DIY Planner: the later months of the year

I really did not post much this year, huh? Now watch me scrambling, trying to make up for it in the last month. Classic Katje!

So early this year I posted about my DIY planner made with an IKEA catalogue and crafting tape. I did not abandon that project! Actually as time went on, I expanded my sources for creating the collage. I cut up some old Barefoot Books catalogues to create more collages, and for December I’m using part of a wildlife calendar. (As of writing this, I still have not done December. Talk about behind.)

I also got washi tape in addition to the dollar store crafting tape I was using. The month collage pages of my planner look pretty awesome.

However, what I learned this year is that this is an insane amount of work for me to put into a planner. If I were just creating a monthly collage in a planner that was already laid out, that would be different — but I was creating entire monthly spreads too. Spreads that I would then forget to write in as I got more and more stressed.

I have been trying to find a solution to my need for a planner for years now. I have used almost every planner out there and have yet to find “the one”. I do really like bullet journalling and think it’s useful in some respects, but my issue with it has been that I really need to have the entire year laid out for me ahead of time.

I tried to marry those two concepts with my DIY planner this year but it didn’t end up working that well. I still skipped huge swathes of the planner, and having unfilled out weeks always makes me feel inadequate.

I’m not sure there is a solution. Leastwise, not for years where I’m not doing things like work outside the house or school.

But in the meantime, here are some pictures of my planner for this year!

April:

My hope for April was to bring more joy into my home life. Ironically my spinal injury flared up at the beginning of the month and I spent three weeks on opioids and in a hell of a lot of pain. So…never say the universe doesn’t have a sense of humour.

May:

yeah…this didn’t happen.

this is the inside of the title page. No real manifesting here; the pics are just pretty.

May’s list calendar and projects page.

Week 1 and 2.

June:

July:

My manifesting here was directly related to Camp Nanowrimo and writing. I did…okay.

July projects, habit tracker and list calendar.

Weeks 1 and 2.

August:

August got a flip out, so this is the outside, done with super cool “ransom letter” spelling out of the name, not creepy at all.

…and the inside. End of month is an event called “Pirates and Fairies” so this is largely related to that. Also my desire to spend more time with my niece and nephew.

September:

September title page.

List calendar and habits.

I’ll post the last months of the year probably around New Year’s.

Plans for next year: next year I’m using a filofax type system, though I got the cheaper version from Michael’s. I didn’t get the Michael’s inserts for it, however, because I wanted that to be my own thing.

My original plan was to use the unbound We’Moon planner for it. I really love the We’Moon planner for the artwork, poetry, and focus on lunar cycles. However, I’m thinking now that maybe I need to go less-aesthetic, more practical, so I think I might print off the compact version of the Passion Planner instead.

(You can get access to the printables if you join their mailing list.)

I’ve used the Passion Planner twice now, and part of me keeps coming back to it as a possible planner. For now, I think it’s the best choice.

Of course, I’ll still be making the planner my own by adding in collage pages or whatever else. That’s why I chose a filofax type thing for next year — so I can customize it while still using something that’s pre-laid out. Less work for me, but still allows for creativity and imagination.

I mean, either that or I’ll pick up a cheap monthly calendar from the dollar store and then do daily and weekly layouts bujo-style. I honestly have no idea at this point.

What are your planner plans for next year?

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