If you’re a newbie in the planner community, are just getting started with planner decorating, accessorizing your planner and everything in between, or if you’re trying to stick to a no spend, here are my list of recommended need, want and wish list planner supplies!

Need Planner Items List 

• A planner – don’t get caught up in the hype of expensive planners. It can be easy to drop $50 on a planner these days for a ‘designer’ version. Note that planners from discount stores and printables work just as well – you don’t need to buy an expensive planner, you need to buy a planner that has the right layout for you. You can always ‘jazz it up’ with a printable cover, planner printables, stickers etc. If you aren’t sure what planner layout is the right one for you, some planner companies such as Limelife Planners and Passion Planner let you download and print their layout to trial it

• Black pen – A must have no matter what planner you use and the second most important planner supply is of course, black pens! I shared my favorite black pens for planner addicts in this post. You’ll want to avoid inky pens if writing on glossy label paper and washi tape as the ink tends to wipe off too easily. I shared the best pens for writing on washi tape  in this post 

• Planner bookmark/page marker – keep your place in your planner with a cute bookmark! I shared a free tutorial on how to make a bookmark (and a free printable) in this post – it’s free so of course you need it 🙂

• Planner insert for list making – save having to re-write the same tasks again and again by using a weekly checklist. I shared a free printable planner insert (for to do lists, grocery lists, weekly routine tasks etc.) in this post

• Printer – I shared how to choose a Printer (including the best printer for printing printables and planner stickers) in this post. Make sure you get one that can do duplex (2 sided printing), custom page size and color printing. I highly recommend (and use) Canon printers

Related post:  Printing Tips

• Printer paper (I recommend bright white as it really makes the colors POP). Related: 7 Ways to make colors POP when printing using an Inkjet printer 

• Hole punch if you intend to punch your own inserts – I personally prefer to use plastic sheet protectors to store my printables, especially my recipe binder, as it protects the pages from cooking spills. An alternative to ring bound planners is a discbound system. I use and highly recommend the Arc planner system although there are cheaper alternates including the MAMBI happy planner and the levenger discbound system

• Scissors – to cut washi, cut printable planner stickers, cut out printable such as this free list insert I shared, this free printable planner cover etc.

Related post: Planner Organization: Why I use the Arc Planner instead of binders 

Want Planner Items List

• Paper trimmer or guillotine – this should really be on the ‘need’ planner supplies list – these are much more pricey than scissors but worth every penny – they make cutting planner stickers a breeze! I shared 4 Tools for cutting printable planner stickers (and my favorite method)  in this post.

• Functional stickers such as colored dots, bill due stickers and don’t forget/reminder (I have over 440 sticker designs in my shop, AllAboutTheHouse if you’re on the hunt for printable functional planner stickers. printed & cut stickers are available in my sister’s shop, Carefully Crafted)

• A nice way to store your stickers – a tray (I love the colorful trays from Poppin that come in various sizes), a binder (I shared a free binder cover in this post), a reciepts folder or document wallets. You could also use a photo album

Related: How to organize planner stickers using a receipts folder

Related: Free printable sticker storage organizing labels

• Full sheet label paper for printing your own stickers. I shared a list of places to buy full sheet label paper from in this post

• Cardstock or full sheet label paper for printing binder covers and planner covers

• Washi tape – specifically functional washi tape like this checklist tape (it comes in a variety of styles including circles, squares and hearts!) and I also highly recommend the doodlebug brand it’s thin (without being too thin! It’s about 0.25″ wide), great for color coding and splitting notes pages into 2 columns for list making. There’s a lot of washi on the rolls too so it lasts a long time AND there are 12 colors to mix and match and color code 🙂

Just be careful that your washi stash doesn’t get too out of hand…

• Planner Divider Template – same money by DIYing your own with my Photoshop template (tutorial on how to use it here)

• DIY planner cover – I shared free printable planner covers in this post – if you don’t own a laminating machine your local office supply store can laminate the cover for you. If you’re printing a cover from my shop, make sure you download the print release form from my online shop as they may ask to see it to ensure you have permission to print the files

Related: How to make a DIY Erin Condren Planner Cover for less than $2 (plus free printable cover)  

• Pens for color coding – I’m a huge fan of color coding especially using pens and sticky notes. I find it makes me much more productive and organized! I shared how to color code your plannner so you use it effectively in this post.  Related post: Color coded monthly meal planning using sticky notes 

• Post it notes – they’re expensive but I find them so helpful an they’re re-usable 🙂 There are so many ways to use them including for reminders, meal planning, school planning, color coding etc.! My favorite are the 2 x 2″ post it note super sticky 3M and this 10 pack of the smaller size (they are almost quarter box size for the Erin Condren planner as you can always trim them down to suit) as well as the 1.5 x 2″ in either post it note brand or J Burrows brand from Officeworks. See this post for my favorite color coding planner supplies for less than $5

Wish List Planner Items

• More pens (you can never have too many!). If you’re on the hunt I shared my favorite black planner pens in this post. I’ll be sharing my favorite pens for color coding soon, make sure you’ve subscribed if you want to be notified when that post is published

• Laminating machine – I personally think this is a want not just a wish list item, but unless you’re going to be laminating quite a few pages it’s more economical to just take the page to your local office supply store and have them laminate the page/s for you for a couple of dollars. Home laminating machines can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 and the laminating sheets start at around $10 for a pack (I get mine for 25 laminating sheets for $10 from Kmart)

• Planner stamps –stamps can get a bit messy and are really expensive – there are lots of cute functional planner stamps out there so definitely start with the staples such as checklist, icons and words for labelling dividers etc.

• Planner tassel – I’m personally not a fan of the tassell craze (I think it looks a little tacky and clunky and would just get in the way), but if you want a tassel this is definitely a wish list item since it doesn’t really serve a purpose other than that it looks pretty

• Craft punches – can be used to cut out odd shapes stickers and are easier to punch a circle sticker than to try and cut a round circle. Another option is to print digital paper onto full sheet label paper then use a craft punch to create your own sticker shapes such as flags etc. You can also cut tout strips of pattern paper to make DIY ‘washi tape’

Related: How to Make Patterns in Photoshop and Monetize Your Designs

• Silhouette machine – pricey and don’t recommend unless you want to start a sticker business. There are sooo many people selling stickers on Etsy now and I’m going to be honest here. Designing, cutting and packaging stickers take a long time. Like, a really long time. That saying that everything takes at least 2 – 3 times longer than you think it will is definitely true when it comes to making stickers!

• Gyro cut tool – this nifty tool is ideal for round, hexagon, curved or small printable planner stickers that require a more delicate cut

Have some planner supplies you want to destash? See this post for 60 Facebook groups for planner addicts (I included some buy/sell/swap/RAK planner groups on the list)

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