10 DIY Planners for Organizing Your Life

By
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney
Megan Graney is a crafting expert, art teacher, and writer who shares her knowledge of DIY painting, furniture refinishing, and sewing. She has almost a decade of hands-on experience and has been writing about crafts for five years. 
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Updated on 10/23/19
Tear-Off Planner

Sarah Hearts

While we exist in a mostly digital age, there’s still something incredibly satisfying about physically writing out your appointments, to-dos, and assignments. Enter: the homemade planner. Creating a personal, attractive physical agenda, journal, or appointment book could be that extra little push you need to stay organized. From threading an entire paper journal yourself, to decorating an existing suitable notebook, there’s a great option for every skill level. Scroll through these do-it-yourself planner projects to inspire your commitment to individualized organization.

  • 01 of 10

    Metallic Quote Planner

    Metallic Lettered Journal

    Modge Podge Rocks

    Get a daily pep talk every time you open your customized planner by emblazoning it with your favorite mantra. Metallic letters really pop on a rustic background, but you can truly select any pre-made daily agenda to cover and letter.

    Metallic Quote Planner from Modge Podge Rocks

  • 02 of 10

    Velvet Book Cover

    Velvet Hardcover Journal

    Lia Griffith

    Emulate a Victorian library with a touch of luxurious velvet. A store-bought, hardcover journal is necessary to apply the chic velvet cover in this project. Finish the old-timey aesthetic by inserting a satin ribbon bookmark too. This journal makes the perfect gift for the aspiring calligrapher. 

    Velvet Book Cover from Lia Griffith

  • 03 of 10

    Fabric Photo Journal

    Fabric Photo Journal

    A Beautiful Mess

    Enjoy your favorite photos in a fresh way by covering a planner book with your enlarged images printed on a textured fabric. While a pretty scene from a recent vacation looks lovely as cover art, consider using a family portrait or original artwork too—either will make this piece extra special and comforting when you open it each day. 

    Fabric Photo Journal from A Beautiful Mess

  • 04 of 10

    Marbled Paper Journal

    Marbled Paper Journal

    Lia Griffith

    Make this pretty marbled journal from start-to-finish by hand-stitching the pages together, dip-dyeing the cover, and finishing with a tassel. This journal makes an especially thoughtful homemade gift, so while you’re making yourself a marbled planner, create a few more for a friend’s birthday, a wedding shower, or a housewarming.

    Marbled Paper Journal from Lia Griffith

    Continue to 5 of 10 below.
  • 05 of 10

    Ombre Journal

    Ombre Journals

    Damask Love

    Using a blendable media (think: soft pastel, chalk, oil pastel, or even colored pencil), cover an entire sheet of heavyweight paper, moving from a darker to a lighter hue. Feeling ambitious? Introduce a third color into your ombre. Wrap the page around a store-bought journal, and spray a quick sealant over top to make sure your planner holds up to everyday use. 

    Ombre Journal from Damask Love

  • 06 of 10

    Tear-Off Weekly Planner

    Tear-Off Planner

    Sarah Hearts

    Ditch the book idea altogether, and park your DIYed planner on your desk as a tear-off pad instead. You can still capture appointments and plan each week, but with this clever project, there’s a little less pressure to use your planner “perfectly.” Put your own spin on your weekly planner by customizing the color scheme and font, too. 

    Tear-Off Weekly Planner from Sarah Hearts

  • 07 of 10

    Fabric-Covered Journals

    Fabric Journal

    Crazy Little Projects

    Stock up on inexpensive composition books during back-to-school season, then personalize them to your needs throughout the year. Covering simple lined paper notebooks in fabric gives them a much more luxurious feel, and you can take this idea to the next level by adding a contrasting fabric lining too. 

    Fabric-Covered Journals from Crazy Little Projects

  • 08 of 10

    Leather and Recycled Paper Journal

    Leather and Recycled paper Journal

    Instructables

    Is your paper scrap drawer overflowing? Put those bits to work in a completely-from-scratch leather journal. Trim your paper to a consistent size (the greater color and variety the scraps the better; it’ll lend more of a rustic, homespun aesthetic to your journal), then stitch together with an opulent bit of leather and a thick thread.

    Leather and Recycled Paper Journal from Instructables

    Continue to 9 of 10 below.
  • 09 of 10

    Galaxy Painted Notebook

    Galaxy Journal

    Damask Love

    Start with a hardcover journal for this quick craft, then hand paint it to emulate the night sky. Not much of an illustrator? Not to worry, a little sponge painting and a dash of white speckle create a convincing galaxy with ease and little technique. Add a handful of glitter or metallic letters to make your astral colors really pop.

    Galaxy Painted Notebook from Damask Love

  • 10 of 10

    Paper Fruit Journals

    Fruit Journal

    Your DIY Family

    A perfect craft for kids to help with, these cute little fruit-inspired journals can work as recipe notes, daily food journals, or meal planning notebooks. Keep a few on hand in the kitchen to jot things down quickly. 

    Paper Fruit Journals from Your DIY Family