All The Best Tips For Making An Easy Bullet Journal Calendar

Although we might enjoy the process of making a bullet journal calendar, sometimes we just want it to be easy! This article has got your back. We are about to get all the best tips out onto the table.

Bullet journal calendar – introduction

Here are some FAQ about the bullet journal calendar:

What is a bullet calendar?

A bullet journal calendar is a calendar made in a bullet journal. This is a notebook with a dot grid background so that lines can easily be drawn. A calendar is often hand created using the dot grid as a guide, and therefore can be completely unique to the creator.

Read: What Is A Bujo? Discover The Magic With This Ultimate Guide

Does the bullet journal have a calendar?

Yes, usually it does. But only when it is created by the owner. The bullet journal notebook itself is usually plain and the planner pages are created by hand.

How do you make a calendar in a bullet journal?

Step 1 – choose your layout

Step 2 – create or buy your calendar

Step 3 – customize and decorate as desired

These are the basic steps, let’s now go into lots more details.

Read: How Often Should I Bullet Journal?

Choosing your bullet journal calendar layout

A first thing that needs to be decided right off the bat when it comes to your bujo calendar is … what layout are you going to use?

Why is this even a question?

Well there are lots of options. Just because there is a standard calendar layout doesn’t mean that is the one that you have to go with.

Here is an example..

Picture of a vertical layout of a calendar with the days of the week down the left side. Part of an article - all the best tips for making a bullet journal calendar

This is a calendar done vertically. In fact, this is my calendar layout for this month. I much prefer the vertical layout.

Many people use a horizontal calendar. But also, quite often, they use a vertical weekly layout.

So maybe think about what works best, does horizontal or vertical suit your eyes and brain?

Another option to think about is..

Are you a Sunday, or Monday starter…or in fact, any other day of the week. The calendar layout that suits YOU is the one that is best, not just the calendar that everyone else uses.

The right tools for the job

If you are making a monthly calendar regularly, I’m guessing you are looking for ways to make that easier for yourself. I do too.

Here are some bullet journal calendar ideas and tools that could be useful to make them:

PRINTABLES. If you have the option of using printables in your planner, maybe a ring binder, or discbound planner, then you could use a printed calendar that has already been done for you.
RULERS. This is actually very easy to do. Just cut out a back page from your planner and number each grid space. Then glue it to a see through ruler or laminate it, or just use as is, but basically you have your own dot grid ruler then for whenever you are drawing out your calendars.
STENCILS. There are stencil options. For example, this one. This means you don’t need to rely on your own ability to draw straight lines and have the right spacing counted out. You can rely on the stencil to do it for you.
STICKERS. These are very handy when you want to do lots of small calendars. Maybe for a future log at the start of your bullet journal. Here is an example.

Add variety

Maybe you have now decided your layouts and planned what tools you need to be able to make these quickly. So now, how do you add variety to your bullet journal calendar?

I think there are so many options for this, it doesn’t have to be the same boring black lines every month.

If you are drawing them each month, you can change the color of you pens to suit the monthly theme colors.

If you want to add some bling to you bullet journal calendar you can us washi tape for the lines. If the tape is too thick you can cut it down.

You can follow some simple examples of changing your line borders. Look here for examples.

When you search you can also find a huge variety of printables and stickers and stencils. It doesn’t have to be that you stick to the same old, same old.

Picture of a hand held out. On top of the hand is a levitating calendar. The title says ‘all the best tips for making an easy bullet journal calendar

Tips to draw straight lines

I have to include these tips of course. If you are drawing lots of boxes again and again, you really need to be able to draw straight lines.

Here are my tips..

Don’t drink lots of coffee beforehand. Get the paper at the right angle that feels most comfortable. Go at a speed that feels in control. Use pencil first if you are not sure. Do shorter lines if you are not sure.

Conclusion

Honestly these really are all the best tips I can think of to help you to make an easy bullet journal calendar. But I am sure I am missing out a lot. So let me know what you find as the biggest tip for creating an easy bullet journal calendar.