How to Bullet Journal When You Aren’t Artistic

Bullet journals are all the rage right now and for good reason.  Even though I’ve made no secret of my issue with how time-consuming they can be, I’m thrilled that paper planners and journals are making a comeback because of it.  Lots of people face the same problem as you and I – how do you bullet journal when you’re not creative?  If you have no artistic talent, can you still have a beautiful and functional “bujo”?  YES!

Luckily, for every area you’re lacking in artistic ability, there is a solution out there for purchase.  Thankfully, these solutions don’t have to come with a huge price tag!

Cute Journal

Look, if we’re concerned about our ability to make the inside of this thing Instagram worthy, the least we can do is start with a cute, store-bought outside.  Set yourself up for success.  Buy a cute, motivational journal.  We are going to stick with this planner for once, make it one you want to look at!

Problem:  Can’t do calligraphy

Who doesn’t love those beautiful handwritten letters that are all over Pinterest and Instagram right now?  No matter how many YouTube videos I watch, I’ll never have hands steady enough to accomplish those gorgeous flowy letters.

Luckily, if you can write in cursive, you can fake calligraphy with this awesome hack.

Stencils

Okay, let’s be honest.  I can’t draw a straight line, much less doodle anything cute that I want to look at for any length of time.  You’re not going to be seeing any of my planner entries on Instagram anytime soon, but if you ever do, it’ll be because I used tons of stencils.

I’ve fallen SO in love with using stencils, that I wrote an entire post about my favorites!  Check out the best bullet journal stencils here!

Markers

Not only can you use markers to doodle all through your bujo, but you can actually use cheap markers from any kids’ arts and crafts section to do calligraphy.  Here is an awesome Youtube video to teach you how!

Colored Pencils

Doodle, trace over things you’ve written in pen, just color the corners or shade around stickers you’ve added.  Add some color to your bullet journal to give the illusion of a colorful, creative planner.

Watercolor Paint

One of the easiest ways to make any bujo look beautiful is to lay down a layer of watercolor under your header.  Whatever you scribble on top of it is bound to look more beautiful!

Stickers

If stencils aren’t your thing, or if you just want to mix it up, pick up some cute stickers that match the theme of your bullet journal.  One of my favorites are arrows.

Washi Tape

This one is a personal favorite of mine.  For someone who loves simple living, I have way more washi tape than I should and I put it everywhere.  Use it to divide your page into sections, put a small piece on every corner, or even use it as a header and write on it with a bold marker.

Bullet Journal Inspiration

Related:  Check out these awesome Bujo Monthly Spreads next!

Do you have a bullet journal or do you use a simpler system like mine?  Do you try to make your planner pretty?  Or do you just focus on functionality?  Let me know what works for you in the comments!