Wanna make your planner even more useful and beautiful? Check out these seven planner decorating ideas, which include some practical tips, clever hacks, and creative tricks to get the most out of your planner!
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Let the planner decoration ideas begin, y’all!
As I write this, a new year is coming up, and it’s that exciting time when we reflect on all that’s happened this year, and what we hope to be or do next year.
If you’re a paper planner person (and I’m sure you are, if you’re reading this), you know how much fun it is to brain dump all your ideas and your schedule onto paper, and use your creativity to make (some) sense of it all.
But seriously… as much fun as planners are, my favorite thing about using a planner is simply that IT HELPS ME BE MORE INTENTIONAL WITH MY LIFE! I want to use my God-given gifts well, and planning helps me to do that.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
I’ve always been kind of a laid back, free-flowing kind of person (and not just because I have narcolepsy… I think that’s just my INFJ personality). I find it too easy to goof off, wander lethargically from one task to another, forget what actually needs to get done, underestimate how much time is required, etc. etc. etc. Without a plan and some good time management, I would never get anything important done!
I discovered the beauty of planning and goal setting back in high school, when I was able to make region band by creating a detailed practice schedule, so I could ace those auditions. I didn’t realize it back then, but I was onto something!
Then, quite a few years later, I started using a goal setting planner, and the rest, as they say, is history. I discovered tons of great planner ideas for beginners, and fell in love with planning.
And with that being said, let’s move on to what you REALLY came for… 😉
7 Awesome Planner Decorating Ideas
These awesome planner decorating ideas are not just to make your planner look pretty… more importantly, they make it more useful! I’m using the Divine Faith Planner in these examples, but these ideas will work for many other kinds of planners as well. You can see all seven by watching the video below, or check them out in the photos…
1) Use washi tape to mark multi-day events!
Washi tape can be handy for lots of creative planner ideas, but my favorite use for it is to block off multi-day events. Anytime I’m leaving home for a vacation, conference, wedding, or other excursion, I use washi tape to mark off those days in my monthly and weekly schedule.
You could use a themed washi tape that’s appropriate for the event (like a tropical washi tape for a beach vacation). OR, you could use solid color washi tapes, to create a color-coded schedule for yourself (for example, blue tape = business travel, pink tape = vacation, green tape = visiting family, etc.)
Another planner decorating ideas option is to write your travel details above the washi tape, like “business trip to New York”, or you could get really detailed and write your flight departure/arrival times, and where you’ll be each day of the trip. (Some washi tapes you can write directly on top of, but if your tape has glitter or foil on it, it’s better to write above or below it).
2) Create your own ribbon bookmark!
This might be the most clever of all planner decoration ideas! Okay, so it’s actually more of a practical idea than a decorative one, but it still looks nice. If you have a spiral/coil-bound planner like the Divine Faith Planner, you can easily create your own ribbon bookmark!
It’s SO easy… just get some ribbon you like, cut a piece that’s about 50% taller than the height of your planner page, and tie one end of it to the planner coil (using a double knot). Be sure and tie it to back of the coil, so the knot sits behind the back cover of the planner. You could even make two or three different color ribbon bookmarks, to use for different purposes!
3) Use stickers to add extra inspiration, motivation, and color!
Okay, this may be a planner decorating for beginners tip, but in case you haven’t already discovered stickers, they’re such a great way to embellish your planner! Of all the planner decorating ideas you could try, stickers are by far the easiest. All the craft stores, like Hobby Lobby or Michaels, sell a ton of great planner stickers, like the faith ones I used here.
Use stickers to liven up any blank spaces in your planner…add Bible verses, motivational words like the REJOICE sticker below, or just some cute birthday cake stickers to mark those special days.
4) Create your own schedule template!
Speaking of planner setup ideas, this one is my own custom invention! If your planner doesn’t have a timeline on each day, you can easily make your own template to use. (I designed the Divine Faith Planner this way on purpose, so whether you’re an early bird rising at 5am, or a night owl sleeping until 9am, you can customize your schedule however you want).
Cut a strip of cardstock paper, mark off an hourly schedule for yourself (whatever your day typically looks like), and then fold it over the page so it aligns with the day box in your planner. Once you have it folded, you can attach some self-adhesive magnets to each side (as seen in the photo below). The magnets will hold it in place while you’re using it, and then you can stash it elsewhere in your planner to use later. Pretty cool, right?
5) Make a color-coded schedule with highlighters!
Whether you’re still learning how to use a planner for beginners, or you’re a seasoned planner user, you can never underestimate the value of a good color-coded schedule! Seriously… it’s like, the big kahuna of planner decorating ideas! Especially if you have a LOT going on, multiple family members activities to juggle, different jobs, etc… color coding can be so helpful.
Of course, there are many planner layout ideas you could use to create your schedule, but I like to use highlighters to create ‘blocks’ for my work or volunteer shifts. Then, I fill in the block with the event name and time. (For the example above, I used an index card to write on, since this is my personal copy of the Divine Faith Planner and I have no idea what my schedule will actually look like come January!)
6) Use a cute paper clip to mark what day it is!
Surely I’m not the only one who occasionally gets confused about what day it is? You know how it goes… you got Labor Day (Monday) off, and now it’s Tuesday, but it feels like Monday. Or maybe you would usually work Tuesday-Saturday, but you took Saturday off, and you keep thinking it’s Sunday. Our brains play tricks on us like that LOL!
So for this #6 of our planner decorating ideas, we’re nipping that problem in the bud! Simply keep an arrow paper clip on today, and then when you wake up each morning, make a ritual of scooting the paper clip over to the new day. Then you can easily see where you’re at in the week. (I got the paper clip pictured above, at Hobby Lobby). This may not be the most clever of DIY Planner hacks, but I still think it’s pretty awesome! You’re welcome!
7) Embellish with Tombow Twintone pens!
And finally, we couldn’t wrap up this list of planner decorating ideas, without mentioning drawing and coloring in your planner! One of the best planner tips for beginners and advanced planners alike, is to invest in a good set of colored pens that you can doodle with.
I personally use Pentel Energel pens for basic writing and to-do list making, but for coloring and embellishment, Tombow Twintone pens take the cake! They have two tips (a fine tip on one end, and a thicker tip on the other), so you get the best of both worlds. Plus, they come in three different sets of 12 pens each, so if you get all three sets, you end up with 36 total colors. Two pens in one, with lots of pretty colors? Yes, please!
I hope you enjoyed these awesome planner decorating ideas! Tell me: Which one is your favorite?
Want to learn more about intentional goal setting + fulfilling God’s purpose for your life? Check out these faith planner ideas:
10 Christian Goal Setting Principles to Live By
35 Spiritual Goal Examples for Christian Growth
7 Good Habits in the Bible to Apply in Your Own Life
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!