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June 1, 2021

The Paper Studio ‘Make it Happen’ Bullet Journal Review

A reasonably priced dot grid notebook with page numbers, good quality paper and without a boring cover? That’s my dream combination for a dot grid notebook. Let’s see how close the Make it Happen bullet journal by The Paper Studio comes to ticking off each of those.

Read more: How to choose the right bullet journal notebook for you (10 things to check)

Quick facts

  • Size: 15cm wide x 20.3cm high (6″ wide x 8″ high)
  • Hardcover
  • Sewn binding
  • 5mm dot grid (192 pages)
  • 40 dots vertically x 30 dots horizontally
  • Comes in one cover style only

Price: $25 AUD at Carefully Crafted

The paper studio agenda 52 dot grid notebook for bullet journaling review sticker books

This brand also has plenty of sticker books – my favorites are in the photo above: calendar foiled, chores, bullet journal and home life foiled.

Let’s take a closer look!

To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).

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The Cover

Usual hardcover typical of sewn bound notebooks. At least this one is navy blue instead of black and has a motivational phrase on the cover instead of plain.

the paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook 5mm dot grid white paper pen test highlighters ghosting bleed through video review

Approx, 0.75″ thick (1.8cm)

agenda 52 journal for bullet journaling bujo pretty notebook navy 5mm dot grid bright white paper hobby lobby

With 192 pages the planner isn’t heavy, but you will notice the weight of this if you carry it with you in your handbag.

Inside Pages

There are no pre-printed pages in the notebook – it has a 5mm dot grid on every page.

There are 40 dots vertically (plus 2 extra that are cut off due to the curved edges of the notebook) x 30 dots horizontally.

the paper studio agenda 52 dot grid notebook review 5mm bright white paper pros and cons pen testing ghosting bleed through

The dots are printed very close to the edge of the page and the spine of the notebook which (for me) is problematic when trying to draw lines and keep the ruler straight. There is also a miss-alignment of the dots on some pages.

Read more: Comparison of 30 Dot Grid Notebooks for Bullet Journaling (Buying Guide)

the paper studio agenda 52 dot grid notebook review 5mm bright white paper pros and cons pen testing ghosting bleed through misaligned dots

I often get comments about how bold / dark the dots are in notebooks. This one has bold medium grey dots.

the paper studio agenda 52 journal

Pages lay mostly flat on their own

paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook 5mm dot grid bright white pages hobby lobby

Pen Testing

I tried all the usual ballpoint, gel and fine tip pens I use when pen testing all bullet journal notebooks.

paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook 5mm dot grid bright white pages hobby lobby pen test ghosting pros and cons paper quality

There was some minor show through for marker pens and stamps, but not enough that would deter me from using the back side of the page. For the price of this notebook, the paper quality is good.

paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook 5mm dot grid bright white pages hobby lobby pen test pros and cons paper quality

paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook 5mm dot grid bright white pages hobby lobby highlighters dot markers test ghosting pros and cons paper quality

Highlighters had some light ghosting (much less than dot grid notebooks usually have), however my favorite Tombow dot makers bled through the page.

Related post: 7 Ways to use dot markers in your planner or bullet journal

paper studio agenda 52 bullet journal notebook review 5mm dot grid bright white pages hobby lobby highlighters dot markers test ghosting paper quality

Pros of the Notebook

  • Portable size
  • 5mm dot spacing
  • Cheap
  • Less boring cover than most dot grid notebooks
  • Good paper quality
  • Pages lay mostly flat
  • Bright white paper

Cons of the Notebook

  • Only 1 ribbon bookmark
  • No page numbers
  • Dot grid is cut off on the rounded corners
  • No pocket folder
  • Misalignment of the printing of the dot grid on the pages

Would I use this Notebook?

I like the notebook and will use it. It’s unfortunate that there are no page numbers, there’s a misalignment of the dots and that the dots are printed so close to the edge of the page. The paper quality, while not perfect, is far better than a lot of other dot grid notebooks I’ve seen (including ones that are more expensive).

I don’t know if other people do this, but I’m a sucker for notebooks with motivational phrases on the cover like this one’s ‘make it happen’ as I like to dedicate these ‘themed’ notebooks for different purposes e.g. project planning, travel planning back when I used to do that on paper etc.

Paper Studio – Agenda 52 stickers

the paper studio planner stickers review best brands with functional planning supplies home cleaning budgeting student teacher calendar appointment labels-min

I showed some of this brands sticker books in the video, here’s a preview of some of the pages. Lot of functional stickers and bright colors!

agenda 52 planner sticker book functional icons lists review functional decorative stickers for bullet journaling best

My favorite sticker books from this brand are:

  • Calendar foiled
  • Chores
  • Bullet journal
  • Home life foiled

agenda 52 planner sticker book functional icons lists review functional decorative stickers for bullet journaling date dot stickers

agenda 52 planner sticker book functional icons lists review functional decorative stickers for bullet journaling

agenda 52 planner sticker book functional icons lists review functional decorative stickers for bullet journaling text stickers

More bullet journal notebook reviews:

  • Dingbats* Notebook for Bullet Journaling Review (super smooth paper!)
  • Nuuna dot grid notebook (3.5mm grid)
  • Amanda Rach Lee (160 GSM paper)

100 bullet journal hashtags for instagram

Planning Tips:

  • Best highlighters for bullet journaling
  • 7 Useful washi tapes for bullet journaling
  • 10 Bullet Journal Daily Scheduling Layout Ideas

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agenda 52 make it happen journal dot grid hobby lobby bright white paper pros and cons pen testing video review all about planners

agenda 52 make it happen journal dot grid hobby lobby bright white paper pros and cons pen testing video review

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Posted In: Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Reviews · Tagged: 5mm dot grid notebook, affordable dot grid notebook, agenda 52 bujo, agenda 52 bullet journal, agenda 52 dot grid notebook, agenda 52 journal, agenda 52 notebook, agenda 52 the paper studio, bujo notebook, cheap dot grid notebook, cute dot grid notebook, make it happen notebook, pretty bullet journal notebook, the paper studio, the paper studio bullet journal, the paper studio bullet journal notebook, the paper studio dotted notebook, the paper studio 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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