Do you love the idea of a planner but don’t want to spend a ton of money? The good news is that you can create a DIY school planner rather easily and for less than half the price of a store-bought one. An added bonus is that you can totally personalize your planner to meet the needs of your school year. Check out these tutorials to find out how to make your own!
1. DIY School Agenda/Planner
To make this simple DIY school planner, you’ll start with some notebook paper and a file folder. Super glue them together, decorate, and you’ll be ready for a successful school year! There are plenty of printouts linked in the video description, but feel free to find and add your own. That’s the fun of making your own planner!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2+ hours (depending on how detailed you want your planner)
Materials You Need:
- Notebook paper
- File folder
- Washi tape
- Pens
- Sharpies
- Super Glue
- Printouts for titles, clip art, etc. listed in the video description
2. DIY School Notebook Planner
You probably have a composition book lying around your house somewhere. With this tutorial, you can turn that composition book into a super cute planner! By using washi tape, you’ll be able to create stylish headers and dividers in a fraction of the time. Add some paper clips to the sides so you’ll be able to find the current week much faster, too!
Level of difficulty: Easy-Intermediate
Duration: 2+ hours
Materials You Need:
- Composition book
- Washi tape
- Mambi stickers
- Craft Smith sheets
- White paperclips
- White binderclips
- Planner page flags
- Trim and score board
- Ruler
- Pencil
3. DIY Bullet Journal Planner
The classic bullet journal idea easily transfers to the classroom in this fun tutorial! Instead of a composition notebook or plain paper, you’ll need to purchase a Leuchtturm 1917 notebook. Its hardcover ensures your planner will last all year, and the inside is dotted to create a non-obtrusive grid for your designs. Erasable pens are an essential too, because everyone makes mistakes!
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 3+ hours (depending on the intricacy of your designs)
Materials You Need:
- Leuchtturm1917 dotted journal
- Paper Mate erasable gel pen
- Zebra MILDLINER
- Marker set
- Ink artist pens
- Black fineliner
- Micron ink pen
4. DIY Planner Notebook
In this video, you’ll learn how to use a spiral notebook to make a beautiful DIY school planner. To personalize the cover, take cardstock and paint on some designs. This video also shows you how to attach a removable folder to keep stamps and other handy tools right in your planner!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2+ hours
Materials You Need:
- 2-Subject notebook
- Scissors or paper trimmer
- Pen
- Acrylic paint
- Silicone paper
- Foil stickers
- Hole punch
- Cardstock
- Letter stamps
- Stamp pad
- Poly envelope
- Velcro dots
5. DIY Binder School Planner
If you’re looking to make an extra-durable DIY school planner, try following this instructional video. It uses a binder instead of spiral notebooks for additional sturdiness. This planner also includes binder pockets for storing all your school supplies.
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 3+ hours
Materials You Need:
- Mini white binder
- Mini damask binder
- Sheet protectors
- Rectangle labels
- Round labels
- Mini blue binder
- Permanent square label
- Sticker project paper
- Mini monthly and weekly calendar pages
- Mini binder pockets
- Avery mini preprinted dividers
- Avery margin ultra tabs
6. DIY School Calendar, Planner, and Journal
Use a binder and some filler paper to create an easy, cheap DIY school planner! Gold washi tape creates a modern edge to any of your pages, and stickers make titles and the cover of your notebook super easy to create. Follow the tutorial below to find out how to make your own!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration: 1-2 hours
Materials You Need:
- Binder
- Cardstock
- Filler paper
- Mod Podge
- Ruler
- 3 hole punch
- Pens & markers
- Washi tape
- Stickers
7. DIY Planner in a Notebook
Keep with the school theme by using chalkboard labels and markers! This tutorial also uses a spiral notebook as a base. Scrapbook paper and cardstock are utilized to make subject dividers, but you could also use the scrapbook paper as colorful headers!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration:1-2 hours
Materials You Need:
- Notebook
- Designer paper
- Cardstock
- Chalkboard labels and marker
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Highlighters
- Colored pens
- Hole punch
- X-acto knife
- Glue stick
- Invisible tape
8. DIY Fileofax School Planner
If you love the idea of a Filofax planner but don’t want to spend the money, try making one yourself by watching this tutorial! All you need is a cheap iPad cover, binder, and plastic envelope. Print off some cute planner pages and put them in your new notebook and you’re ready to go!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration: Less than 1 hour
Materials You Need:
- iPad cover
- Binder
- Super Glue
- Plastic envelope
- Planner pages linked in video
9. DIY Whiteboard Planner
Take a plain whiteboard and turn it into a reusable planner. You can totally personalize this project, adding to-do lists, trackers, calendars, and more. Just print off everything you need and glue it onto the whiteboard sheet. It’s super easy, and your whiteboard planner will last for years!
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration:1-2 hours
Materials You Need:
- Whiteboard
- Paint chip samples from your local hardware store
- Various pictures/quotes printouts
- Designer paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Stickers
- Sharpies
10. DIY Planner
Beautiful planners don’t have to cost fifty dollars or more! You can create one yourself for just a couple dollars, and your planner will be totally customized to whatever your needs are. Use free printables to create dividers and stickers using label paper. Since you’re printing off your pages, this planner will take no time to make.
Level of difficulty: Easy
Duration: Less than 1 hour
Materials You Need:
- Mini binder or notebook
- Paper
- Full sheet label paper
- Hole punch
Conclusion
With just a few supplies and a lot of creativity, you can make any one of these projects your own. You’ll cherish your school planner the whole year long, and it’ll be specifically designed for your needs. If you want to decorate your school locker you can certainly check out these amazing DIY locker ideas. Have you ever made your own planner? Share your thoughts and ideas below.