Bullet journal mistakes are one of my biggest pet peeves, and I do it to myself. I mean- the whole POINT of bullet journalling is that it’s a more creative process, right? So like… can’t all the “mistakes” just be considered, “creative?” But no matter how hard I try to tell myself it’s fine, it’s creative, it’s art….if that line ain’t straight then my brain shuts down and I JUST CAN’T.
As much fun as it is to stop functioning as a capable woman over a line that isn’t straight, I decided that it’s time to make a list of tips and tricks to turn to fix bullet journal mistakes. If you want to learn more about bullet journalling or how to get started, make sure to hop on over to this post I wrote all about bullet journals on the blog for It’s All You Boo.
Black it out!
If you make a mistake with a black pen or marker, just black out the whole area or turn it into a black box, then use a white gel pen to write on top of it. Boom. Instant save, totally looks intentionally, and it’s really cute!
Washi Tape
There are some to-die-for cute washi tape options out there! I love using it to line pages that are important and to dress up pages that need a little something “extra.” Bonus: they make a great cover-up for a mistake and take zero time to use. WIN. I’m obsessed with THIS pack from amazon because of the black/white/neutral color palette and you get 27 rolls for such a cheap price!
Make it an “artsy” line
What do I mean by that? If you’re drawing a straight line and maybe it’s not quite straight, take another pen and draw some kind of decorative design around the line, that way it looks intentional and hides the imperfection with ease. For example, see how my lines on my books aren’t straight? I just drew over them with some extra lines so that it looked like I intentionally drew the books to be styled a little more messy.
Turn it into a unique design
Did you mess up a line too badly to turn it into an artsy looking line? Never fear! That’s where you just scrap that section and start drawing random lines around it to create a pattern or cool-looking design. This is one of my go-to bullet journal mistake fixers because it can be so creative! I love to do this and then add a block of either Washi tape or pure black over it, then write a quote or something on top!
Make a mini page
This one might be subjective to the type of spread you’re doing, but I personally LOVE to make a cut-out on the part of the page that I messed up on so I have a little half sheet in between a full spread. This one might be subjective to the content you have planned for those pages, but if I make a mistake and it works out for me to cut it out and still make the page work, I do it EVERY TIME. I love turning the little page that’s been cut into a space for notes or a fun quote.
Simple line through and write… OOPS!
There is something very raw and candid in bullet journalling because at least for me, it’s more than just a daily organizer. It’s really my journal, and it’s not perfect because I’m not perfect. Sometimes, I just embrace it and I think it’s actually pretty funny when I look back and see all my little blunders, ha! This one is perfect for those places when you make a common mistake like writing the wrong number, miss a letter, or use the wrong day of the week.
Related: How I Went From 0 To 8 Million Monthly Views On Pinterest
Turn the entire page into a collage or paste in a large quote to fill the page
Did you mess up bad? Did you mess up REAL bad? Don’t let it ruin your journal! Instead, turn it into a little impromptu art session! Find favorite photos, magazine pictures that inspire you, or even print up a quote on pretty paper and just glue that shizzz right on top of the whole page. I love using photos taken with my Fuji Instax Mini camera (see full review of that here!)
Cover it up with a photo or something that makes you happy.
If you’ve read my guide to bullet journaling, you know I really love to use polaroid photos and things like stickers or movie ticket stubs for shows that I liked because it personalizes the journal to me. When possible, I like to cover up mistakes by adding more pieces of ME and my life into my journal. I love to go back through my old journals and see pictures and events I attended that made me happy- it makes the bullet journal more than just an organization system.
When you make bullet journal mistakes, don’t just resort to tearing out the page and burning it out of spite (Maybe I’m speaking from experience… maybe I’m not. Who is to say really?) – Save the trees and get creative in a way to save it!
If you’re ready to get into bullet journalling, here is a really cute starter journal I recommend! Super cute, cheap, and comes in several colors!
XXOO Sunny