Making a back pocket for your Bullet Journal

Extra post that was not part of my Bullet Journal presentation. 

Here's how to make a back pocket for your journal if it doesn't come with one already, i.e. if you're using a composition notebook, a book-style journal, or pretty much anything that's not a Leuchtturm or official Bullet Journal notebook. 

You'll need one piece of letter-size paper and glue. Scissors optional. The pocket will last longer if the paper is a little thicker than regular printer paper.

I got this awesome journal at a Dreamspinner Press authors workshop. As you can see, it came with a pen loop, which I highly recommend. 

cat paw not included

If you want a pen loop on your journal, do that before adding the back pocket. Cut a piece of elastic about 1.5" - 2" long, fold in half so the cut ends are together, and glue the cut ends to the back cover, leaving enough room in the loop for a pen. I recommend holding the glued ends onto the cover with a jumbo paperclip overnight until the glue is completely dry.

On to the pocket!

I used this paper for the pocket because it's fairly thick, has a pretty border, and I never remember to use it so it's been sitting around forever. I'm pretty sure it was part of a wedding present from a friend, and I've been married 21 years, so....yeah.

Decide how wide you want your pocket by laying the paper against the back cover of the journal. Also decide how long (high) you want it, keeping in mind that you'll lose about 1.5 inches of length (height) from folds at the top and bottom.

Turn paper 90 degrees for a larger pocket

You'll want the left/open edge of the pocket to be pretty close to where the cover folds. Too far from the fold, and the items in the pocket will fall out every time you tip the journal. The binding/fold of the closed journal will keep the pocket closed (and the items inside) when you handle the journal.

Once you've decided how wide you want the pocket, make a fold.

Handy Hint:
Do your crafting in a room without cats unless you don't mind everything taking twice as long. 

Then cut or tear the paper along the fold.

Fold bottom and top edges inward about 3/8 of an inch (or less or more, depending on if your paper is patterned and how much of the pattern you want to see, or how big you want your pocket to be).

Then make a new fold about 3/8 of an inch from the first fold, this time to the back of the page. 

In other words, in the opposite direction of the first fold, so you have a Z, not a C.

cat tail not included

Note: it might be easier to do the folds in the opposite order I've listed them, but I already took the pictures, sorry. :P  

Opposite order would be: fold top and bottom edges to the back, about one inch in from each edge. Then make new folds on top and bottom edges, about 3/8 of an inch in from each edge, but forward this time, to get the same Z folds you saw above.

Check against the back cover of the journal to make sure the pocket the size you want, and change the folds if you want it to be smaller. I probably should have done this pocket using the paper lengthwise instead of widthwise, but I don't need a huge pocket, so it's big enough.

Crease all folds. 

Dot some glue on the back side of the paper, all along the top, bottom, and right edges.

Press to the back inside cover of the journal. Then dot some glue inside the folds at the top and bottom edges, 3/4 of the way from the right side to the left, so the pocket will open a bit on the left side at the top and bottom.

I made a mistake with the gluing and used too much glue, so it soaked through and got wrinkly.
Yours won't look like this.

Leave the left/open side of the pocket (next to the journal binding) unglued. You can put a piece of paper in there to make sure the pocket stays open in case you got a bit wild with the glue. It can happen.

Let the glue dry for a few hours or overnight. Et voila, journal pocket!

Cat not included

Good luck with your pen loops and journal pockets. Next post (and the last post of my Bullet Journal presentation): the only real excuse for not using your Bullet Journal.

My Bullet Journal presentation from the 2017 Moonlight & Magnolias -- part 7

Hi, all, apologies for taking so long to get to this last post in the series. Damon Suede was talking about writing every day when he said this, but it's true for almost anything:

"Momentum is hard won and easily lost....Writing crap is better than no writing at all."

I lost the momentum of these blog posts AND my BuJo due to real-life obligations, and now I want to get back into both, but it's really harrrrrd!!

I need to finish these posts so they'll be done and I can call it complete (you have no idea how hard finishing things is for me -- why is it so much more fun to start things than to finish them?).

The original "'neighbors" chart in my old journal needs updating, and now that our foster cat has had her kittens, I need to plan my grand extravaganza Kitten Tea Party, which, due to the state of our house, requires more planning than just which kind of sandwiches to serve. I'll work it all out in my BuJo, which means I need to work on it more, which reminds me that I need to finish these posts. :D

But enough about me, on to the nearly last part of these posts! (This post was getting too long, so I decided to split it, and then remembered I still need to post the very last part of my presentation, which will be the really last part of the presentation and these posts.)

Some tips that might be helpful:

• Use a dark pen for the actual writing. It helps if you're "of a certain age" like I am, or if you want to back up your journal by taking a photo of the pages or scanning them. 
• Write legibly. Slow down. Write with intention. Reflect. 
• Put your contact info in the front of the journal, and maybe a note about why it's important to you. But not that it's too important to you. Something that will encourage the finder to return it to you but not hold it for ransom.
• Number 10-12 pages at a time. When I'm at the start of a journal, it's hard for me to write the numbers because the stack of pages are higher than the table, so here's my tip for that -- push the corner of the page up so you can rest your hand on the next page. (Yes, this is not at the beginning of the journal, but you get the idea, right?)

I just realized how weirdly I hold my pen.

• Do a year's worth of Future Log at front of the journal (so it's easy to flip to), starting with the next month. If you get to the end of the months and you're still on the same journal, put the next months at the back of the journal (so it's easy to flip to).
• Goals -- list these on pages you'll revisit. Add a daily, weekly, or other regularly scheduled task to go look at those pages, otherwise you might forget like I do. Break down your goals into small, realistic pieces, and schedule them realistically. 
• Use colored pens/pencils for Habit Trackers or anything else you track. Color in boxes/spaces/designs as you reach goals or hit milestones -- it's a fun incentive to get something done, besides the feeling of accomplishment just from getting something done.

Overall tips/things to keep in mind: 

• If it isn't working, change it. Remember, the Bullet Journal is a highly CUSTOMIZABLE organization system, so customize it until it works for YOU.
• Anything you need to brain dump -- make a page for it and index it.
• Look at your BuJo before going to bed and before leaving the house in the morning -- you might have written down things you need to take with you.
• It takes a little time to do each day, but remember -- intention. Thinking about what you're doing, what you've done, what you're going to do.
• Get inspiration from other people's journals from time to time (but don't compare your journal to other people's). Sometimes you'll run across a genius idea that will solve a problem for you or help you understand something or just inspire you to do better with your own journaling or habits you want to cultivate.

And please keep in mind this quote I read somewhere, maybe at the official Bullet Journal site:

"The only wrong way to use a bullet journal is to not use it."

These are the references I included in my presentation:

Start with the official site: bulletjournal.com

Google “Bullet Journal” plus these search terms for good articles/explanations:

• wtf buzzfeed
• popsci
• Hacks
• frowl.org worst blog
• life hacker
• Busy Families

Sites for inspiration:

• Boho Berry
• Page Flutter [good for writers]
• Tiny Ray of Sunshine
• Bullet Journal Addict
• Pinterest
• Instagram

In my next post, I'll show you how to make a back pocket for your journal if it doesn't have one already, and the last post will explain the only REAL excuse for not using your Bullet Journal.

In the comments, please let me know if you run across any other good sites. Happy Journaling and Happy Writing!