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October 6, 2021

Best stencils for bullet journal daily, weekly and monthly spreads

As you may have gathered from some of my recent posts, I’ve gotten very into planner stencils lately. This post has the types of stencils I think are useful for daily, weekly and monthly spreads, but can be also used for lists, meal planning – the possibilities are endless.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links I’ll receive a small commission in exchange for referring you (at no extra cost to you).

Stencils are great for

  • Checklists – in the sidebars of monthly or weekly spreads, full page checklists, checklists in the vertical columns of your weekly planner, on a monthly planning page – basically anywhere!
  • Incorporating different fonts if you’re handwriting is messy and your spreads are starting to all look the same
  • Make it quick and easy to draw up monthly calendars
  • Weekly layouts you mightn’t have otherwise thought of
  • When you don’t have a ruler
  • Savings trackers
  • Habit trackers
  • If you want to keep your planner neat
  • If you’re drawing up the same spread all the time
  • Want to try a new planner supply
  • Want to keep your planner neat

1. Row & Column Stencils

The most functional stencil on this list! Row and column stencils help you quickly rule up spreads by not having to count the dots – especially helpful for monthly and weekly spreads.

row and stencils bullet journal review pros and cons translucent tracing card monthly calendar spreads weekly how to efficiently draw bujo spreads

I ranked and compared 5 different brands of row and column stencils in this post.

ink by jeng row and column stencil template for bullet journaling newbie beginner vertical hourly layout

The best time saving tool for bullet journaling (Ink by Jeng Row & Column Stencil)

2. PA Alphabet Stencils

This brand has my favorite alphabet stencils. The size of the letters are just right for bullet journaling and there’s a variety of font styles to choose from.

  • Roman Alpha
  • Bubble Alpha
  • Adventure Alpha
  • Weekdays & months

Some ways to use alphabet stencils:

  • Dates of the week
  • Month of the Year
  • Days of the week
  • Lists
  • Monthly spread cover pages or section divider pages

archer and olive minimalist bullet journal weekly spread pa stencils roman alpha quick easy bright white paper dashboard layout horizontal weekday priority list

Stencils weekly spread in the Archer & Olive 

bullet journal weekly spread stencils quick easy christmas washi tape days of the week stencils pa paper accents

Simple Christmas themed weekly spread with washi tape and stencils

You can find alphabet stencils in other stencil packs such as these (but P.A. offer more variety in the fonts and not all of the ones listed below come with coordinating number stencils).

  • Zonon assorted stencils
  • Zicoto stencils
  • Sunny Streak productivity stencils

3. Sunny Streak Stencils

This brand has a few stencil collections to choose from:

  • Monthly layouts #1
  • Weekly layouts #2
  • Weekly Layouts #3
  • Assorted mini stencils
  • Habit trackers, mini monthly calendars and flag banners
  • Time saver

I purchased the weekly layouts 2 stencils off Amazon which are for A5 dot grid notebooks. The placement of the stencils on a 5mm dot grid isn’t exact. For the spread in the photo below, I actually just used one of the daily boxes and traced around that 7 times. Too hard to get a photo to show what I mean but not all of the lines aligned perfectly with the dots on the page.

Sunny streak speedy spreads stencil daily weekly monthly calendar planning layout horizontal boxes simple quick easy

So while the stencils aren’t perfect, they still produce nice spreads

speedy stencils weekly spread colorful highlighters date dot stickers zebra mildliner rainbow categorised to do list 1 page weekly spread simple quick easy

Rainbow weekly spread using the Speedy Stencils and Zebra Mildliners

One stencil I think is essential if you like doing boxes for each day on your monthly calendar, is a stencil with the boxes already measured out. I have other stencils where you trace a thin gap in the stencil but with the Speedy Spreads you just draw the border on the inside of the boxes.

Sunny Streak monthly layouts #1

Sunny streak speedy spreads stencil daily weekly monthly calendar planning layout horizontal boxes simple quick easy amazon bujo supplies

Image credit

speedy stencils review monthly calendar layout 2 pages sidebar

The Sunny Streak time saver stencils have a mini monthly calendar template.

speedy stencils review monthly planning spread bullet journaling creative trackers habits mood routine recurring tasks

4. Flags & Ribbon Stencils

Ideal for titles such as the month on a calendar, day of the week, lists, your index page etc.

bullet journal daily planner spread minimalist quick simple easy highlighters priority list day to a page stencils layout

Most stencil collections will include a few flag banners on the stencils like these Zonon A5 stencils and Zicoto stencils.

5. Helix Circle Maker

I mainly use the Helix Circle Maker for annual planning pages and habit trackers, but you can use it for weekly spreads as well. See this post for a tutorial on how to use the Helix Circle maker

Related post: 12 Bullet journal annual planning page layout ideas

helix circle maker review for bullet journaling birthdays calendar anniversaries how to use it draw perfect circles in your bujo

dingbats notebook weekly spread with helix circle maker blogging rainbow color coded tombow kei coat twin tip highlighters

Weekly spread with the Helix Circle Maker in the Dingbats* Notebook

Geometry stencils like these are useful if you can’t get the Helix Circle Maker (I had to wait a while for it to come in stock on Amazon).

6. Shape Stencils

There are plenty of options for shape stencils. I’ve ordered this one (hasn’t arrived yet!) as it has the most variety I’ve seen with flag banners, alphabet, icons and basic shapes like squares, rectangles and circles in multiple sizes, straight edges, scallop borders etc.

morsler stencils for bullet journaling all about planners favorite bujo supplies newbie planners functional tips inspiration

If you’re looking for more sturdy stencils, these Etsy shop have some brass stencils.

  • Jaydens Apple
  • Arch Time Planners

I haven’t tried them myself but those shops have so many positive reviews I’m thinking about placing an order.

7. Habit tracker stencils

If you like to include habit trackers in your weekly layout, you’re probably well aware of how time consuming they are to set up. I prefer stencils with the boxes already ruled up, then I don’t need to worry about smudging the lines when I use a ruler.

ink by jeng washi tape weekly spread simple minimalist functional quick easy days of the week habit tracker stencil

habit tracker stencil for bullet journaling ink by jeng review fits 5mm dot grid favorite functional bullet journaling supplies

Ink by Jeng habit tracker dot grid stencil

8. DIY Stencil

If none of the stencils on this list appeal to you or you want to make your own, see this post for a tutorial I did on how to make your own stencil using Microsoft Word, Google Docs or Apple Pages.

diy planner stencil alphabet all about planners cheap make for free using microsoft word how to make a diy stencil for bullet journal weekly spread simple tombow play color dot marker

Minimalist black and blue weekly spread using DIY stencil

9. Erin Condren

Similar to the PA Calligraphy stencil, Erin Condren has one too. I prefer the Erin Condren calligraphy stencil over the PA calligraphy stencil as the letters are smaller.

erin condren petite notebook dot grid journal weekly layout stencil rainbow pastel zebra mildliner milkliner ec weekly spread using stickers blogging checklist_03

Most stencils are very bendy plastic like this one, or solid metal where the part where you put your pen isn’t big enough for a 0.7mm pen tip. If it’s a choice between bendy plastic and metal, I would rather plastic and then just carefully hold the stencil in place while I use it.

erin condren petite notebook dot grid journal weekly layout stencil rainbow pastel zebra mildliner milkliner ec weekly spread using stickers blogging checklist_04

Erin Condren Petite Dot Journal & Stencils

Update: They appear to no longer sell the cursive stencil however do have this this one with all the essential shapes to make different spreads.

erin condren planner stencil sheet review bullet journaling supplies

10. More stencils

I only have a few stencils, there are tons more to choose from:

  • Happy Planner line it up and check it off (can be used for other vertical weekly planners, not just the Happy Planner)
  • Happy Planner journaling stencils (again, could be used for other planners, not just the Happy Planner)
  • Day to Day (Maggie Holmes Discbound) Icon and alphabet
  • Moxie Dorie (journal guide, tidy slider (for lists), budget finance, cursive days, fitness, time scheduler, cursive months
  • Sunshine Sticker Co layout stencil for 5mm notebooks
  • Sunny Streak time saver stencils (instead of counting out the dots, this one has done it for you)
  • The Paper Studio planner stencils (habit tracker, icons, page dividers, lines)
  • PA Essentials lines, numbers , basic shapes and icons)
  • Make your own stencil material for the Silhouette Machine (adhesive and non-adhesive)
  • Heid Swapp Alphabet ruler
  • Sunshine Sticker Co. monthly layout stencil
  • Ink by Jeng habit tracker dot grid, Hobonichi 4mm grid, Icon stencil, 
  • Zonon B5 stencils
  • Zonon A5 stencils
  • Zonon assorted stencils
  • Zicoto stencils

I don’t recommend using highlighters with stencils. Stencils can easily slip and the ink pools at each line / join that you draw. I exclusively use erasable pens with stencils as I can wipe any residue on the stencils off with a tissue. I tried using non-erasable pens once but the residue wouldn’t come off and permanently stained the plastic stencil.

stencil highlighter tips favorite brands for planning and bullet journaling

More bullet journal tips

  • 10 Useful printables to add to your planner or bullet journal
  • Highlighter swatches and thickness comparison (38 brands compared)
  • Planner Necessities: My Top 3 All-Time Favorite Gel Pens

free printable monthly habit tracker download template diy resize page size custom insert refill happy planner routine recurring

Found this post helpful? Pin it!

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favorite stencils for bullet journal best bujo supplies for newbies row and column stencil helix circle maker review monthly calendar weekly spread daily planner tips-min

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You may also be interested in...

  • Review of the Speedy Stencils by Sunny Streak (Plenty of weekly and monthly spread layout ideas)Review of the Speedy Stencils by Sunny Streak (Plenty of weekly and monthly spread layout ideas)
  • The best supplies for making monthly spreads in your bullet journalThe best supplies for making monthly spreads in your bullet journal
  • Honey Bee themed weekly spread in the Esc Goods dotted notebookHoney Bee themed weekly spread in the Esc Goods dotted notebook
  • The best time saving row and column stencils for dot grid notebooks (5 brands compared)The best time saving row and column stencils for dot grid notebooks (5 brands compared)
  • 5 Things to do when you get a new bullet journal notebook5 Things to do when you get a new bullet journal notebook
  • The best time saving tool for bullet journaling (Ink by Jeng Row & Column Stencil)The best time saving tool for bullet journaling (Ink by Jeng Row & Column Stencil)

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Posted In: Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Spreads, Bullet Journal Tips · Tagged: best bujo stencils, best stencils for bullet journaling, best stencils for planning, bujo stencil brands, bujo stencil spread, bujo stencils, bullet journal stencil templates, bullet journal stencils, diy bujo, diy bullet journal ideas, diy bullet journal stencil, favorite bujo, favorite bullet journal supplies, planner stencils, row and column stencils, stencil bullet journal

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Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

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