etc… can be time-consuming. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a spread with all the bells and whistle just as much as the next person but taking a break from all of that really helps me stay productive
Related Posts:
Step By Step Bullet Journal Doodle Tutorials
Step By Step Flower Doodles
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