How to Start Bullet Journaling
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your First Bullet Journal
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OK, you've heard about bullet journaling, you've obsessively clicked through creative examples on Instagram, and now you want to try it for yourself — but where to start? Don't be intimidated (I know I was) — you have to start somewhere. So let's do this together. Here's how I started my first bullet journal!
First off, gather up your bullet journaling products:
- A notebook (preferably blank, dotted, or graph)
- Washi tape
- Colored pens or pencils
- A pencil with an eraser
- A ruler (or just piece of paper to easily draw straight lines)
Step 1: Washi Tape
Step 2: Date and Lines
Use a colored pen to write the date above the tape. I used the two-page spread for a week's worth of planning, but you can do a month, a day, or really whatever you'd like!
Use the ruler and pencil to start the calendar. For a week spread, I drew five lines on the first page and four on the second.
Step 3: Weekly Layout
There are literally thousands of ideas for weekly spread designs on Instagram. I just started with a super basic one for my first time. In addition to the boxes for each day of the week, I also added boxes on the bottom right for mood, to-dos, and what I'm reading. I later changed mood to weather, just because I thought it'd be more helpful. But again, this your journal, so include whatever makes sense for your interests and activities, whether that's a daily food or exercise component, school assignments, or wellness tracker. And each week or month can have a different design!
Step 4: Add Some Flair
Step 5: Fill It Out
I then used my Google calendar to fill out my schedule. I color-coded each task and appointment to make it easy to see the different categories. So red is for reading, purple is for appointments and reservations, dark blue is for work meetings, light blue is for travel, and green is for fun activities. I also added some more random doodles just to fill it out a bit. Now go forth and try bullet journaling!
Keep reading for some products to get you started!
Notebook
Notebook
Washi Tape
Tape Single: Dots ($3)
Washi Tape
Ruler
Ruler ($8)
