My office somewhat resembles a stationery store with a bookcase full of planners and multiple drawers and baskets for all my pens, stickers and sticky notes. However, there are (shocking, I know) some planner supplies I don’t use and which you’ll never see me recommend here on the the blog.

1. Dashboard for sticky notes 

I don’t like dashboards. They take up too much space and bulk up the planner so it can’t shut. Plus, I use a different planner every week so I prefer to just keep sticky notes in drawers on my desk where they’re within easy reach.

2. 3 Ring Binders 

I hate binders. The rings are too big and clunky and it’s annoying to get pages in and out. The metal clasps are also super loud when closing them. I only use ring binders for recipe storage, planner sticker storage and my household binder, I never use them for day to day planning. 

Related: Choosing sections for your planner: what to keep in your weekly planner versus a household binder 

3. Stamps

I use self inking stamps, specifically the MAMBI list stamps and the Frixion erasable stamps. However, I don’t use traditional stamps that require you to peel the stamp off and place it on an acrylic block, stamp it in the ink pad and then stamp it onto the page. It’s too expensive, messy, they’re prone to smudging and it’s time consuming.

I’d much rather use planner stickers – there are more colors to choose from compared to stamp ink pad colors. I can also quickly and easily make stickers and then just peel and stick as needed. Ink pads also tend to dry out and you have to clean the stamps after each use to avoid staining which is annoying.

The first and last time I tried using stamps that require an inkpad!

As you can see, smudging and I forgot to change the date on the roller stamp so had to use whiteout and match the ink color with a pen

Week 44: Planning the week using stamps (MAMBI, Carpe Diem & Creative Devotion)

4. Decorative planner stickers 

If a sticker is going in my planner it needs to serve a purpose. You’ll rarely see me use quote stickers. Sometimes I’ll use some dot stickers or a strip of washi to separate sections on the page but that’s the extent of what I’d call ‘sticker decorating’. I really dislike those hand drawn looking character stickers that seem to be all the rage.

I also hate large stickers when they don’t need to be. For example, do I need a 3cm x 3cm washing machine sticker for laundry days? No, no I do not. I also don’t make stickers that have an icon and a word beside it when the icon is self-explanatory. I.e. a washing machine is sufficient. I don’t need a sticker with a washing machine and the word ‘laundry’ beside it.

This is about as decorative as I get…

Week 52: Using a Kikki K Weekly Planner

Week 48: Using the Dabney Lee for Blue Sky Weekly Planner 

I used to do no white space spreads like this but they took far too long

Week 22: Using Erin Condren size planner stickers in the Mini Happy Planner 

5. Wide washi tape

Washi tape comes in an overwhelming number of patterns and colors these days, not to mention all the different sizes.

My preferred size is the mambi thin washi tape and Illustrated Faith rainbow washi tape – both are approx 3mm wide.

Next I like Doodlebug washi which is about 0.5cm wide. It comes in lots of colors and different patterns!

I never use washi tape that’s more than 1.5cm wide – it’s just too fat and wastes too much planning space on the page.

This is the widest washi tape I use

More planning tips

• Overwhelmed by the planner community? Read this post 
• What to do if your planner isn’t working
• Minimalist planning: simple decorating & divider ideas for your planner using pens 

Planner reviews

• Creating a custom, personalised planner with Agendio
• Day Designer for Blue Sky Horizontal Weekly Planner Review 
• Review of the Point Journal (similar to the bullet journal) 

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