12 Jul 2013

more ways to be creative in your planner


Following on from my previous post on keeping creative diary pages, I thought I'd do a follow up post illustrating more ways I use to be creative. I will mainly talk about keeping pages functional as well as pretty but with a minimalistic theme too. I hope you enjoy it :)

Strategic Placement

Scary sounding title but it sounds really fancy and I wanted to sound clever :) Basically, carefully arranging the components of each day can make a big difference between pretty and messy.

For instance, in the next picture, you'll see a day where I've put to-dos on the top left, TV on the top right (this is a component that isn't a part of every day), a goal of the day on the bottom right (again, not on every day), appointments in the middle left and the bottom right denoting something of note (if there is space for it).


Not every day has to follow the same structure - you can jazz it up and one day, to-dos could be on the right instead or there might be no space for a goal so you leave that out.

Layering

Just like layering with clothes, you can also layer in your diary. Layering can bring about an interesting end result and doesn't have to take up too much space.

Here is some layering I did with some heart stickers:


And some layering I did with a sticky tab and washi tape (I love layering washi tape):


Less Is More

It's really easy to go overboard with stickers, washi tape and colour in your planner. Ultimately, your planner has to be functional too so if you limit your space too much with these other tools, you might lose interest in staying organised. So, my tip here is to keep in mind how much space you'll have for to-dos, appointments and other essential things that need to be written down after the decoration is done.

Personally, I prefer not to put washi tape at the tops and bottoms of my diary pages (the space is limited enough!) but I have done it on notepaper in the past.

Sometimes, using simple things, such as dashed lines, can look good too. I love using dashed lines and have used them a lot in the past. I only do it once or twice in a week's spread and sometimes, it's missing completely in an effort not to overdo the creativity.


More Written 'Fonts'

I love trying to write in different ways - cursive, print, capitals; I try them all! And sometimes, using different 'fonts' can be a cheaper way to decorate. No stickers or washi tape needed :)

Here are a few examples from my own planner:

Does it annoy you that the pictures aren't in order of tests?! Me too...

And my personal favourite...


Washi Tape

If you're new to washi tape or don't want to use too much due to the limited diary space, you could use it to highlight days of the week or months. Here are some examples:


As you can see, using washi tape doesn't have to be space-consuming.

Illustrations

Adding a simple illustration can add that personal touch.

For example, in the next picture, I've drawn a kite in the top left picture where I thought I'd write down some song lyrics I love, a microphone in the top right, a heart in the bottom left and a crown in the bottom right. I wouldn't say I'm the best at drawing and if you feel the same about yourself, keep those illustrations simple - that's what I do :)


Splitting Words Up

This is something you could say is impractical in some cases (and I wouldn't disagree with you - splitting up words?!) but that was until I tried it. I think this can be done if the word is split in the right place but I guess there's no hard and fast rule.


Corner Sticky Notes

I have some big corner sticky notes so I cut them in half and now they fit perfectly in my planner. A pair of scissors and the sticky note world will be your oyster.


Stickers

If you're not a big fan or don't know how to get into the world of stickers, using useful stickers could be a good start. Weather stickers, these Filofax ones or Paperchase appointment stickers are all simple ways to introduce them into your planner because they are functional and add a little bit of colour too.

Alternatively, you could just use your own illustrations instead.


Using Washi Tape For Monthly Planners

I've seen this on Flickr in the past and it is a good idea for things that last for several days. I have done this before in my actual diary pages:


And here is an example from my monthly planner pages:


Accessories

Sticky page markers, paper clips and bookmarks can all add another level of personality to a planner. My personal favourites are these duck clips from Midori - they are made of thick card but I didn't actually realise this when I purchased them! In the next picture, you'll see the duck clip and you'll also see a tiny part of a Rilakkuma sticky page marker I have used on the left.


Using Felt Tips

Felt tip pens are a great way to add colour but only if the paper can take it. I like using chevrons to decorate and although the next picture doesn't show it in my diary, it does show what I mean. If you look at the part that says 'connect! >>>>', the chevrons I'm talking about are the '>>>'. You can see more about this picture in this post.


So, I hope you enjoyed a second post on keeping creative diary pages. I hope you've not found too much overlap with the first post as I've tried to only talk about things not mentioned in it. 

What other ways do you use to make your pages as creative as possible? :)

25 comments

  1. The corner sticky note is genius! I will definitely adopt that.

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    1. Hope it works for you! :) They are useful for TV shows I've found hehe x

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  2. Nice blog! What kind of pen do you use to write on the washi tape?

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    1. Thanks! I use Staedtler Lumocolor pens on washi tape :) x

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  3. Some great ideas here! I recently bought some corner sticky notes... I know how to use them now!

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    1. Thanks! Hope the corner notes work for you :) x

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  4. I'm also in love with the corner sticky note idea. Your pages are always so cute, and I've really been enjoying these "how-to" type posts on adding some more creativity to our pages. Thanks for the inspiration. :)

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    1. Thank you :) I try not to go too over the top with my planning so these little bits are the things I do to be a little bit creative, but without compromising on the actual planning side of things :) x

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  5. I love it! I like to draw and doodle in my planners too.

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    1. Thanks! Drawing and doodling is a great way to get those creative juices flowing hehe x

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  6. Angela - I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you for sharing your creative ideas! It has inspired me!!

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  7. Once again you have given GREAT ideas! I LOVE your Blog! You have given me ways to be a bit more creative.

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    1. Aw thank you :) Enjoy being creative :D x

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  8. Thanks for all the awesome tips and ideas...all you really need is some colorful pens and let your imagination go . ������
    Norma

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    1. Thanks! And yes, no need for stickers and oversized post-its :) x

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  9. I love this post, you gave me some good ideas for my planner, I'm going to try it
    thank you!!

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  10. D: your pages are definitely the best ones i've seen as i'm all for simplicity. my pages are always full of washi tape and stickers. lol. it's nice for me as i don't have much going on everyday BUT i love your daily set-ups. thank you so much for sharing. now i wish i was just as creative. :D

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    1. Aw thank you! :) I believe that everyone can be creative - you just need to find your own personal style and then run with it :D xxx

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  11. Great post! I especially love the idea of the washi tape across days. And breaking up words? Genius!

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    1. Thanks! :) Hope you found some of these ideas useful :) x

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  12. Angela, I love all the different writing styles you use, they are so pretty and add so much! Beautiful
    Tracy

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    1. Aw, thank you Tracy :) Your handwriting is very easy on the eye too :) x

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