12 Tips for 12 Months of Bullet Journal Monthly Spreads

One of the best things about keeping a bullet journal is the ability to mold your spreads to fit your specific needs. 

As a teacher, my monthly layouts were always jam-packed with meetings and reminders. Nowadays, mom life has me scheduling doctors' appointments and little (socially distant) outings. 

Whether I'm in teacher or mom mode, there are 12 go-to tricks I rely on for creating useful, fun layouts that fit any style. 

What should this month's 
calendar look like?

It's a question that sometimes causes more mental stress than necessary. 

To help, I've compiled 12 months of my monthly spreads. From organization tools to memory savers, each comes with a tip for making the most of your page. 

12 Tips for Bullet Journal Monthly Spreads

This style layout is perfect for the busy bullet journaler. We don't always have a lot of time to plan, so this simple and small design allows for quick note-taking and easy-to-see planning. 

I love having my trackers on the same page as my calendar. I find that I'm more likely to keep up with my goals if they're on a page that I'm constantly seeing. 

With that being said, too many trackers can be a pain to manage. Choose a few that are most important to you and go from there. 

Doodling is a great way to clear your mind and relax a bit. Sure, you're creating a monthly spread to organize the many things you have to get done this month, but isn't that even more of a reason to slow things down and just draw a little? You deserve a break!

I was inspired by @caffeinated.planner when creating this image. She has a really cool Etsy page that you should definitely check out. I encourage you to explore the many Bujo Instagram accounts that are sure to get those creative ideas flowing.

The title of "Scrapbooker" isn't so far from "Bujo Planner." Pictures make flipping back through your spreads such a joy. 

Save some white space around your calendar. As the month progresses, print out some mini pictures to include in your design. 

I use a small Bluetooth printer to print photos directly from my phone. What's great about these devices is that many have a peel away, sticky backing, so there's no glue needed. But before I went all fancy, I just printed a few images from my computer and glued them onto my layout. High tech or not, it's worth the little bit of extra effort for sure!

Keep it simple with fun stickers!

I love a good To-Do list! It's so easy to check things off my list when they're staring back at me every time I look at my monthly spread. I highly recommend this to all my fellow planners!

Sometimes you just don't want a very obvious theme. It can be time-consuming or downright kitschy.

Instead, pull a line or one image from your favorite movie, show, or book to use as inspiration!

  

If I want to include weekly spreads along with my calendar, a dutch door makes it easy for me to see my trackers and To-Do lists no matter what page I'm turning to. 

There are so many great dutch door examples out there. While some take a bit more time than others, the organization and uniqueness they provide are often worth your while. 

I am not always able to make my new calendar spread before the new month actually starts. Full honesty here: it's October 2nd today, and I've yet to even think about my October layout...oops! It's been a busy few days!!

Luckily, I have a section on my September monthly spread to quickly jot down notes for next month. This is a lifesaver not only when sitting down to plan the next month, but in those stressful moments when you just need a spot to write down an upcoming event quickly. It's so helpful! 

What was I for Halloween last year? I'll give you a CLUE...

BLUES CLUES! This tiny paw print was hidden on my pregnant belly.  My husband dressed up as Steve in his famous striped green shirt. How'd we do?!

The little paw print is a great memory for me. Knowing I won't need the costume again, I saved it to put in my bullet journal. I love a good keepsake!

 

     

Quotes about coffee are always a good idea. While scanning Pinterest one day, I found the one that was clearly written for and about me: 

"My Birthstone is a Coffee Bean"

Naturally, this inspired my entire design. It's so fun to make a quote or silly phrase all your own!

I feel like I always run out of steam a bit come December, so a very simple theme to wrap up the year is best. 

Choose two or three colors and just run with it. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. 😊

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Inspired? I hope so! I'd love to see your monthly layouts in the comments below. Let me know how you used these tips to help plan out your spreads. 

Happy planning!