Photo by Yellow Cactus on Unsplash
Happy Stationery Week! Okay all my fellow stationery lovers and notebook addicts… this post is for you! If you don’t already know, notebook hoarding is a real thing! I have an ever growing notebook collection. If you are like me and you have a large collection of notebooks, you probably are in the same predicament; you want to use them, but you are either unsure what you want to use them for, or you do not want to use them because they are too beautiful and you don’t want to ruin them!
There are so many ways that you can use notebooks that will help you to be creative or productive. So, if you are stuck for ideas, I have compiled a list of 39 creative ways to fill your empty notebooks.
1. Washi Tape Swatches
Swatch all of your washi tapes, it can be really helpful when you are looking for a particular tape for example to design a spread in your bullet journal.
2. A Journal
Use your pages to write as an everyday journal were you can record your thoughts, feelings and your day to day life.
3. Practise Lettering
You can use plain or lined pages to practise your brush lettering or your calligraphy; there are plenty of YouTube videos.
4. Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations can be a handy tool in your mental health toolkit. You can list all your favourite affirmations for you to reference.
Read: 30 affirmations that promote self-love
5. Brain Dump
Writing down all your ideas, thoughts, tasks, everything that is on your mind on a page each day, it can be beneficial when you are going to sleep.
6. Dream Journal
Keeping a dream journal can be a great way to keep memories as well as helping to boost your memory.
7. Favourite Quotes
Record all your favourite quotes and add to them when you discover new ones. They can be helpful when you are having a bad day.
8. Lists
There are so many lists that you can make to up level your life. Using your notebooks for lists can be super productive.
9. Recipe Journal
Write down and store all your family or favourite recipes.
10. Goal Planner
Do you want to track your goals? Well, the first step is to write your goals down. Then use those ages to plan how you will be successful.
Read: 7 tips to help you set achievable goals
Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash
11. Reading Tracker
If you are an avid reader, you may have multiple books that you have in your ‘have to read’ pile; you can use your notebook to track your reading or even rate them.
12. Finances Tracker
Whether it’s your experiences, your savings or your subscriptions, writing down and tracking your finances can be insightful especially if you want to try and save money.
Read: 9 tips to help you save money
13. Pen Tests And Swatches
You can pen test or swatch all of your favourite pens and add each new pen you get. Writing down next to it the code number etc.
14. Scrapbook Journal
Scrapbooking could be your favourite pictures, interiors or your memories. It can be a fun self-care activity.
15. Gratitude Journal
Gratitude is an important practice it benefits your physical and mental health. Reflect on what you have in your life to be thankful for.
Read: 4 steps to set up your gratitude journal
16. Art Journal
You could paint, colour, draw… any art you enjoy making!
17. Travel Journal
When you visit and travel to different places, writing about your experience can be a great way to keep those memories alive and it’s an opportunity to reflect.
18. Doodle Journal
Doodling can be calming especially of you are anxious. Being able to just pick up a pen and doodle whatever comes to mind can be a great way to quieten the mind.
19. Morning Pages
You can use a cheap, spiral bound notebook, or a hardbound Dingbats Notebook journal; it doesn’t matter. Write down your thoughts or whatever you want to even if you feel like you can’t fill 3 pages, the magic comes from pushing yourself to complete the pages.
20. Pregnancy Journal
Going through your pregnancy can be a unique experience, something you may want to document.
21. A Bullet Journal
A bullet journal is a form of planning that will help you to stay organised and productive.
Read: How to set up a bullet journal
22. Notes
If you are studying, using an empty notebook will enable you to keep your notes and revision for exams. I have been using an empty notebook for the course that I am working on.
Photo by Olya P on Unsplash
23. Spiritual Journal
Regardless of your spiritual journey, you can track and plan it all in one journal. You can write down prayers, meditations, tarot card spreads, hymns and much more.
24. Memories Journal
In a memory journal, you can keep tickets to concerts, travel tickets, receipts and any other things you have that relate to a memory you would like treasure.
25. Journal Prompts
Journal prompts can be useful when you start out journaling, or if you want to explore more self-discovery.
26. Trackers
A tracker can literally track anything you want. For example, you can track your mood, food, exercise routine, expenses… and much more!
Read: 86 things you could track in your life
27. Vision Board
Creating vision boards can be beneficial when you are trying to envisage a particular job, design or just what you want from your life each month, quarter or year.
28. Blogging Tasks
Tracking your blog statistic, blog post ideas or blogging task list will enable you to see where you are and what you might need to work on. Any tasks can be recorded in your notebook.
29. Event Planning
Do you organise parties for your family? Your kids? Use your empty notebook to keep all your events planned.
30. Paint Swatches
If you are a painter, swatch your paints it can help you keep a record of all your supplies.
31. Self-Care Planner
Self-care is vital for health and wellbeing. Recording and tracking your self-care or even writing a list of all the self-care ideas you would like to try can be a productive way to use a notebook.
32. Poetry
Write your own poetry or write down your favourite poems.
33. Mood Board
Making mood boards can be helpful in designing interiors, a small business or any creative reason.
34. Sketchbook
You can sketch every day in your journal.
35. Food Journal
Record all your food; this could be for health reasons or a food diary to map patterns in your eating.
36. Creative Writing
Write the story you have always wanted to.
37. Junk Journal
A junk journal s a notebook or handmade notebook where you can use different cut offs o materials to decorate the pages. You are then able to write, draw or paint to record memories. It can be anything you want.
38. Nature Journal
Record your plants growing in your garden, fruit or vegetable patch, or record all the birds and other creatures who visit your garden… night or day! You could even keep pressed flowers or leaves on your notebook pages.
39. Health Journal
Recording various health trackers can be beneficial if you have a chronic health condition.
These are 39 creative and productive ideas for filling up your empty notebooks. So, now you have no excuse for having any remaining empty notebooks lying around! I am getting better at using up all my notebooks, stopping them from gathering dust and putting them to good use.
Hi Lauren, thank you for sharing.
Last week, I was just staring at my empty notebooks and shaking my head unto myself on the hoarding.
Your post is a timely assurance for me.
Thank you 🙏😊
Thank you for reading and commenting. Glad it has helped! X
This blog post is brilliant ✨⭐️✨. I love stationery and so any excuse to buy a new notebook 📒 is just great. A mood notebook and brainstorming notebook are just what I am missing right now. Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you for reading and commenting. Definitely give them a go!
So many great ideas here. I have far too many notebooks that started life as something and didn’t get finished so I will be using these ideas to give those notebooks new life! 🙂
Definitely give them a go and fill them up! Thank you for reading and commenting.
What fab ideas! I really like the positive affirmations idea best. I love the idea of flicking through & choosing a page at random each morning. What a fab idea!
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
Thank you for reading and commenting Claire xx
Some great ideas, thanks for sharing 🙂
Great ideas! I love bullet journals but find them very time consuming. I tend to lean more towards a brain dump and some listing. Thanks for posting!
That’s good you have found things that work for you!
This post is perfect for me. I have too many empty notebooks that I asked was going to just give it to my little sister so she could draw on it. I like the idea of using some of it for a bullet journal or art
That is a good idea! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I haven’t seen a blog post quite like this one not have I concerned that there are so many possibilities for notebooks. I have 1 notebook which I hardly use. It says “Get 💩 done” and I use it as a to-do list. I feel like dragging that notebook out and sprucing it up a bit!
It is great you are using up your notebooks. Definitely give it a go! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Considered* I wish there was a way to edit comments. I got the notebook at a local dollar store and it’s a good quality notebook too. I paid $4 for it!
I have a project idea where I went to print off notes and make a binder similar to a planner. I used to have a magazine scrapbook which mysteriously disappeared when we moved. I never did find it. Your blog post has given me ideas though!
Glad this blog post has given you ideas! Yeah it is annoying you can’t edit comments. I really appreciate you reading and commenting.
I don’t just comment because of Twitter notifications and comment-for-comment. I comment because I genuinely enjoy reading your blog posts 💕
What amazing suggestions! I have so many empty notebooks too, I can never resist picking another up when I go shopping, haha. I love the idea of a washi tape swatch notebook as well as scrapbook – that’s something I want to properly get into the next couple of months. Thank you so much for sharing x
Thank you for reading and commenting. X
These are great suggestions. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I’m always finding empty notepads around my house, I now think I have some good ideas on how to put them to use! You’ve shared some great ideas here, some id never have thought of myself so this post is such appreciated. Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
I am glad you found some new ideas from this post. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I love this! I have so many empty notebooks so these are some great, creative ways to use them 🙂 thank you for sharing Lauren x
Thank you for reading and commenting. Good luck filling them and being creative x
Love all these ideas! I only have three notebooks at the moment, one as a journal, one for my taxes/incomings+outgoings and one as a planner! x
It is great you have a system that is working for you! I still have a far few empty notebooks, ooops! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I honestly wish I had a couple of empty journals right now. I keep a reading journal, a personal journal and then a couple of planners–one for crochet, one for blogging/life. But I’m so inconsistent with them because I’m home all the time.
Sounds like you have a lot you already use. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I love these suggestions for ways to use empty notebooks! I got plenty of empty notebooks floating around my house so this post has come in handy for me! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I hope you get to fill those notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great suggestions, I like to write about everything nowadays and it helps me to avoid stress of remembering things haha. Thank you for sharing these great suggestions!
Thank you for reading and commenting. X
All brilliant ideas! I use a notebook to jot down story ideas.
I seem to collect notebooks (love them) but don’t ever make good use of them; this is an great post! I appreciate the ideas you shared.
I am glad this has been helpful for you to be able to fill your notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I love journals! I always buy a ton whenever they go on sale. These are some great ideas on how to actually fill them instead of pretending I’m a stationery store.
Crystal | http://www.amazingbaby.app
Yes, I can be guilty of buying some even when I don’t need them. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
These are such wonderful ideas! I’ve been decluttering and found a ton of empty notebooks. This post came at the right time! I love ideas 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. Thank you so much for sharing, I’ve got some great ideas for these empty notebooks now!
What a great thing to find when decluttering! I hope these ideas really help you fill those notebooks! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I usually use empty notebooks for vision boards and to put down ideas I don’t want to forget… like maybe words for a song I want to write. These are great!
I love this! I fully admit that I have a ‘notebook collection’ with a bunch of random notebooks that I’ve never used but loved the look of. I see them, fall in love, and just HAVE TO pick them up but that doesn’t mean that I actually have a purpose for having them. I am definitely going to try some of the options here!
Yeah I have done that before. I hope these ideas give you some inspiration to use those notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Love these suggestions!! My notebooks are filled with lists, random thoughts and ideas for posts
That’s great you have filled your notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting.
That’s a good way to recycle them if you aren’t using them. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I feel like I have so many empty notebooks that became a dead end. I like the idea of not wasting the rest of the pages and putting them to good use. In the past, I’ve ripped out pages and turned them into a brain dump for blog posts :). Thanks for sharing these ideas for a non-wasteful alternative!! I might consider using them for paint swatches.
Nancy ✨ Cold Brew Vibes
Yeah there is no need to waste pages or notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Empty notebooks do indeed have so many different uses! I love the idea of using a couple spare smaller notebooks I have for lists or blog scheduling, as I like to have each topic in its own place. 🙂
Thank you for reading and commenting Jaya! So glad you have found some ideas!
What great ideas of using notebooks! You really have thought of everything Lauren. I’ll be sure to utilize some of these ideas. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you have found this post helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
Great and creative list. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
So many amazing ideas to use notebooks. I love using notebooks for many of the ideas especially tracking my finances and writing notes for my blog. Thank you for sharing.
That’s some great uses of your notebook. Thank you for reading and commenting x
Great post! I’m stunned with these cool ideas as I never thought we could have such possibilities for our empty notebooks. I only use the first ten pages leaving the rest empty and now, I have stacks of them piling up. I guess it’s time to use them again for writing out positive affirmations and travel journal!! Thanks for writing this, Lauren x
Glad you have ideas to fill those notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
So many great ideas in this post! The only problem I have is not wanting to use the notebooks because they are too pretty haha! I do have specific notebooks for specific things though, like travel planning, and craft projects.
Thanks for sharing!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Yeah I have two notebooks that are so pretty and I don’t want to use them ha ha. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
I’ve definitely used notebooks for keeping track of expenses, sort of like a daily spending log. They are great for writing down thoughts on gratitude – I’ve done that, too. I like your idea of using a notebook for a dream journal. It’s so helpful to be able to write down a dream upon waking. Otherwise, it’s hard for me to remember every detail later on. Lots of clever ideas for using notebooks in this post!
Pre smartphone, I used to keep a notebook by my bed to write any thoughts down that were keeping me from sleeping, poetry lines that would pop into my head, and dreams that were really interesting. So I can see the benefits of doing that without the light of your phone waking you up further
That’s a great idea! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I needed this because I have SO MANY empty notebooks that I’m scared to touch (or don’t know what to do with them). I have so much tape to use as well – even serial killer tape!
That tape sounds cool. Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope this post has been helpful x
So many brilliant ways to use notebooks! I’m definitely guilty of often buying new notebooks just because they are so prettyyy, and then leaving them be. I’ll put these ideas to good use now!
Teresa Maria | Outlandish Blog
I have done the same in the past. I still have two notebooks that I think are so pretty, I don’t want to use them ha ha! Thank you for reading and commenting. X
These are amazing idea – two of my favorite things to do with them is to make my meals plans into them as well as being a brain dump area. I haven’t thought of the rest but I’ll definitely utilize a couple of these awesome ideas!
They are some great uses for your empty notebooks. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I love all of these ideas! I’m a big fan of notebooks. Journaling is a great way to use your empty notebooks! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
i couldnt resist print this page as PDF and keep as a reminder within my file.
Great post and it opens up to even more ideas.
thanks
That’s awesome you have printed this. I hope it is helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting.
These are all really great ideas. I never thought about using a journal eg for gardening or spiritual stuff. Thanks for the inspo.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I’ve been actively making an effort to use my notebooks. I keep a good diary and have a couple for blogging and writing which takes up a good few. There are some really good ideas on here which I will be using. Love the quotes one 😊
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Using them as a washi tape and pen color swatch is an awesome idea. I’m saving this post for future reference, so many great ideas, thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this blog post.
I absolutely love this blog. So many great tips
Thank you for reading and commenting. I am glad you found it helpful.