With almost everything being digital these days, you might wonder why you would need a paper planner.
Megan Hoeppner shares the appeal, and some cute ways to dress up your printed calendar.
Find more papercrafts on Megan’s website, www.meganhoeppner.com.
Start the Year in Planner Mode
Keeping a calendar-planner is not just about scheduling appointments and jotting lists. It is where functional meets FUN! That’s what makes planning special. It takes a the tedious task of tracking to-dos and turns it into a creative activity.
1. Hole Reinforcement
When staring at a blank planner spread, the first place I tend to start is reinforcing my holes. From a functional standpoint, it gives my pages the added oomph they need. On the fun side, it’s a great way to work in personality. You can use basic hole reinforcement stickers, or you can add your own unique flavor with washi tape. Of course, you can flavor to basic white reinforcement stickers, too, using stamps or pen doodles or inking.
2. Decorative Clips
You don’t even have to open your planner to get an idea of the fun that awaits within, thanks to this FUN-ctional element. It’s a bookmark but also a decorative element. I love making my own clips in any number of ways. From yarn poms to felt beads to shrink plastic to molding clay, there are so many ways to take a basic paperclip and dress it for planner success.
3. Planner Inserts
Taking the planner play beyond the pages of the calendar is a lovely way to get more real estate while also adding your own special touches. With a planner punch that aligns with the holes of your planner, you can quickly incorporate keepsakes and mementos into the pages of your planner, such as birthday party invites, school activity reminders, etc. Simply punch and insert! I often add journaling cards in this manner. It’s a way to work in an inspirational message and can also be a place to write down basic lists and tracking. I’ll even work in photos for a truly personalized planner touch. My planner serves the purpose of being both a tool and a keepsakes, and inserts in the form of memorabilia and photos capture a more complete look at my story. TIP: If you don’t have a planner hole punch specifically, you can use a single hole punch and your planner page as a template, or you can use clear sleeves as inserts to hold your goodies.
Additional Resources and freebies:
Free 2019 Monthly Calendar Pages: www.dearcrissy.com
Sometimes, I like to include smaller monthly pages inside my monthly planner. Why? It offers a “safe space” to track. These pages don’t have to look cute or maintain for the long haul. They’re likely not pages I’ll keep forever, but they’re a great landing place for things like “give the pup his medication” and “don’t forget to mail birthday card.” The stuff you want to track but don’t necessarily need to have a permanent spot in your planner as a scrapbook/keepsake. And these cleanly designed, gorgeous pages are just the ticket for such a task. TIP: For smaller planner page inserts, print these at a smaller percentage, such as 60% (vs. 100%). When you’re preparing to print a document, you should be offered the option to adjust the percentages.
Free Household Inserts: www.simplystacie.net
With everything from babysitter info pages to medical tracking pages, this is an awesome catch-all for the crucial stuff you want included in your planner. And it’s cute! And it’s free!
Free Words of Inspiration: www.clementinecreative.co.za
Need an uplifting reminder that you’ve got this? Clementine Creative has made several freebies. Print them, punch them, and add them to your planner whenever you want a boost.
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