Creative and Simple Ways to Decorate a Journal Page

One of my favorite ways to get creative is by decorating my bullet journal. It’s a great way to have fun, destress, and make my journal look pretty. What’s not to love?

I didn’t realize until I started watching bullet journaling content on Youtube how creative you could get in your bullet journal pages. It seems like such a small space and that there wouldn’t be much to do. But actually, it’s quite the opposite.

Keep reading this blog post to find out all my tips and tricks for how to decorate a journal. And if you enjoy this post, make sure to check out the rest of my journaling content.

What is a Bullet Journal?

The Bullet Journal system was created by Ryder Carroll. While many of us know it as an organizational system that can help with daily and weekly productivity, on their website they explain that it is so much more.

The Bullet Journal can help you to be more mindful and get more done. It can also help you lead a more intentional life because it guides you through setting daily goals and monitoring them until you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do.

What Kind of Notebook do you Need to Bullet Journal?

Although you can use any notebook to start your bullet journal, much of the community uses a notebook with coptic binding. Some examples of these are moleskine and leuchtturm. The Bullet Journal brand also sells their own notebook on their website.

Many users prefer a hard notebook cover. I think that is because it is fun to decorate the front cover with stickers.

You will find many different options. Some notebooks are ruled, some are made from graph paper, and others contain a dot grid. You can even find some journals that are completely blank.

It’s completely up to you what you would like to use!

What do you write about in a Bullet Journal?

People use bullet journals for a variety of reasons, but the main reason is because it’s a fun way to get organized and monitor your to-do lists.

How can I decorate my journal?

Decorating your journal is such a personal and individual choice! The most important thing is that you have fun and express yourself creatively. These are some of the creative options that you have for decorating a journal:

Doodling

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been doodling for as long as you can remember! Sometimes it’s fun to just get a pen and paper and start creating. Doodling or drawing can be a great way to fill in some white space and decorate a bullet journal page.

Coloring

Once you have some illustrations or designs on the page, it’s time to fill them in with some color! You can do this with crayons, paint pens, markers, colored pencils, watercolors, and whatever your heart desires. If you’re looking for inspiration, there are a lot of great Plan With Me videos on youtube where journalers get extremely creative. Some people even use tools like etched dies and acrylic paints to make their weekly spread completely unique and one of a kind.

Stickers

I love stickers, and I’m sure you do too! They can be a great way to build a bullet journal spread, or just a cute way to add some fun to the page. But not all stickers are good stickers, so it’s important to look for good ones.

It’s very cool because some bullet journal artists even design their own stickers to sell and share with others! I’m thinking specifically of TheCoffeeMonsterzCo, but if you look on Etsy there are a ton of great artists selling their work to share with others.

Washi Tape

My Washi tape obsession started at least 10 years ago and over the years I’ve accumulated quite a collection. These cute and colorful tapes are the perfect accent to any bullet journal page. You can use them for outlining, accentuating headers, making a diagonal lines design, and more! You can tear it into different sizes and add it to a variety of spreads. There are plenty of creative ways to use it.

Collage

There’s something so fun about making collages. All you need is an old magazine, some scissors, and a glue stick to get started. One of my favorite things to do is cut up old gardening magazines so that I can add some pretty flowers to my pages. If you have any construction or scrapbook paper around, those can also had some color to your collages. You can also use pages from old books. My local library gives away old magazines that people donate, but you can also ask family and friends to donate their old magazines and bookx to you for your craft content.

Double Sided Tape

This is also an important tool. If you want to add pictures, cut outs, and ephemera into your journal you’re going to need something adhesive to stick it to the pages. Double-sided tape is the best way to attach things because it keeps your pages from getting rumpled. I wouldn’t recommend mod podge because then your pages will get crinkly.

What supplies can I use to decorate my journal?

I have been bullet journaling for quite a few years now, and I collect my supplies from a variety of places! Keep reading for some recommendations on where to find stickers, washi tape, and other miscellaneous journal supplies.

Where can I Buy Stickers for my Bullet Journal?

I live in the United States and some places I find stickers are Wal Mart, Target, The Dollar Tree, The Hallmark Store. Sometimes you can also find cute planner stickers at office supply stores like Staples and Office Max, although these stores can also be useful for sticky notes, calendar stickers, and other things you may need like kraft paper and different colors of ink pen.

Where Can I Buy Washi Tape for my Bullet Journal?

One place to look is Target. Scotch Tape has started selling their own colorful tapes that are similar to genuine washi tape. Office Max also sells scotch tape. You can find paper tapes in craft stores like Michaels, as well as from online suppliers. Some shops on Etsy sell Washi tape as well.

Where Can I Buy General Supplies for decorating my Bullet Journal?

It’s really easy to start journaling. In the United States you can pick up an inexpensive notebook at Target or Wal Mart, and you can pick up supplies online or in stores. For me personally, I love to walk around the stationery aisle at Target. There are so many cute notebooks and in the kids craft area, there are all kinds of craft supplies that you can use in your journal.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to have a cute journal. All you need is a few supplies and your imagination. Starting out simple is a great choice.

What if I don’t have any artistic skills?

The great thing about journaling is that you don’t need to be a great writer or a fantastic artist. The only thing you have to be is you. I have had many times where I try to draw something or letter something in a cool way, and it doesn’t work out.

That’s fine! It’s so easy to cover up something that you’re not completely happy with and try again. It’s your journal and you can make it look exactly how you want it to.

What if I Don’t Have a Lot of Time?

When it comes to decorating your journal, there are plenty of options. You can make it as easy or as extravagant as you want it to be. It’s your choice! So if you don’t have a lot of time, you can just fill out your planner pages and do something simple, like add stickers or washi tape.

You can even just do your planning and add some decoration at a later time. It’s nice for your journal to be pretty, but it’s also important for it to be functional for you.

In Conclusion

I hope that you found this blog post on how to decorate a journal to be helpful! No matter how much time you have or how much artistic ability you have, there are different ways for you to decorate your journal to have a beautiful bullet journal spread.

There is no wrong way to journal and this post outlines the easiest ways to decorate your journal. To get started grab yourself a cup of coffee (or tea, or whatever your beverage of choice is) and your journal and sit down to get started. You don’t have to do everything at once. Just decorate little bit by little bit and admire your own unique designs.

Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you use metallic colors or calligraphy pens. All that matters is that your bullet journal spreads represent you!

xo Marian

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