You’ve heard of hacks, right? For the uninitiated, a “hack” is something unique you do to your planner that makes it work specifically for you – something that really tailors it to your life. Planner hacks are designed to save time, add efficiency, and make your planner easy and fun to use. Woohoo! Three cheers for planner hacks!
Today we’re sharing Part 1 of 2 in our Helpful Hacks series. We’ve compiled Quilter’s Planner Hacks from our wonderful Quilter’s Planner group on Facebook. These clever ladies have shared their great ideas in the group, and we’re sharing them with you – with their permission. (Oh, and if you aren’t a member of the group yet, join today!) Now, on to the first batch of hacks…
How to Avoid Crossing Things Out
QP community member Jackie F. isn’t a fan of using a pencil in her planner since it can get smudgy over time, but schedules and plans often change. Some of us, myself included, don’t like crossing things out or using correction tape – so what’s a quilter to do? Jackie’s solution? FriXion pens!
“Much like the heat-erase pens we sometimes use for sewing, these guys have an eraser and allow you to write in pen – but you can still make changes later if you need to! (Just don’t go crazy with the eraser or it may leave eraser-smudges on certain paper types.) Here are some pics of a purple pen used in our 2018 planner, to give you an idea of the performance. This writing sample was written, erased, then re-written.”
After reading Jackie’s hack, I immediately acquired some of these pens and love using them in my planner. They’re a big improvement for me, and I’ve said “so long” unsightly cross-outs and cover-ups!
Stickers for the Win!
Stickers are a great way to add fun and function to your planner. They’re perfect for hacking your planner. A functional example? QP community member Laura A. is using stickers to change her weekly planner spreads from a Sunday start to a Monday start.
“Here are the stickers I am using to change my 2019 Quilter’s Planner to a Monday start. They are files that I buy from Etsy sellers and then print however many copies I need on full sheets of label paper.”
This next hack, from QP community member Charyti J., may be considered more of an embellishment than a hack, but it’s so great that we wanted to share it with you because we think a “hack” that makes you smile is a great one!
“Anyone else remember collecting and trading stickers in elementary school? I have decided to use those stickers from long ago in my 2019 Quilter’s Planner, because I smile every time I see them.”
Add, Move & Modify Planner Pages
The creator of Quilter’s Planner, our fabulous Stephanie Palmer, posted this hack about how to add pages to a spiral book on the Quilter’s Planner blog a while back, and it’s so handy. QP community members Amanda D. and Cyndi H. have used this hack to add pages to their planners with washi tape, along the side or along the top respectively.
This next hack, from QP community member Suzanne M., is really handy when you’re switching from one planner to the next.
“Any pages I need, don’t complete, or don’t want to write the info all over again from the current year’s planner, I remove and use washi tape at the top to insert it into the next year’s planner.”
QP community member Shelley M. created her own printable insert to save herself time and to help her stay on task.
“I typed up my chore list, and daily morning and evening routines. Now I can just cut and glue it down. The routines help me to keep track of my changing work schedule. The number 6 on the chore list ties into number 6 on my habit tracker.”
And finally, this hack from QP community member Deborah N. can help you to modify a pre-printed page.
“I like to use thin washi tape to cover the times, and full box stickers to decorate/cover the empty habit trackers. I also use a paper clip to hold the pages between the monthly spread and the current weekly spread.”
Stay Tuned for More Planner Hacks!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this first batch of Quilter’s Planner Hacks! Big thanks to Jackie, Charyti, Laura, Amanda, Cyndi, Suzanne, Shelley, and Deborah for sharing their great ideas.
Please keep an eye out for our next batch of planner hacks, which is coming soon in Helpful Hacks for your Quilter’s Planner – Part 2!
