Under the stationery and planning tools category you can find the tools I regularly use as well as product reviews or alternate uses. If you are interested in my reviewing a specific product or brand, email me at elizabethghekiere[at]jihielephant[dot]com.
The world of stationery can be very overwhelming and finding and testing products yourself can be daunting and expensive. Paperhouse.me reached out and offered to send me some of their products to test out so that you do not have to! This article is a product review where I will walk through my first impressions, pros and cons after use, and final impressions of the Paperhouse.me products they sent. Check out my thoughts on the Paperhouse.me products and get 12% off your Paperhouse order!
Overall First Impressions of Paperhouse.me
Paperhouse sent me so many products; I was overwhelmed at first and just had to try them all out immediately. The pictures above show my first trial of each of the products outside of sticky note tests. I have very few negative first thoughts. The only negative that stood out to me was how difficult it was to use the fruit tape without ripping it. However, everything else worked just fine. The iridescent tape is beautiful, and the pens are really fun to play with!
Already convinced? Get 12% off your order with code ELIZABETHJOURNALS12, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
I love the unique pen types, the iridescent and rainbow tapes as well as the houseplant stickers. These are my favorite items of those noted above. Overall, I am delighted with the products Paperhouse sent me and would recommend them all, though, the fruit washi tape does rip a lot. I intend to use each of these products in my future layouts!
Have you ever contemplated getting a pocket-style printer, but you weren’t sure if it was worth buying one? Poooli was amazing and sent me the Poooli Pocket Printer to test out and share it with you! This article is a product review where I will walk through my first impressions, pros and cons after use, and final impressions. Check out my thoughts on the Poooli Pocket Printer and get 15% off your own Poooli Pocket Printer.
First Impressions
My first impressions of the printer after it arrived was how cute the printer itself is. The printer is shaped to look like a little bird with the beak being a removable magnet. The next thing I realized was that I did not know how to get it to work or what app to download because my box did not include instructions. After reaching out to the company, this ended up being a simple miscommunication. The instructions were not in my box to make the shipping process quicker, and I had missed the email that explained this and included the instructions. Once I got the instructions, the product was straightforward to use and navigate. Additionally, the amount of paper options is phenomenal; my favorite is the semi-clear paper.
The plethora of printing options and customization
Can create a to-do list automatically
Super cute aesthetic
Fun magnet included
Image and text printing
Negatives
The app is somewhat difficult to maneuver for the first time
Aesthetic is not for everyone
No simple shape options that I found
Limited font options
Final Thoughts
Even though I had some difficulties with the app and with working the printer at first, I really enjoy the options this printer provides. Not only can I print pictures, but I can also print text, customize it to some extent, and then I can also print all of the above on varied paper colors and styles! I prefer to keep the magnet on the printer, so it continues to look like a bird, but you can always use it as a magnet as well! I do recommend this printer if you are looking to get one!
Have you ever used a digital planner? BOSS Planners reached out to me with the opportunity to try one out on my own! I chose their budget planner and tried it out on my own. You can view my first experience with digital planners in the video below or read on for my review!
Digital Planner Used
BOSS Personal Planners has a lot of various physical and digital planners available, but I chose their budget planner! I chose this one because it is unlike anything I offer here at ElizabethJournals and it is a planner type that I have always wanted to be more proficient at using. Perhaps having a digital version would make it possible!
First Impressions: BOSS Planner Digital Budget Planner
My first impressions scrolling through the planner were positive! I loved the functional tabs and did not find it too difficult to navigate at all. The planner was pretty self-explanatory and had some really neat sections that I would not have thought of on my own. I was testing the planner on my phone and laptop since I do not have a tablet. This posed a challenge, but the planner was completely usable on both devices!
Pros & Cons
Next, lets talk pros and cons!
The Positives
Easy to use
Functional on multiple PDF Readers
Android and Apple compatible
Detailed
Functional on a laptop
Functional on a phone
Love the wishlist
The Negatives
Tablet would be ideal
PDF Readers can be difficult for first-time users
Final Thoughts: Digital Planner
After playing around on the digital planner for a while, I realized that typing function was challenging to use with my touch screen laptop. Perhaps a mouse and some practice would have helped. It could also be the specific PDF reader at fault. That is why I did not vote this in ‘the negatives’ above; however, it is something to keep in mind. The typing function was far easier when I used my phone. The planner is more challenging to use on the smaller phone screen, but zooming in made it doable. I would definitely recommend you use your laptop or a tablet if you have access to one. Overall, I loved the Budget planner and the concept of a digital planner! I wish I were more consistent in using one; it would be super beneficial!
While I still prefer writing on paper, a digital planner would be an excellent solution for anyone who does not want to carry around a notebook in addition to the devices they already carry around!! I highly recommend the BOSS Budget Planner!
I was very lucky to be provided chalk paint pens and a chalkboard by Chalkola. They sent me these products for review and I am so very excited to share my thoughts and experiences with you! Let’s jump into it!
Once I first started opening the package, I became excited by the number of products they sent me. I was not expecting so many color options and became so excited to use them. Also, it did not take a long time to get the color through the nib!
Pros & Cons of Chalkola
After my first impressions, I started trying the products. Here are the pros and cons I’ve found while using Chalkola products!
Pros:
Large variety of color options
Variety of size options for pens
Write really smoothly despite sounding like it doesn’t
Chalkboard is sturdy
A ledge on the chalkboard for pen
Cons:
Loud noise occurs when writing on the chalkboard
Must pay attention when gathering ink in nib (I had two overflow really quickly)
Final Impression
As you can see there are more pros than are cons. Quite frankly the cons I’ve listed above are very minor and almost forced. You may be able to hear the sound in the video; however, I turned down the volume when I was not talking. Another bit to note is that I didn’t notice the sound in real life to the extent that I did when listening back to the video. So, don’t let the sound turn you off to these pens, it sounds exaggerated in the video. Additionally, the pens write very very smoothly and look amazing on the chalkboard. I have actually used them in my bullet journal as well and they look great on paper as well. However, because they are paint pens, I caution their use in paper due to bleeding in some notebooks.
Note: I received my Chalkola Products for free from Chalkola.
If you are anything like me, then you absolutely love using washi tape in your bullet journals and planners, even in some of your DIY projects! However, with the immense amount of washi tape sets that are available, it can sometimes be very difficult to find great washi tape to fit your bullet journal.
Not only are there a million different washi tapes to pick from, but there are dozens (if not more) ways to use it! Let’s learn some more about washi tape, how to use it, and check out some of my favorite washi tape sets!
What Is Washi Tape?
Maybe you are reading this article and wondering “what is washi tape?” So, what exactly is washi tape?
Washi tape is a type of decorative, often colored or patterned, adhesive tape. They are often colorful, have decorative patterns, and are popular among bullet journal, planner, and DIY communities. Also, they can come in a variety of lengths and widths!
Where Did ‘Washi Tape’ Come From?
The term washi references a Japanese paper. Washi tape is usually (or at least historically) made from natural fibers such as bamboo, hemp, or the bark of trees that are native to Japan.
Now one of the questions you have likely been looking to answer, how exactly can you use washi tape. You might already be aware of one or two ways to use it, but there are so many more possibilities than you are likely aware of!
While this list is not a complete list (as people are constantly coming up with new ways of using washi tape), here are some of the most popular ways to use washi tape!
Planner decoration
Bullet journal decoration
Planner labeling
Houseplant pot decorating
Wall decoration
Home decorating
Craft projects
Labeling
DIY stickers
Picture frame decorating
DIY picture frames
& MUCH more!
Our Favorite Washi Tapes
Now that we’ve explored washi tape a bit, I wanted to share with you some of my absolute favorite washi tapes. These are tapes that I actually own and use! Additionally, you can check out some of our other posts on Bullet Journaling Notebooks and Colorful Pens!
This particular set of tape was the very first set I bought myself. I am personally very picky about patterns, but I love a lot of the tapes in this set. My favorites are the arrow ones and the black and white ones. Pattern aside, this tape is a good quality for paper. Though, I have not tested it on other surfaces.
This washi tape set is another staple in my collection. I love a good black and white washi tape with a fun pattern! These tapes function similarly to the previous set in that they work great on paper, but I have not used them on other surfaces.
You simply cannot go wrong with galaxy patterns! I love this set of three tapes with pink, purple, and blue galaxy designs. These tapes are fairly sticky, but I do not have any issues with weirdly ripping, so they are a winning set!
I am a huge houseplant fanatic, so naturally I ordered plant washi tape. The tape you see here is not the exact tape I ordered, but it is one of the options that are available with the houseplant ones. Each time I look back, the houseplant tapes are sold-out. However, they have a few other options such as flowers and sky. The tape is really sticky and I have not had any annoying ripping. Plus the designs are super cute!
I know, this tape is really really boring. However, it’s essential to have thin black washi tape for lining and borders. I love this role because it works. I used it in my October Plan-with-Me in order to create and complete lines. It only tore my paper when I let it sit too long or pulled it off too quickly; however, it sticks nicely as well!
If you love gold as much as I do, this tape set is such a fun set to have. There are varied colors and designs, all of which include gold foiling in the details. I absolutely love it!
Floral washi tapes are a solid choice if you are unsure about what to get. The floral theme is such a popular one, you are likely to use it, well, unless you hate flowers. Either way, this set is a great one because of the sheer amount of patterns, the price, and the good quality!
Here is yet another floral washi tape set. This one is more bubbly and fun than the previous but is of similar quality. The main difference (other than the patterns) is that you pay slightly more for this one. However, it is likely that the price difference is due to a tape dispenser being included in this set.
Thin colorful tape is another staple for bullet journaling. Luckily, this set is super cheap for the number of tapes you get! While these tapes lose their stick fairly easy, there are so many colors to choose from and for a fair price.
Washi tape an amazing way to add creativity and function to your bullet journal or to your DIY projects. Hopefully, this post has inspired you to go out and use washi tape!
Do you plan to add tape to your bullet journal? Let us know how you use washi tape in the comments!
Shopping for everyone during the holidays can be a real hassle! Coming up with gift ideas is often difficult when you are not involved in the same hobbies as the person you are shopping for. Look no further! Here is a comprehensive list of gift ideas for a bullet journaler or planner obsessed person!
The most basic thing you can get someone is a notebook or journal for their bullet journal experience. There are a ton of amazing journals, but chances are, your loved one is interested in one of the following journals!
Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Journal
Moleskine Classic Notebook
Midori MD Notebook
Miquelrius Soft Bound Medium Journal
Some Lines A Day 5 Year Memory Book Hardcover Journal
Brush pens are a specific type of pen that your loved one is sure to want! These pens are great gift ideas because they make it easy to do amazing lettering in your journal and come in so many amazing shapes, sizes, qualities, and colors! Here are a couple super popular brush pen sets!
Tombow Dual Brush Pen Set
Faber-Castel Pitt Artist Brush Pens
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen
Metallic Calligraphy Brush Marker Pens
Royal Talens Ecoline Liquid Watercolor Brush Pen
Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers
Other Pens
Maybe your loved one is looking for something other than brush pens? Here are some gift ideas for other types of pens like art pens, markers, high lighters, fine liners, etc. Check some of these well-loved pens out!
Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens Set
Metallic Markers Pens
Sakura Gelly Roll White
PILOT G2 Rolling Ball Gel Pens
Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens
Sakura Pentouch Paint Marker, Medium
Pentouch Paint Marker, 1.0mm
Zebra Mildliner Highlighter Pen Set
Lettering Books & Guides
Sometimes we are gifting for someone who is interested in something but hasn’t quite gotten around to learning how to start yet. Well, these lettering book gift ideas are perfect for someone who wants to improve their handwriting and brush lettering but doesn’t know how!
Creative Lettering and Beyond
Hand-Lettering for Everyone
Hand Lettering 101
Lettering and Modern Calligraphy
Washi Tape
Washi tape is a fun way to spice up your bullet journal and it is perfect as a gift idea! The fun shapes, colors, patterns and designs that washi tape comes in is sure to excite your loved one!
Savena Washi Tape Set
Decorative Washi Tape DIY Rainbow
Wonderful Washi Tape – Geometric Collection
Washi Tapes Month Week Daytime Todo
Crafty Animal Washi Tape
Japanese Washi Masking Tape
Sunshine Washi Tape
Stickers
So many people love to add stickers to their journals and notebooks. This as well as the immense variety of stickers to pick from, makes these sets perfect gift ideas for bullet journalers!
Holiday Seasonal Planner Sticker Sheets
Cute Nature VSCO Girl Stickers
Various Special Shaped Stickers-Flower Series
Clear Cursive Planner Sticker Bundle
Ultimate Productivity Planner Stickers Set
The Happy Planner, Clear Dates Stamps
Paints
Just like washi tape and stickers, paint is a great addition to any artistic bullet journaler’s toolbox! Giving paint is a great gift idea if your loved one is an artistic person!
DecoArt0 Media Fluid Acrylic Paint
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FolkArt Metallic Acrylic Paint
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ARTEZA Watercolor Paint
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Watercolor Paint Set
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Stamps & Ink
I love using stamps and ink in my bullet journal. It’s a quick and easy way to add art! As such, stamps and ink make a great gift idea for a planner!
Clear Stamps, Holiday Planner Icons
Planner to Do and Planner Everyday Stamp Sets
Hero Arts, Weather Icons
Wooden Box Number Alphabet Letter Rubber Stamp
Ubegood Stamp Pad
Tsukineko Versacraft Ink Pads
Avery Carter’s Foam Stamp Pad, Black
Craft Ink Pad Stamps 20 Colors
Stationery
People who love bullet journaling and planning often love stationery as a whole! Here are some stationery items such as cards, notepads, sticky notes, and more!
Hunger Gradient Color Sticky Note
Bliss Collections Daily Planner Tear Off Pad
Marble Stationery Paper
Officemate Binder Clips, Gold
Gold Premium Cute Paper Clips
Tombow Mono Hybrid Correction Tape
American Greetings Pastel Stationery Sheets and Colored Envelopes
Recycled Cardstock Notecards with Natural Tree Design
Desk Top Decor & Organization
Being a bullet journaler can get hectic and chaotic. Trying to find places to store everything can feel impossible! Here are some gift ideas to help your loved one organize their bullet journaling tools!
Rose Gold Desk Organizer Set
Simmer Stone Desktop Letter Sorter
Desktop Organizer – Adjustable Wood Display Shelf
Desk Accessory Organization Kit
Reliancer File Organizer Triangle
Other Odds & Ends
Not every bullet journaling or planning gift idea falls neatly into one of the previous categories. However, that does not mean that it isn’t an amazing idea for a gift! Here is everything I recommend for a bullet journaler that doesn’t fit neatly into a category.
HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer
HP Sticky-Backed Photo Paper
Glitter Shake Jars
Quickie Glue Pen
No matter what kind of bullet journal or planner you are shopping for, this list is bound to help you shop for them! Which of these was your favorite gift idea? Did you go ahead and buy any of these? Let us know in the comments!
Yes, you read my title correctly, this article is all about reusable notebooks! Kindly, NewYes gave me one of their reusable notebooks to try out and share with my audience! I did not know what to expect from a reusable notebook. To me, it just sounded like it would either be a flop or kind of like a book of whiteboards. I browsed their website very little before jumping right in! Let’s talk reusable notebooks!
What is a Reusable Notebook?
A reusable notebook is exactly what it sounds, a notebook that you can reuse over and over again. Yes, I hear you, you can simply use a pencil and erase on normal paper, right? Well, this is actually different, because the paper does not break down when you erase the ink. It’s quite neat actually.
Using the NewYes Notebook
When I first started using the NewYes Notebook, I was pleasantly surprised. First, I expected that the pen would not work or erase well. However, not only did the pen work well, but it also erased well. Additionally, the pages (paper, if you can call it that) are really nice and it still feels like a notebook.
One thing to note about this notebook is that it acts like a pre-made planner. The pages each have a weather section, day sections, No. section and date sections before the lines or dots. I do not personally prefer pre-made planner styles. However, these sections do not take up a ton of space so the notebook has worked perfectly for me to take temporary notes. I love this because I don’t feel like I am wasting paper and can erase it when I am done with it.
Pros of the Notebook
Erasable ink
Reusable pages
Nice pages
Pen ring
Pre-made planner sections
Cons of the Notebook
Pre-made planner sections
Fewer notebook options
The pen leaves indentations sometimes
How To Use A Reusable Notebook for Your Planner
Just like any other notebook, a reusable notebook can be used as a planner. NewYes offer specific planner versions; so, if you prefer pre-made then this is perfect. However, if you like to make your own layouts, you can use a blank lined or dotted notebook like I tried out. There are some pre-made elements; however, if you want to be able to erase a notebook and reuse it, then surely you need to check it out!
Did you know that there are planning and bullet journaling magazine out there? I had no idea until CraftStash offered me the first edition of Simply Lettering Magazine for free! I have never had a magazine before and would have loved some tips and tricks for lettering. Now that I have received the Simply Lettering Magazine, I want to share my review and experience with you!
The Simply Lettering Magazine
My first impression of the magazine was its emphasis on lettering. I knew that the Simply Lettering magazine would have an emphasis on lettering; however, I went into my experience with zero expectations. Upon this realization, I became incredibly excited. Naturally, I first notice the pens and lettering guides before moving onto the rest of the magazine.
Lettering Guides
Of course one of the first things I noticed when I received my package was the pens and lettering guides. I have never used lettering guides but have had an interest in doing so for a long time. So, naturally, the first thing I did was unpackage the pens and play around with the lettering guides. I already had a lot of the knowledge and skill presented via these guides; however, for someone who is newer to learning brush lettering, these guides would be hugely useful! Of note is the vast types of guides offered in the magazine–there are so many!
Additionally, I was surprised by the quality of the brush pens. Even though I only got black and grey pens, they were far better quality than I expected. Not only did they write incredibly smoothy, but the ink coloring was so vibrant! Items that generally come with magazines are cheaply made; but, these pens are the exception.
The Rest of the Magazine
After playing around with the pens, I browsed the remainder of the magazine. I loved the visual vibe of the magazine; naturally, featuring various fonts, articles, images, and guides!
Without giving too much away, some of my favorite articles in the magazine include the featured artist: Kirsten Burke, shadowing guides, tips from experts, planner or journal page ideas and tips, and lastly, greeting card how-to!
Now that you’ve got a little sneak peek into the Simply Lettering magazine and my favorite parts of it, will you check out the magazine yourself? I highly recommend giving it a chance! Get the Simply Lettering magazine HERE.
I am so excited to work with Wordsworth on a new review post! Prior to receiving my planner, I had heard of them, but I did not quite understand what a Wordsworth Planner really was. I just assumed it was another dotted notebook. I was wrong, this planner is far more involved and interactive than a simple dotted notebook. In this article, I will be reviewing the Wordsworth Planner.
My first impression
of this planner was the nice packaging. Instead of simply being plastic
wrapped, this planner was boxed in a nice quality box. Once I got the notebook
out I was blown away by the beautiful cover. I chose the brown notebook, and I am so happy with my decision. Next, I
noticed the awesome 3 ribbons, YES, three ribbons. Additionally, I saw
the pen loop. I love that it is included in
the notebook; however, I never use them.
After a brief flip-through
of the notebook, I was blown away. I had no idea how involved this notebook
was, I did not expect pre-created prompts and pages. Because it was full of pre-created layouts,
I did not expect blank or dotted pages. Not only does this notebook have pre-created pages, dotted pages, and blank pages,
but it has a focus on goals and planning through the use of goals.
One thing that was
initially not too sure about, however, was
the organization of the layouts. All of the yearly layouts are up front
followed by all of the monthly layouts, and then again followed by all of the
weekly layouts. I am not used to this layout and became very grateful for the three
ribbons.
Pros & Cons of the Wordsworth Notebook
Like any other notebook or product, there are pros and cons. This section will focus on my personal pros and cons for the Wordsworth Planner.
Pros:
3 ribbon markers make the notebook easy to maneuver
Beautiful hardcover, durable
Focuses on goal-making and goal-achieving, very helpful in goal organization
Very detailed
Includes black and dot pages in the back
Pouch includes stickers
Nice thick pages
Very white pages
Cons:
Organized in a way that separates monthly and weekly layouts into different parts of the notebook (ribbons help make this easier to use)
Not a blank notebook, has pre-created layouts
Monthly and Weekly layouts start on different days of the week
Pages are not numbered
White pages could be a con if you prefer off-white
Final Impression
Do I recommend this notebook? Yes! However, only if you are looking for a
planner with pre-created pages or if you are looking to manage your goals and
goal progress. While I wasn’t sure about the organization at first, for the purposes
of this planner and with the help of 3
ribbons, it is actually no harder than any other type of page organization I
have used before. I might even go as far to say that it makes perfect sense for
this planner and I think that any other way would feel less organized and more chaotic, particularly since
this planner does not have a predetermined date range. So, I would highly recommend
the Wordsworth Planner.
Note: I received my Wordsworth Planner for free from Wordsworth.
I am an avid washi tape user; however, I have more recently become interested in stickers. After perusing Etsy and Amazon, I found a ton of amazing sticker sets. I know many of you love the use of stickers, for this reason,I decided to collect a list of awesome bullet journaling sticker sets to check out on Amazon and Etsy!
Organizational Sticker Sets
Meeting Label Planner Stickers
This listing comes with black and white labels with a cute stitched border and script font. The boxes are about 1.5″ in width. All stickers are printed on white repositionable matte VINYL. These stickers are kiss cut and ready to use. Just peel and place on your planner where desired!
Mini Date Stickers; Monthly Sticker; Weekly Sticker; Number Sticker
This set of stickers has everything you need to sticker up your undated planner, or save some time when bullet journalling. You can buy each sheet individually or the complete set for better value.
Moms! Use this set of stylish planner stickers to personalize your calendar or agenda and keep track of family appointments, school events, and special days!
Carpe Diem Planner Essentials Seasons Sticker Tablet
{12} sticker sheets, 543 stickers total, sized for A5 planners All new designs by Simple Stories Perfect for organizing your life! Fun designs, beautiful quality products perfect for all your paper crafting needs
Chris.W 2018-2019 Calendars Stickers for Bullet Journal, Agendas and Organizers
Use them on Dairy / Bullet Journal / Planners / Organizer divider sheets or any size of bound material – allowing you to index anything with these calendar stickers. Use on books, manuals, reports, presentations, their uses are limitless!
These calendars are for MONDAY WEEKLY START in the year 2019. Don’t need the full year? Pick up the first 6 months or the last 6 months. Drawing those pesky monthly calendars are a thing of the past with these cute month at a glace stickers. Don’t waste precious time anymore
Bullet Journal Symbols Stickers, Foil Legend Sticker Set
A sheet of 140 mini foiled stickers, perfect for every bullet journal, to index and enlighten tasks, events, appointments and more. Foil color is rose gold. Stickers are kiss cut, ready and easy to peel off. Printed on matt sticker paper.
{12} sticker sheets, 568 stickers total; sized for Personal planners All new designs by Simple Stories Perfect for organizing your life! Fun designs, beautiful quality products perfect for all your paper crafting needs
These sticker set are just fun little characters and items to add decorative effect to your planner.
Planner Stickers 8 Sheets Set of 430+ Stickers for Bullet Journals
Sinceroduct planner stickers set includes a thoughtful variety of useful Clothes, foods, drinks, makeups, inspirational stickers, flag tags and more, stickers are sized to fit nicely in planners and bullet journals of all sizes. Our value pack include:8 sheets, more than 430 pcs of productivity stickers (4.8 × 8.3 Inch sheet size)
Sanmatic Sticker 12 Sheets (300pcs) Green Cactus Plant Decorative Stickers
These sticker is perfect for notebook, diary, letter, gift box, photo album, laptops, luggage, mobile phone case, photo frames, stationary, calendar…Can use it for other kind of craft as well. Use your imagination.
THE MIMI’S Tropical Rain Forest Flower Flamingo Planner Stickers
100 pieces various and great quality stickers ,so cool. Get your Stickers, Clean the surface, Sticker on, then Use your imagination to create works NOW! Best choice for Laptop, Graffiti, Vintage, Decal, Skateboard, Car, Bumper, Hoverboard, Snowboard, Helmet, Luggage, Trunk.
Vivid Colors & Designs: stickers feature in a variety of themes, including Starbucks coffee, succulents, flowers, fashion bags & cosmetics, cat in coffee cup, fashion girls, plants and trees, offering a great selection for both kids & adults; we can assure you that our designs are as vibrant and vivid as pictured. Try them out for yourself and you will be surprised at just what a decorative impact a small piece of sticker can make!
Washi Planner Sticker, Decorative Adhesive Sticker, Craft Scrapbooking Sticker Set
The package contains 12 sheets stickers, colorful and good-looking. Creative design, you can use your imagination to stick on pencil box, phone, computer, planner, notebook, diary, etc.
Peachy Flowers & Foliage Removable Matte Sticker Sheets Set
These Made on Terra sticker sheets are kind of epic – you may use them to accent your amazing vacation, party favors for the bash of the year, or maybe even to stick all over some plain wrapping paper that will elevate the gift to a whole other level. Or maybe you haven’t decided how to use them yet, but you just have to have them because they’re super cool. See…kind of epic.
Navy Peony Motivational, Inspirational Quote and Letter Stickers
Navy Peony stickers are for the artist-at-heart. People who want to add some color and beauty to the everyday things in their lives that will otherwise be bland and boring. Our cute stickers and designs are curated for both quality and beauty. Anything can be a canvas, but some are better than others.
Me&my big ideas create 365 happy planner lets you put together a book in which you can keep track of all the things that are going on in your life. Sticker good Vibes rose- over 340 stickers include stars, flowers, arrows, circles, hearts, and captions
Journal stickers for kids crafts diary album decoration include 43 sheets stickers in a variety of themes and colors that are designed for you to personalize. Stylish design and perfect performance at competitive price, you won’t regret.
I get asked all the time about my opinion of various bullet journal notebooks and their ghosting or bleeding. For this reason, I decided to collect various popular as well as cheaper notebooks to do a comparison. Below you will find 9 different bullet journal notebooks, their specs, images of their ghosting and bleeding, pros, and cons.
90gsm ivory brushed vellum paper made in
Étival-Clairefontaine, France
6-page index or table of contents
4-pages for annual planning
4-pages for monthly planning
240 pages (224 dot grit numbered sheets)
Pocket inside the back cover
Elastic closure band
2 ribbon markers
Flexible binding
Softcover (16 available colors!)
Bleeding &
Ghosting Test
Pros
The flexible soft faux leather cover is
excellent. Make using the notebook pleasant
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store
loose notes
Beautiful colors to choose from
Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and
write smooth
Pages are numbered
Cons
There is a Logo on the cover. This one isn’t a
big deal, I just like sleek plan covers.
Off-white pages make it difficult to fix
mistakes. I generally use white-out to cover my mistakes, but the whiteout
makes an error look worse on the off-white pages
Orange inside cover and ribbons (but I fixed
this DIY style)
If you’ve read any of my notebook reviews, you’ll know that I used the Essentials A5 Notebooks for the first 4 years of my bullet journal journey. For Christmas last year I was given a Leuchtturm 1917 in the color Army, so I switched over. Now that I have been using this notebook for nearly 9 months, I’d like to give it a review! Without further ado, here is my Leuchtturm 1917 review. This post may include affiliate links.
My first impression of the Leuchtturm 1917 was how beautiful it is. The notebook itself is pretty and feels very nice. It has all of the details I would want from a notebook like numbered pages, ribbon place markers, and a hardcover. I was super excited by the packaging, if anyone has ever ordered from J.B. Welly before, you know that the notebooks come in beautiful patterned paper with a nice floral card.
Pros & Cons of the Leuchtturm1917
Like any other notebook or product, there are pros and cons. This section will focus on my personal pros and cons for the Leuchtturm 1917 after 9 months of use.
Pros:
Hardcover is durable
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
2 ribbons make page marking more convenient
Pages are numbered, and the notebook comes with a built-in index
There are so many color options, it’s impossible to be bored
Pages respond well to watercolor paint (still a little wrinkle, but really not bad)
The dots are in the same place on every page
Cons:
Pages aren’t a crisp white (while I do not mind, this can be a turn off for some)
The built-in index is a con for those who wish to design their own or does not want an index
There is some ghosting and bleeding, but this depends on the pen or ink that is used
Final Impression
Do I recommend this notebook? Yes! I love my Leuchtturm 1917, and I do recommend it for anyone in search of a nice quality bullet journaling notebook that comes in multiple colors. The notebook is not super expensive; though more expensive than my trusty Essentials Notebook. I have used a plethora of paints and pens in the notebook with very little ghosting and almost no bleeding. While I do not recommend this notebook for a bullet journal newbie, I do recommend it for someone with a little bit more experience.
I get a lot of questions regarding which notebook I recommend, If you’d like me to do a 1:1:1 comparison of popular bullet journaling notebooks, let me know in the comments below!
I am by no means a hand-lettering professional, nor do I claim to be very good at it. However, I do a lot of hand-lettering in my bullet journal—most people do. Hand-lettering is a beautiful, fun, and creative way to add some functional art to a bullet journal layout. This post will overview 10 of the most popular and trusted brush pens for handlettering.
These pens are in no particular order, and I have not personally tried every single one of these pens. This post may contain affiliate links
Tombow Dual Brush Pens are one of the top, most popular brush pens out there. They come in smaller packs of 4 all the way up to packs of 96 which include the stand. These pens not only have a brush pen side, but they have a fine tip side. They write smooth and come in beautiful colors.
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.5
“They blend pretty well and get darker with more layers. You can blend them out with some water too, if needed! (so it’s not waterproof) And you can scribble some colors on plastic and pick them up with another marker for a more seamless blend!”
“They are incredibly pigmented, but easy to work with. I use them for handlettering and calligraphy, and they flow smoothly and are perfect for people starting to hand letter or just looking to draw with quality brush pens.”
“Best brush pens I’ve ever owned! I can’t wait to buy the whole set of all of the colors. They’re great for modern calligraphy, easy to hold, and vibrant colors.”
I absolutely love my Ecoline Brush pens, they look so amazing and write so smoothly. I splurged on these pens and bought every single one, and I do not regret it. These pens are so pigmented and look so beautiful. I highly recommend these pens for higher quality hand-lettering.
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5.0
“Beautiful colors! Like any brush pen, a little practice and play before doing ‘serious’ work will definitely help you get the feel of these. The color saturation varies greatly with the amount of pressure you use, so it’s very easy to get an ombre look with just a little practice.”
“I absolutely love these pens. Well worth the cost. The colors are vibrant, and the pens are ‘juicy.’ These brush tips give you the true thin and thick lines of modern brush calligraphy. As a newbie, these give me the very best results in my practice, outshining my practice with Tombow brush pens.”
“Very juicy, heavily pigmented brush markers….good for calligraphy and coloring…can bleed through lighter papers.”
Watercolor pens are of my favorite brush pens out there. I love Life of Color’s pens because they are super pigmented, work perfectly as brush pens or watercolor pens, blend well, and come with a water brush pen! I have used these pens for blending, lettering, and coloring.
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.7
“These make watercolor painting so much easier; the brushes are great to draw with, and the tips are perfectly shaped for both painting and lettering. There’s also a cool blending brush that helps get a nice watercolor effect which I love.”
“The colors are so vibrant, and they all blend beautifully! I mostly do calligraphy (brush pen and dip pen) and I love that the bristles of these pens don’t fray when used on mixed media/watercolor paper.”
“Excellent markers, they make you feel like a true artist! Vibrant colors, easy to use, they glide and feel like paint brushes without the mess, would recommend to everyone!”
Faber-Castell is one of my favorite fineliner brands and I love the brush pens just as much. These brush pens take some getting used to as the tip is softer and longer than normal. However, they write beautifully and come in a ton of beautiful colors, I cannot wait to collect them all!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.1
“I am a big fan of the Faber-Castel PITT brushes and use them primarily for my handlettering craft. I own a numerous amount of different pens, along with other PITT sizes, and I am starting to find that the PITT brand seems to be one of my favorites.”
“With a super thin tip, and wider base, these are the perfect pens…you press lightly, and you can do very thin details, press a bit more and you’ll get wider lines. Because of this, all drawings just look more professional due to the variance in width in your lines as you work on your piece.”
“I had a hard time finding any marker that would not bead up excessively, had good colors, and did not smear before I could spray more lacquer over them to protect. These work well.”
I have been using these brush pens for a long time. I have never heard other people give them a review or using them, but I love them. Not only are they beautiful metallics, but they draw well and aren’t super expensive. That being said, the ink does not last as long as more pricey brush pens. Regardless, I recommend these pens!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.0
“These are a good value for what they are. I like the colors, and they are just metallic enough to add some pizzazz to my cards, etc. They are great alone and for highlighting letters that are not written with metallic pens.”
“Great product, works awesome. More than happy with it. Thanks so much!!”
“these write well on dark and light paper, and the tips don’t fray too easy which I like.”
I have not personally used any of the pens that follow. However, they come highly recommended, and are on my list of pens to try! Check out some of these reviews to learn more.
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.2
“Now if you haven’t used these before, I would highly, highly recommend getting this pack of both the hard and soft nib! At first, I was leaning towards getting the hard nib pen, but after reading several reviews, the opinions on hard vs. soft were everywhere making me unsure whether or not I was getting the right product for what I needed.”
“love these pens!! I just recently got into brush calligraphy and heard this brand was the best. OMG, they are fantastic! They are easy to use (if you can get the hang of going light on the upstroke and harder on the downstroke!) They write well and they got here just when they said they would.”
“There honestly isn’t any competition when it comes to brush pens. These two Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens are all you need for calligraphy and illustration.”
These pens are must-haves! Most hand-letterers recommend these pens or actively use them. I have not personally used any Pentel pens, but I hear about them all the time and would love to try them sometime!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.5
“Absolutely LOVE these pens! They write so smooth, and the pigment is amazing. I’m just getting into brush lettering/ modern calligraphy, and these pens make practicing a breeze! Highly recommend.”
“f you’re into brush pen calligraphy, they’re good for small lettering. They’re comparable to the ((thicker tip)) Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens, they’re just less precise due to the fact that they release more ink.”
“These pens have flexible yet durable-feeling tips. Lots of juicy ink! Great for smaller brush lettering and illustrations. Makes a great range of thicknesses for a super fun drawing experience! A joy!”
I had never really heard of Prismacolor brush pens before researching brush pens. However, they highly recommend and sometimes find themselves in a top 5 list. I will definitely be trying out these pens!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.5
“I really like working with these markers. Fun, in a word. They blend well, and the brush tip feels so smooth against the paper. It also gives you great line diversity options.”
“Very nice quality and beautiful rich colors. You don’t need to press hard. But, do note that, depending on your paper, they do bleed through the paper.”
“These markers are high contrast, pigmented ink in a felt brush tip. They color like water paints, giving you control over the saturation of your lines. These are the best markers to use when you want a gradient effect in artwork. “
Zebra is a pen brand that is everywhere in bullet journaling and calligraphy. While I do not own these pens, I have tried them out, and they are wonderful! Highly recommend!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.3
“Just got these and love them. There is no English on them at all so I’ll have to learn which barrel color is which brush so I don’t have to keep removing the lids to figure it out. All pens write smoothly with no issues right out of the packaging.”
“My favorite thing about these pens is the opacity of the ink! The blacks are pitch black, and the grey is very opaque! My favorite out of the 4 has to be the fine tip pen and the usuzumi (grey) simply because they are incredibly smooth.”
“These are the best inking pens I have ever used, and I will never go back to any other pens after using these!!”
And this final brush pen is from a well-loved and trusted brand, Sharpie! While I do not own any Sharpie brush pens, I own a lot of Sharpies, and I love them! Considering how trustworthy Sharpies are, I am sure the brush pens are equally as good!
Reviews ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.1
“These are wonderful and bold, as Sharpies always are. However, if you want to use them for hand-lettering, be warned that the tips dry out surprisingly fast. After only a couple of uses, the lighter upstrokes are a bit spotty and ragged.”
“So glad I found these! I do a lot of calligraphy work and never knew sharpie made a brush pen. For the price, they are absolutely worth it. The pens are extremely juicy and maintain a relatively fine point. I’ve used scores of brush pens, and I’d rate these up with Tombows for the quality — not necessarily in the fineness of the tip,”
“I love these markers. Although there are many types of markers to choose from, I particularly like drawing on glass with these.”
I highly recommend all of these hand-lettering brush pens to at least be tried! Not every pen is for everyone, but pick at least one and try them out!
It has been coming to my attention recently that a good portion of my viewership is bullet journal beginners and I get a lot of questions regarding my notebook recommendations. While I will always recommend a Leuchtturm 1917 or a Rhodia Goalbook, for the first 3 or 4 years of my bullet journaling journey I used an Essentials Gridline A5 Notebook. Here I will be reviewing the Essentials A5 Notebooks for bullet journal beginners! This post may include affiliate links.
While I used the gridline, Essentials A5 notebooks (made by Peter Pauper Press Inc.) also have dot matrix, blank, and lined page types! I will only be discussing the gridline and dot matrix.
I started using this notebook so long ago that I do not even remember my first impression, though I have always been impressed with the notebook. I just happened to be lucky, and the essentials notebooks were the first I happened across when I went out to actually search for a bullet journal. My first journal was different, but I had not bought that notebook for bullet journaling originally.
I would love to hear what your first impressions of the essentials notebook are! Submit them in the comments below, and I might add them to this post!
Pros & Cons of the Essentials Notebooks
Like any other notebook or product, there are pros and cons. This section will focus on my personal pros and cons for the Essentials notebook after years of use.
Pros:
Hardcover is durable
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
White pages (this could be a con if you prefer off-white)
Great price for the quality (generally around $9-$12; equivalent notebooks can run as high as $30)
Cons:
Only one color choice – black
Pages are not numbered (this can be a pain if you like to have an index)
Only one ribbon, some people prefer two (you can easily add a second ribbon DIY style)
Do I recommend this notebook? YES, 100% yes. I particularly recommend this notebook for beginners because it’s a great quality notebook to learn in without being worried about ruining an expensive notebook. I used this notebook for the first 4ish years of bullet journaling, it’s perfect. The most significant and really only issues I have with the Essentials notebooks is the lack of page numbers and color options. However, if you are into a plain black journal, don’t mind adding your own page numbers (or don’t use them) then there should be no issue! I create all my gifted notebooks using the essentials notebooks, and everyone always raves about them.
I know, I know you read this title and thought, “but the Goalbook is not new” … So, I am late to the game! I was lucky enough to be gifted the Rhodia Goalbook from J. B. Welly at the end of 2017 and immediately began planning out how I would use my new notebook. Unfortunately, I had already started a new journal for my regular planning, collections, and lists for 2018, so I decided that my new Goalbook would be used for blog-related planning outside of my daily planning bullet journal. This is my review of the Rhodia Goalbook for Bullet Journaling.
What drew me to the Rhodia Goalbook was the excellent reviews that I read. Everyone was raving about it. However, I had not yet taken the leap to spend money on a good quality notebook. When I got in touch with J. B. Welly, they offered it to me, and I jumped at the opportunity!
Rhodia Goalbook Specs
8 x 8.3 inches
90gsm ivory brushed vellum paper made in Étival-Clairefontaine, France
So, when the Rhodia Goalbook first arrived I was blown away! It was beautifully packed and included a very nice little card from J. B. Welly. Immediately I took pictures and swooned over the notebook. I love the feel of the cover and indented details on the front cover. Additionally, the pages feel lovely and are numbered! I have never used a notebook that was already numbered before!
While the Goalbook comes in various colors, I chose raspberry because it seemed like a beautiful red-ish-pink color, and it is! Once I realized that the inside covers, elastic, and ribbons were orange (a color I don’t particularly care for), I decided to change that. One of the first things I did with my notebook (other than ogle at it), was to dye the ribbons and elastic with a black sharpie. I enjoy neutral colors, and I just happened to have a black sharpie on hand.
Next, I had to do something about my orange inside covers. I decided to cover the orange with gold washi tape!
Pros & Cons of the Rhodia Goalbook
Like any other notebook or products, there are pros and cons. This section will focus on my personal pros and cons for the Rhodia Goalbook after three months of use.
Pros:
The flexible soft faux leather cover is excellent. Make using the notebook pleasant
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
Beautiful colors to choose from
Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
Pages are numbered
Cons:
There is a Logo on the cover. This one isn’t a big deal, I just like sleek plan covers.
Off-white pages make it difficult to fix mistakes. I generally use white-out to cover my mistakes, but the whiteout makes an error look worse on the off-white pages
Orange inside cover and ribbons (but I fixed this DIY style)
Final Impression
After having used the Rhodia Goalbook for three months, I’d say that I love the notebook and I don’t love it. I absolutely adore the cover and quality of the pages. The dots and numbered pages are great, and the elastic band, ribbons, and back pocket are immensely useful! The most significant downside to this notebook is the off-white pages. But page color is entirely up to user preference, I just happen to prefer white pages.
Do I recommend this notebook? YES, 100% yes. If you don’t like off-white pages this notebook might not be for you, but considering all the other great qualities it has, you might be able to overlook the page color. Other than the page color, the notebook is fantastic! Head over to J.B. Welly to get the Rhodia Goalbook and other amazing bullet journaling supplies!
If you are anything like me, you use colors to organize EVERYTHING in your bullet journal. I use them to separate types of events and due dates, I even use them to decorate cute little doodles and add some color to my layouts. Because I know how awesome adding color to my bullet journal is, I wanted to share with you my top 6 colored pens for bullet journaling. This post may contain affiliate links
Papermate Flair pens have been my all-time favorite since I first started bullet journaling in 2015. They come in so many wonderful colors and write very smoothly. I love them and will always recommend them. The only downside of these pens is smudging. If used on glossier paper, they tend to smudge if they are not able to dry. However, writing on normal paper has no smudging issues.
Tombow dual brush pens are a very popular calligraphy pen. They come in dozens of colors. You can even buy a handy desk stand to organize the pens! These pens have two ends, the finer felt tip end and then the brush tip end. The finer tip works great for drawing lines, or really anything else. The brush tip specializes in calligraphy writing. Like the Papermate pens, these pens might smudge on glossier paper if you do not let it dry.
Fineliner Pens – Most Brands
I love Fineliner pens. I have tried several brands and most work well. My favorite are no longer available on Amazon which is a huge bummer. Fineliner pens come in various colors and thicknesses. A very popular Fineliner pen brand is Sharpie. Sharpie is always a reliable brand, though their pens being permanent and vibrant seems to bleed through the pages.
My review for these pens to be added soon. These pens are incredibly popular and frequently given a positive review, I would like to see this for myself, though the weather has delayed my ability to do so!
**UPDATE** I love them! Not only are the colors beautiful, but the quality of the tip is wonderful. The felt tip end is just as nice to write with as my Papermate Flair pens (which I swear by). The fine tip is the finest tip I have ever seen on a pen before. The presence of these two tips makes for some really cool detailing and calligraphy writing!
I came across the Arteza watercolor brush pens on Instagram one night. I thought they would be worth a try and boy was I right! These pens are so great! Add a little water, or don’t, and you get a beautiful watercolor look. You can shade with these pens and because of the brush pen tip, they work well for calligraphy too! I see no downside for these pens unless you do not like or want a watercolor look.
My review for these pens to be added soon. These pens are incredibly popular and frequently given a positive review, I would like to see this for myself, though the weather has delayed my ability to do so!
**UPDATE** These highlighters are great. I love the array of colors and the fact that there is a fine tip side to the pens. I have started using these pens to highlight and make note of incredibly important items on my to-do lists that might otherwise have been forgotten. As far as my use, I have not seen any smudging or ink bleeding through the pages.
Love what you see? Want to give some of these pens a shot? Check out the list below!
Well, it’s the time to invite! Of course, wedding invitations are the key to opening the door to getting your guests to attend your wedding celebration. Are you anxious to catch the latest trends in wedding dresses? Check out these 5 Wedding invitation ideas that are totally on trend!
When you’re planning your wedding invitation, always select the best of what you like and leave all other things behind. The most important thing is that you select a style most reflecting the personality of you and your future spouse. Use these ideas as starting points when designing your dream wedding invitation.
Adding Color To Your Wedding Invitations
Whether subtle or bold, the color is playing a major role in wedding invitations. Gone are the days of white invitations with standard ink colors. In this respect, the latest printing techniques are now adding color on card stock to writing on the envelope lining of the invitation card. Colors, which were once considered awkward, are now being used in the most traditional wedding invitations.
Invitations are now given a 3D touch. It is done by matting a photo in a frame with multiple colors and materials behind the photo. Cool and nice color combinations such as turquoise and tan, black and ivory, greens and blue, or orange and pink spice up the traditional color scheme.
Decorating Your Invitations With Ribbons
Wedding invitations with ribbons have become a global trend. It gives a sophisticated yet fashionable touch to the invitations. The good thing is that you can use ribbons in many ways. For instance, you can take a slender ribbon complementing the color scheme of the invitation and place it around the corners. You can use an extra piece to create a bow on the top of the invitation.
Some people consider marriage as ‘tying the knot’. So you can do this by using two thin ribbons of different colors, complementing his and hers. Then tie a knot at the top corner of the wedding invitation. If you’re not a skilled person or you do not want to take the burden, you can also use a ribbon band.
Extending Wedding Themes To Your Wedding Invitations
Have you planned a themed wedding? Some people want all the parts of the wedding to be color coordinated. People, nowadays, are implementing the wedding colors into the invitations. Whether you’re having your wedding ceremony on the beach, a candlelight service, or an outdoor wedding, you can easily customize the wedding invitations to express the theme of your wedding. For instance, a simple drawing of a candle on the front of the invitation or confetti in your envelopes is an easy simple way to integrate your wedding’s theme into the invitations.
Go Neutral
While the use of color in a bold scheme is gaining enormous popularity, color as neutral and minimalistic is also becoming more common. It means a wedding invitation may be mint green rather than white, or pastel pink rather than ivory. Besides opulent gold, elegant platinum, and earthy bronzes will surely add shine and shimmer to fashion-forward invites. Wow your guests with classic golden borders or silvery or shimmery papers. Using colors as neutrals continue to grow in popularity as more people become accustomed to seeing colors as part of the wedding invitations.
Using Paper Creatively
We have been focusing on the creative use of paper such as textures, folds, layers, cut-offs, non-traditional sizing, and anything you can think of. Nowadays, intricate laser cuts, non-traditional shapes like oval, circle, and triangle are being used. In fact, anything you can think of to do with the paper is now possible. You can use that creativity to create a stunning and mesmerizing wedding invitation.
So, there you have it! I’ve provided you with the best wedding invitation trends in the year 2017. A great wedding invitation is truly an instant statement to your guests.
Meet the Author
The author of this post is Tanya Sen. Tanya Sen quit her well-paying job to follow her dreams and become a writer. She is now creating and managing digital content to build relationships for organizations and individuals. An avid traveler, having visited more than 40 countries. She loves to cook and try different cuisines. She now lives in Goa, India.
Interesting in guest posting on Jihi Elephant? Read about it here!
Keeping your documents organized and easy to find is super important! I mean, some of these are legal documents. That’s not something you want to lose or misplace! If you don’t have a filing system, let’s get you one! Keep reading for the perfect filing system! This article includes affiliate links.
Step One | Find A Filing Container That Works for You
Do you have a lot of filing or just a few papers? Does your filing need to follow you around? Do you want to customize your cabinet? These are some of the questions that you need to be asking when you’re picking a filing system. Here are some of the most common filing system containers, their pros and cons, and some examples as inspiration.
The good thing about Filing Cabinets (next to them being larger in size) is customizability! You can buy these in various colors and styles or you can paint them, and add detailing! Check out these 15 Fabulous Filing Cabinet Makeovers compiled by The Melrose Family!
Filing Box
The next option is the filing box. The filing box is nice because it is more mobile. I feel like I am moving at least once a year, so I have gone for the filing box. I have one that keeps my documents, and a second that stores my spare office supplies.
The filing box option is a little less customizable than the filing cabinet. To make up for customizability, the box comes in a dozen different styles and sizes. Check out some of the adorable and practical options I have found below! I prefer the lidded option, but a desktop option is great if you do not have a lot of filing.
Expanding Filing
The expanding filing sounds kind of silly but is practical for small amounts of paperwork. This option isn’t as sturdy as the other options. But it is perfect for easy-to-grab, often-used documents.
The expanding file can be both mobile and fixed since there are a variety of styles. Some have handles and others snap shut for mobility. Still, others are meant to sit on a desk or shelf. Check out some of the accordion filing systems I have found.
Desk Drawer Filing
This option only works for someone with a desk drawer that would fit some hanging files. The desk drawer is also not mobile and the size depends on your desk. Here are some desks that have filing drawers.
You can also make desks using filing cabinets. Check out this tutorial done by HomeTalk.
Step Two | Organize Your Documents
Organizing your files is the most important part of this whole process and it is the backbone of your entire system. But don’t let that scare you, organizing your files can be made simple with my FREE File Planning Workbook.
The first step here is to make a list of your main categories. These are broader categories that may or may not have subcategories (we’ll get to subcategories in a minute). Once you have made this list, keep a few notes that describe what exactly goes in this main category.
For example, in my main category, Finances, I keep anything related to my money, banking, and loans. Basically, if it involves my money, it’s in Finances.
Once you have your main categories designated then it’s time to figure out your sub-categories. Sub-categories are more specific categories that fall under your main categories. Sometimes you are able to figure out your subcategories by your description (like my Finances example). That isn’t always the case though.
Sometimes it is easiest to figure out your subcategories by looking at all the documents that you plan to put in your main categories. If you see a trend, then it is probably subcategory worthy!
There are cases where a subcategory isn’t necessary. For example, my Taxes file doesn’t need any subcategories because it is already so specific and archive-ready (archiving is Step Four, stay tuned!). Not having subcategories is perfectly okay!
Now that we have all our categories sorted we need to file it! That leads us to step three…
Step Three | Decide How You’d Like to Keep Your Files Organized
You may be thinking, what do you mean decide how to keep my files organized, we already decided our categories didn’t we? Deciding how to keep them organized is another layer and there are a few ways to do this. The first way is to use different colors.
Color Organization
When you use different colors for each main category, it is much easier to navigate your filing at a glance. At-a-glance navigation is so much quicker than staring at your files trying to find something.
Color Coordinated Labels
One way to organize by color is to label your categories in certain colors. This is nice if you already have colored pens or markers to use. If you don’t happen to have colored pens lying around but would like to color coordinate your labels, check out my favorite labeling pens!
Colored File Folders
Another way to organize by color is will colored file folders or hanging files. You are able to assign each of your categories a color based on colored hanging files. Doing this allows for extremely easy to scan files.
A Combination of the Two
You are also able to place only very sensitive file categories in a color such as red, and files that do not get archived (keep reading to learn about archiving files) in another color such as purple or blue. You can then leave the rest of your files in generic hanging files and use color coding on all your labels. This method allows for easy archiving.
Sorting
Deciding the order in which you file your categories really depends on what is most functional for you and your files. Here are three ways to sort your files.
Sort by Topic or Category
Sorting by topic or category is the easiest way to sort your files because you have already organized your files into categories. All the work here is done, just plop your files on in by the categories you’ve already picked alphabetically.
Sort by Relevance*
This is the sorting method I use, I find it most handy when reaching for my documents. When you sort by relevance there are three sorting categories to keep in mind. First, you want to keep your most frequently used categories at the front. This means you refer to them more often than your other categories.
Second, your almost-never-used files go at the back. If you don’t need them very often, you don’t need them blocking the files you do use a lot. These categories might include Memory Items, Misc., and Instruct. Manuals.
And last is everything else gets placed in the middle.
Sort Chronologically
Chronological means that the categories are sorted by most recent at the front and least recent at the back in the order in which they occurred. Timelines are a great example of something chronological. Chronologically is most handy in archived files because these files are kept by year. If your filing categories allow for chronological sorting, then go for it!
