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You are here: Home / Crafts / Easy DIY Planner & Sketchbook

Easy DIY Planner & Sketchbook

9 · Mar 6, 2012 · 8 Comments

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I hope you like this post showing you how to make your own planner using scrapbook supplies. If you like this post you may also enjoy this DIY bookmarks project. 

How to hack a notebook into a fully customized planner (and idea sketch book)!
I like to use a desk calendar to keep track of my blogging commitments and content timing.   I use my iPhone primarily for family scheduling (hello, LOVE the new “shared” calendars feature), but I needed something to keep near my desk to keep track of projects, due dates etc…

I also needed a sketch book to make notes about my projects as I make them. I decided this year to combine the two.  The calendar takes up the first quarter of the notebook, then the last part I have free for sketching and brainstorming.  It’s been nice having everything in “one place”.
How to hack a notebook into a fully customized planner (and idea sketch book)!

To make the book it was SOOO simple…    I used the 2012 Calendar, A Yearto Follow your Heart digital kit from Rhonna Designs, and the Quatrefoil Kit

All I did was start with an empty spiral notebook. I chose Vera Bradley. I like their notebooks because they are very sturdy and spiral bind does not snag or catch.  I’m pretty abusive to my notebooks so they need to hold up.

I then printed out each month’s calendar on 8.×5 x 11 paper – I just used plain printer paper, nothing fancy. I did have to crop them a bit in photoshop to get them to fit on 8.5×11 paper (you could use elements or iphoto to do that also).

Next using adhesive, I glued the printed calendar right on top of a page in the notebook.

I left 2 pages in between for notes/journaling, then glued in the next month.

To  make it easy to navigate between the months, I printed a page from the Quatrefoil backgrounds pack, and simply used a punch to make tabs.

Then I attached them with my tiny attacher.

 

SUPPLY LIST UPDATED FOR 2017 : Click on the words below to buy (affiliate links):

Vera Bradley or Lilly Pulitzer Large Notebook

Tab Punch

Tiny Attacher

Simple 2017 Calendar Pages on Amazon

 

OR FREE Printable 2017 Calendar on Short Stop Designs

Free Printable 2017 Calendar

 

How to hack a notebook into a fully customized planner (and idea sketch book)!

How to hack a notebook into a fully customized planner (and idea sketch book)!

It’s a pretty simple project, but it solved a problem that I had and took less than 1 hour to make!

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Melissa Mortenson

Melissa Mortenson is the author of the Polka Dot Chair blog which has been sharing fresh and creative ideas with readers since 2008. She is the author of “Project Teen, Handmade Gifts your Teen will Actually Love”. Her first fabric line “Derby Style” debuted in January 2015 through Riley Blake Designs. It was followed by 5 other fabric lines in subsequent years. A mom of 3, she considers herself lucky to be living in Kentucky.

Comments

  1. jamie says

    March 6, 2012 at 10:57 AM

    love this.
    genius!
    i too have so much trouble finding planners i can use.
    love your idea!!!
    rockin’ the spring circus.

    ~j

    Reply
  2. Simple Simon & Co says

    March 6, 2012 at 11:56 AM

    I so need this right now….I have sketches EVERYWHERE (unfortunately they are literally everywhere) and I haven’t gotten myself blog-organized this year.

    And. it’s. March.

    Reply
  3. Raysha says

    March 6, 2012 at 1:53 PM

    Great idea. I really need this for all I have going on.

    http://www.lexmallabooks.com

    Reply
  4. Wendy says

    March 7, 2012 at 12:35 PM

    this is a fab idea. I always have a notebook on me, then post it notes all over the place, then my diary… I did have an all-in-one a few years ago but have never got round to making a new one!

    Reply
  5. Jenni says

    March 9, 2012 at 4:53 PM

    Love this idea! So simple, quick, and easy! Thanks for sharing! Can I still make one even though it is already March???? ;)

    Reply
  6. RDA says

    March 10, 2012 at 12:17 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing this idea! I love it!!!

    Reply
  7. Bonnie Thiem says

    January 29, 2018 at 10:54 AM

    I got excited with this idea until I saw it used a 2017 Calendar. Sorry but it’s no use to me since its 2018 now. Have to look for another downloadable calendar.

    Reply
    • Melissa Mortenson says

      January 29, 2018 at 11:15 AM

      The post is from 2012 – it’s not meant to be a downloadable calendar. Just an idea of what to do with a printable calendar.

      Reply

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