Always buy a planner that is purposeful – not one that is just pretty! This means when looking for a planner, you should look for one with both functionality and attractiveness.
Firstly, having a planner should help keep us on track with busy schedules and tasks. However, with a Christian planner, we want one that will help keep us accountable when it comes to our daily devotions, and the way we flourish our faith.
Secondly, an aesthetically-pleasing and attractive planner just makes you happy, right?
However, we can often lose sight of the practicality since there are so many pretty planners out there that are nothing more than cute calendars with extra designs that come off too distracting – pulling away from the actual “function” of the plan, and enticing us to purchase the plan because it’s “pretty.” Even beautiful at first glimpse, these types of planners do not actually serve a purpose other than giving you a fancy place to write down your tasks for the day.
Don’t worry though – you can find a Christian planner that offers both. But if you found a planner you love for its function, but lacks the pretty designs, try to look at it from a different perspective. Instead, think about how you can utilize the blank, empty pages as open canvases that will display your goals, aspirations, and more!
If you are leaning towards purchasing a planner with more of a pretty side, we can rest assure you will receive both the function and attractiveness with just a little Do-It-Yourself (DIY) decorating. This is where all your creativity will be displayed. Just head to your local art supply store, and soon you’ll have the best of both worlds in your daily Christian planner.
Below are seven different DIY ways you can take an undated Christian planner from simple and bland to extraordinary and unique!
1. Use Monthly Labels to Prepare Pages
Flipping through the pages, wondering where you left off can be a drag. By utilizing monthly labels, you can create a simpler and more convenient system to mark down future events, daily tasks, upcoming birthdays, and much more.
Most of your customizations and designs will spark your creativity as well as your own unique individuality, but this one is a little more practical. Your personal Christian journal should bring both joy and balance to your day, so making sure it remains organized is critical! After buying your new journal, we recommend adding in your monthly labels and filling in the dates before starting anything else.
2. Gel Crayons – One of the Most Versatile Supplies for Christian Journals
Gel crayons can be used in a variety of ways! For example, you can mark a verse in your Bible without the color bleeding through the pages, or for designing and decorating your planner pages simultaneously. Gel crayons are a favorite for us because not only are they blendable, but the vibrant colors offered can brighten up any page – but not so bold that it distracts your writing.
Basically, gel crayons provide a large selection of options. Use them to draw regularly, blend them with your finger or a piece of paper, or even use a small drop of water to create a watercolor effect. You can use them anytime, anywhere to outline your days, make a stylish and colorful background, or highlight specific words or phrases.
3. Using Washi Tape
When it comes to your Christian planner, there are an infinite number of designs to match whichever theme or aesthetic you are trying to capture. You can use them for various things, such as special days, to-do lists, monthly goals, or ever styling a specific page for some extra flare.
Additionally, customizing your planner is the best part, because it’s about making it work for you! Using Washi Tape does much more than customizing the overall look to add an aesthetic. For example, you can try using the Washi Tape to line the edges of a page for a cleaner, more sophisticated look or add it to the corners of a page so you can find it more simply. Overall, using Washi Tape is quick, straightforward, and fun. Remember, you don’t need to be an artist or creator to figure them out!
4. Scrapbooking
Don’t skip the scrapbooking aisle! Here, you can find fun materials such as a wide variety of scrapbook paper and accessories that will let you create colored backgrounds for individual days. You can even block specific days off your calendar when you want to leave them reserved. For example, you can try blocking off the day to protect your Sabbath. Further, most scrapbooking scissors offered carry different edges, from curved to crinkle cut, meaning you can use them to go the extra mile on those elaborate details.
If you decide to glue anything into your planner, make sure the paper is thick enough to handle the glue without getting soggy. Since most scrapbook papers are thick and perfect for this activity, you just need to use a thin layer of white glue or rubber cement to secure your form to your planner pages and let them dry significantly before writing on them.
5. Grab Some Quality Stickers
Sometimes, we make mistakes. When it comes to your planner, that can mean writing a wrong word or even smearing the pen ink. However, these mistakes can disappear into a page with the simple addition of a fun sticker. You can also find stickers of days, dates and months that will save you more time instead of numbering your calendar yourself.
Even though you won’t always be at home with a drawer full of decorations and pens, drinking your coffee, and sprawled across your coffee table, you can simply tuck a page of stickers into the back of your planner – easily the most comfortable decoration to carry with you no matter where you go. Don’t forget! You can also use stickers to mark off items on your to-do list as a nice reminder of when you’ve completed a task for the day.
6. Use Colored or Brush Pens to Add Extra Pizazz
Having a wide selection of different writing tools such as pencils, pens, and markers will inspire you to try all kinds of illustrations or designs when you plan your pages. Gel pens write smoothly but can take longer periods of time to dry, so just remember – don’t swipe your hand across the ink!
On the other hand, brush pens can take a little bit of practice. Once you get used to them though, you will be writing beautiful, hand-scripted Bible verses, scriptures, and more – details that will make your planner pop. We recommend practicing on scrap pieces of paper before you use them in your planner. By doing so, you will feel more confident when writing directly on your page. If you’re a tad nervous, you can always write on a separate sheet of paper and glue it to create a more scrapbook-style design.
7. Stencils Are a Must
With so many stencil sets that come in any shape and size, you can easily add extra details or outline new spaces on a blank page in your planner. Stencils are also especially helpful when planning tasks lists or having your weekly verse centered on the page.
Additionally, when using stencils, you can always trace the stencil first with a pencil to decide if you like the way it looks. If not, simply erase and try out another one. That way, you won’t have to deal with a permanent stencil.
At the end of the day, just remember to be yourself!
You may see other planners on social media that are gorgeous, but remember that your planner is also perfect, because not only is it a testament to your growth and relationship with God, but you can look back and see the depth of your study as well as experiences. With your own planner, you have full will to create your own unique aesthetic. Don’t compare your planner; instead, enjoy the beautiful process and dive deep into your creativity!