Bullet Journal Basics

For years I tried to use a dated yearly planner and I would always give up or lose interest. I have a huge pile of old, half-used planners and notebooks. I always had one or two around to jot down notes or to-do lists, but it wasn't until I tried bullet journaling that I really enjoyed planning.

This coming week's layout

Basically, a bullet journal is a planner that you design yourself in a blank notebook. The name bullet journal came from the symbols people use that are like bullet points. Originally, they were all about following a key and using various symbols to indicate different things.

  credit reddit.com/r/bulletjournal

However, a bullet journal can be whatever you want it to be. You don't have to follow any certain rules or systems. It can be really organized or messy, simple, or complicated. It can be a month, a week, or a day per page. Whatever you feel works best for you and your life. You can create a new design or layout every week, and that's what I usually do. It keeps things fresh and interesting for me.

If I'm really into cherry blossoms right now, I can make that my design. Feel like using every color in the pack of markers? Why not!? Whatever you imagine, you can do. The sky's the limit, really, in terms of how you want your journal to look. The internet is a great source of ideas if you need some inspiration.

All you really need is a notebook and a pen. If you want to get artistic, you can also add the following to your planner supplies:

• markers
• a ruler
• washi tape
• stickers
• mechanical pencil
• eraser
• white paint pen

Some tips: I usually use a pencil, go over it with a felt tip pen or a marker, then erase the pencil marks. A ruler is very helpful of course, but I prefer dotted notebooks. They make it easy to create a box or draw a straight line. Make a mistake? Cover it with a sticker or draw a black shape and write over it with a white paint pen. You can use washi tape to create tabs on important pages.

With a bullet journal, you can skip weeks when you don't have much going on, and pick right back up on the next page when you feel you need to plan again. This isn't so with a dated yearly planner.  It does take some effort, but it's fun and kind of relaxing for me. 

I have found that this way of planning or journaling is infinitely superior to pre-printed planners. It's a creative outlet as well as a great way to stay on top of your tasks and habits. It's actually something you can pick up as a hobby with supplies you probably already have. Do you use a planner or a journal?

How To Make Origami Stars

These origami stars are different than the ninja stars that come to mind when someone says "origami star".

My love of these started when a girl came into my sociology class carrying a large jar of little orange stars. People thought they were candy and asked her for some. She explained it was a gift for her friend, 1000 folded paper stars. I thought to myself, that must have taken a lot of time and effort. She must really care about that friend. I later looked for these in one of those beautiful Asian stationary stores that have tons of Hello Kitty stuff and other equally adorable items.

The tiny, puffy, paper stars originate from the land of all things kawaii, Japan. They are used as a symbol of love and good luck and people often make a jar of 1000 stars to gift to a loved one. I just think they're really cute and pretty.

I recently made this using a RIBBA frame from IKEA and roughly 275-300 stars. It's hanging in my room, bringing me joy on the regular. I learned how to make these years ago but I could never find the paper strips here in Egypt, until recently. It might look difficult, but it's an easy process once you get the hang of it. 

So, full disclosure: I was going to make a video tutorial but I'm in dire need of a manicure right now and I wouldn't subject anyone to such a sight. 

The video below does a good job of showing the steps quite clearly. It's also easier to learn with the larger strips of paper she's using. 

You can even measure and cut your own strips of paper. It could be a nice quarantine activity. They look great in anything glass and can even be strung with thread for a decorative garland. 

Give it a try and let me know if you do!