Well if you grew up before Excel and Word, it can be much more difficult than you think. I tried finding free printables online but then I decided I wanted to do it myself. The problem is that I can not get anything to format exactly the way I want it. One of the big issues is that I want it to be 8.5x5.5 inches in size.
I had the look but could not get the margins to set up properly. And I really wanted it to be part art journal and part planner so I decided to make it pretty much all by hand.
There are many different styles of planners on the market but the 2 that I am starting with are the spiral bound and the Arch system. Mainly because I can create additional pages without having to purchase anything new. The Arc system does have a punch(about $49 CDN) that you can get at Staples but I knew that I could either use a hole punch or my Cinch to punch the holes. And of course the spiral will work with the Cinch also.
The Arc does have different kits that you can buy but I wanted to go with the least expensive. They also have planners and note books. I wanted just the basics, so I picked up the rings and a pack of 8.5x5.5 graph paper inserts.
The rings are 1 1/2 inch in size. Staples does have a smaller size and I am starting to think that they might have been the better size but the beauty of the system is that you can easily change the rings.
The rings were about $3.69 for a 12 pack and I only needed 8 and the paper was $0.95 a pack for 50 double sided sheets. The graph paper is on clearance but they also have lined paper and more. It is heavier than printer paper also. I did find that I could only add about a 1/3 of the paper at a time to the rings. Plus it came with a thin piece of cardboard which will become my front cover and I did get 2 packs so the one from the second pack will be the back cover.
This a picture of the start of my planner. I realized once I started taking the photos that I really did need better lighting so I ran out and bought an OTT light. What a difference it makes. I am working on videos of how to punch the pages for the planner and I think the OTT light will help a lot.
I also have an 8x8 spiral bound album that I will be doing at the same time just to compare the two.
And I will hint that I have ordered some great new stamps from the new annual catalog from Close to My Heart that are going to work perfectly with my planner. You will be able to see these Sept. 1st. Or if you are a consultant you can see them and order them right away.
I would love to see other people's planners or have you join me in this project. Post a picture of your planners in the comments.
If you have any questions please contact me.
Marye Anne
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