Winter Guest Post by Mindy Tsonas

December 28th, 2011

Planner Makeover

one of my favorite things about looking ahead to the beginning of a new year is cracking open a brand new planner! over the years i have tried every digital and paper planner on the planet (i've even tried creating my own planner from scratch) searching for just the right layout and tool. it seemed that whenever i love the pretty cover or the size, the interior pages weren't laid out quite right. either the design was too structured with not enough to play and dream, or the design is just too simple and did not allow for room to compartmentalize all the different areas of my life.

a couple of years ago, i found and fell in love with Planner Pad, and this baby changed my organizational life! it's funnel-down format is perfect for creative projects from idea to implementation, with lots of room to personalize it to fit the structure of your life. go check it out! seriously.

the one thing this planner does not have is a pretty cover. so i wanted to devise a fun and easy way to make it look like Me, and this simple makeover is what i came up with. really you can use this for any planner or journal you want to redesign. it works like magic! you will need: your planner 1 sheet of plain white sticker paper decorative scissors your favorite collaging supplies a glue stick regualar scissors your favorite matte or gloss medium (optional: a corner round punch) the steps are so simple! first, trim the sticker paper to fit 1/4 of an inch within the size of your planner cover. to decorate the left margin i trimmed off another 1/2 inch with decorative scissors (or trim to whatever size you need to cover the ugly writing or whatever is on the cover of your planner). next i used a corner rounder to round the two right side corners just for a better fit and cleaner look.

once your background paper is ready, you can collage away on top of it! use magazine clippings, postcards, vintage paper, or whatever else you have handy to make the cover really reflect you! you could even decorate your cover to reflect the word you chose for your word of the year! have fun with it, and be sure to use plenty of glue! i used little bits from lots of goodies sent to me by wishstudio friends finally add a coat or two of finishing medium and let it dry. you may need to add a new coat once or twice throughout the year if things start to peel.

when your cover is all done, all you have to do is peel the backing off the sticker paper and adhere it to the front of your planner like one giant personalized sticker! voilla! so fun and easy. i love having the perfect planner and a beautiful cover. stay tuned to the wishstudio where i will post my new 2012 planner!

my planner from 2011

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mindy tsonas is the creative director and hostess of the Wishstudio Co-op, an online and local creativity studio in the Boston area. she is a lifestyle designer, a heart-centered artist and a mother of two boys. a dreamy visionary and contemporary bohemian, she loves to craft unique ideas that bring people together and inspire them to embrace the very best in themselves and in one another. with passion and creativity, she believes in your stories and the everyday magic of how life and love connect us all.

Posted by Leah on December 28th, 2011 in art, creative every day 2011, creativity, guest post, inspiration, mixed-media, winter | Permalink | 7 Comments |

7 Responses

I use a daily Moleskinne calendar. I need the space for my work schedule, my school schedule and ideas. I decorate the cover and then on each of the pages, all the ’stuff’ I have cut out of magazines over the past few months gets glued in, 1 per page. This accomplishes two things. One, it is no longer a blank page to work on and two, it gives me a little color each day. I also print off quotes on return address labels and stick in there. I gather all my items together, put on a chick flik, and go to town.

Posted by: Judy H | Dec 28, 2011 at 8:52 am |

I like this Mindy, how you do your own cover is so fun. This planner makes sense to me, thanks for sharing it with us. xox Corrine

Posted by: Corrine | Dec 28, 2011 at 11:24 am |

What a lovely way to personalize your planner! Thanks for sharing!

Posted by: Kelly | Dec 28, 2011 at 12:23 pm |

I love the idea of that planner … that it filters from top to bottom… Nice personalization.

Lou

Posted by: Lou Belcher | Dec 29, 2011 at 6:37 am |

i too have found and fallen in love with the planner pad – after far too many failed attempts with other systems. this works well for my ‘all over the place’ creative mind. last year, i tricked my cover out a bit with fabric after being inspired by something similar from kelly rae roberts: http://www.sperlygirl.com/sperlygirl/2011/01/plotting-planning.html not sure what this year will bring for a cover but love what you shared here, mindy. grazie! buon anno

Posted by: sperlygirl | Dec 29, 2011 at 12:25 pm |

judy, i love your color every day idea! fun inspiration, and must be really fun to put together.

corrine, this planner is great for people juggling multiple things. i think it’s great for creative thinkers… less linear.

kelly, thanks for your encouragement!

lou, yes! genius layout. i love it.

suzanne, so pretty! love your touch. and i love having a fellow planner pad friend