How to Repurpose an Expired Day Planner

Has anyone else ever bought a day planner just because it looked pretty, and let it expire on their bookshelf for 3 years, or just me?

⁣It’s officially been one month into the New Year, and I recently came across, not one, but two 2020 planners from Indigo that I bought, but never used. I could (obviously) never bring myself to toss them, so instead, I decided to “time warp” them, so I can actually finally use them. And yes, I know some people might think written planners are outdated, but I personally can’t rely on my phone calendar to keep track of everything.  Plus, writing everything down just feels more embedded. 

Anyway, if you’re wondering how to do this, it’s really just the “magic” of washi tape, several refills of coffee, and a couple hours (or days) worth of patience (if you take your sweet time like me).

For a mini step by step, keep reading . . .

Materials:

Directions:

Start by colour matching and cutting strips of washi tape to “wash” over old calendar dates and dividers. For those who don’t know what washi tape is, it’s basically “fancy” craft tape, often with intricate patterns. The word “washi” comes from Japan and essentially translates to Japanese paper. Most of my collection (seen below) is from Etsy. I even have one that matches my nails (completely irrelevant to the post, I know).

Next, write in new dates relevant to the current year with pens or markers. Fill in the rest with your schedule / plans, etc,

Last, close your planner and admire the fact that you no longer need to purchase a new one.

I like to think my mom would be proud of this particular project, because she was a collector of day planners, herself, and would literally reuse them until the pages started withering away from the many years of ink and coffee stains.  Because who needs a coaster when you have a thick stack of calendar paper?

To catch more of a glimpse, see the latest on my IG @haveyour.c.a.k.e

Xoxo