If your planner or bullet journal spreads are getting too same-same, here are some ideas!

Colors

Using a multi-colored washi tape is a great prompt / done-for-you color schemes. Highlighters can convert a plain spread into colorful.

1. 1 color, 2 colors, 3 colors
2. Rainbow
3. Pastel
4. Neon
5. Watercolor

Simple rainbow spread in the Blue Sky Teacher Planner

Blue theme spread in the Life Inspired Plans Planner 

Special Occasions

1. New Years
2. Christmas
3. Valentines Day
4. Thanksgiving
5. Halloween
6. Mothers Day
7. Fathers Day
8. Random holidays like World Nutella Day

Christmas theme in a Kikki K Weekly Planner

Food

1. Donuts
2. Chocolate
3. Ice cream
4. Cookies
5. Pizza
6. Fruit
7. Etc.

You could do healthier food spreads… but most planner stickers are for sweets!

Related: Colorful versus neutral planners: which is right for you?

Random

1. Disney
2. Favorite movie or TV show
3. A decade 80’s, 90’s etc.
4. Shapes – stars, hearts etc.
5. Repeating patterns e.g. chevrons
6. Travel
7. Magic – witches, warlocks etc.
8. Places / city scapes e.g. New York City, Paris
9. Flowers
10. Space
11. Sunset
12. Leaves
13. Animals – Bees / honeycomb, rabbits, puppies etc.
14. Music
15. Sunflowers
16. Sports

Travel Planning in the Plum Paper Vertical Weekly Planner

Minimalist travel planning in the Leuchtturm

Winter

1. Winter wonderland
2. Penguins
3. Snowflakes
4. Snowman
5. Santa
6. Hot choc
7. Mittens
8. Elves
9. Nutcracker
10. Christmas Trees
11. Gingerbread
12. Fairy lights and pine trees
13. Snow capped mountains
14. Holiday bucket list

Summer

1. Under the sea
2. Citrus colors e.g. pink, orange, yellow, green
3. Beach
4. Poolside
5. Nautical
6. Picnic
7. Ice Cream
8. BBQ’s
9. Pineapples
10. Camping

Related: 7 Reasons why I decorate my planner 

Tools for decorating

• Stamps
• Pens (fine tip, gel, marker pens)
• Metallic pens
• Highlighters
• Washi tape
• Sticky notes
• Brush pens
• Stencils
• White pens on kraft or black paper

A good place to start is to choose washi tape, then find pens that match colors of the washi. Or pick stickers you want to use, then match washi and pen colors etc. That’s what I did for the spread below:

Week 35: Planning with a functional minimalist DIY weekly planner printable 

More planning tips

• 10 Things I don’t put in my planner (and why)
• 20 Productivity & Time Management ‘Rules’ I Live By 
• 10 Planner supplies that will help you plan your week faster