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Creative Bullet Journal First Page Inspirations

Starting something new can be very scary, so the first page of a Bullet Journal is always a challenge. Even now, when I’m already on my 3rd journal, there is still so much anxiety around it!

That’s why today, out of all Bullet Journal page ideas, we will be talking about that important first page.

In this post, you’ll get nine creative ideas for your first page so that it’d be a bit easier for you to jump in and start with your Bullet Journal.

First, let me tell you that as scary as starting a new journal, it’s worth it. I actually wrote a whole post on Different Techniques to Fight Bullet Journal First Page Fear.

I hope you’ll also give it a look and get ready to start your planning journey right now.

The best way to fight the first-page fear is to be prepared. It’s much easier to just jump into it if you know what you want to draw on the page and have your inspiration and all the materials.

If you’re looking for monthly cover pages rather than the first page in your journal, be sure to check my post with Bullet Journal Cover Page For Every Month Of The Year.

Even though this post is a part of my Bullet Journaling for beginners series, in truth, these ideas can work for any journal, be it your first one or the 5th one.

And be sure to keep on scrolling because there is a freebie for you at the end of the post.

This post may contain affiliate links. They will be of no extra expense for you, but I receive a small credit. Please see my Disclosure for more details. Thank you for supporting Masha Plans!

Bullet Journal First Page Ideas

Of course, this is your journal, so if you don't want to create anything on your first page - don't. There are no rules for the things you have to include in your journal.

I hope these ideas will inspire you and help you create your own perfect first page.

Write Current Year

When I think of my journal cover page, I know what I want. I want it to reflect basically what’s in the journal. I believe just writing a current year is pretty telling.

If you plan to start it in the middle of the year, you can always write two years. If it’s your second notebook this year – just add part two.

I find that this is the most useful front page for Bullet Journal, and in the future, it’ll be pretty helpful in sorting out my journals.

I also believe it’s the most neutral idea as well – it won’t define the whole journal style. It’ll just simply state the date.

An Inspirational Quote

Who doesn’t like a good quote?! Find one that motivated you and start your new planner life with it!

Use the power of words to help support you in your new adventure.

Positive Affirmations

Affirmations are very powerful, especially if you write them down. So think of something you’re struggling with and write a positive affirmation about it.

That’s a great way to kick-start your journey to a more productive and intentional life.

Mandala

Mandalas are great, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

It’s extremely therapeutic to draw one, and maybe that’s exactly what you need when dealing with your first-page fear.

Another advantage of drawing a mandala – it’s really not something that has to be done in one sitting. So you really don’t have to worry about finishing it up fast. You can turn it into a yearly project and do it bit by bit any day you feel like it.

If you like this idea, check my post How To Draw Mandalas In Your Bullet Journal.

My One Word For This Year

A very interesting practice I found when I started Bullet Journaling is to actually pick a word to be your word of the year. This means – picking one word which would describe what you want to become and achieve by the end of the year. 

To learn more about it, check my post Why You Need Your Personal Word Of The Year, and How To Choose It.

This is a great practice to get some kind of direction to follow the whole year. For example, in 2019, my word was success.

I work on my blog, I plan on taking some classes, and moreover – I have several new projects in mind. So my main goal and direction for the year are to be successful in my endeavors.

Welcome Page

What does your journal usually start with? My Archer and Olive ones always start from a “this book belongs to” page.

You can use that as your cover page or create one in whatever journal you have.

Bullet Journal Key

Key is a very useful page since the symbols there are the ones you’ll use all the time.

Starting your journal with a key will be both useful and less stressful.

A Drawing

Of course, you can always just draw something. Floral drawings are a very popular theme for the Bullet Journal title page. You can find a lot of amazing tutorials that will help you create a beautiful floral spread ever without any previous artistic experience.

Get the links to some amazing tutorials and tips in my post on How To Draw Beautiful Flowers In Your Bullet Journal, even if you’re a complete beginner.

Patterns

Something else you can create as your cover page is a pattern.

Creating patterns is just as calming and meditative as creating mandalas, and it can be pretty simple too. All you need is a pen and maybe a ruler.

Alternatively…

You can also always just skip the first page and head straight to the planning section. The first page is actually overrated and not as important as it seems when you sit to make one. So don’t let your fears hold you back from being productive and planning for success.

I know that the first page will never be the best one. Simply because with experience, you get better, and your future pages get prettier. You’ll notice I’ve included only a few of my covers in the post, which is why I just don’t like any of my covers anymore, I got a bit better, and those don’t look that pretty to me.

As an example, here is the cover page from my 2018 journal. I’m not impressed.

So maybe you can just leave it blank for the moment and come back to it later when you’re more confident, and it doesn’t give you any more anxiety.

I really hope this post was useful and gave you some ideas. At any rate, I just want to ensure you know we all share those fears and have to fight that anxiety. But if you’re prepared, I promise, it gets better. Hopefully, my ideas helped you to prepare a bit.

Supplies For Bullet Journal Cover Page

Now, let’s start by getting all the materials prepared. Of course, you’ll need a journal. If you’re not sure which one to choose, I have a guide on How To Pick A Perfect Bullet Journal Notebook, as well as a list of 13 Notebooks You Should Try For Your Next Bullet Journal.

Second, you’ll need some good fineliners. Fineliners are the basis of any doodles or drawing you will make, so make sure to get a few, preferably with different tip sizes. This will definitely give dimension and help you with the setup. Among my favorite fineliners are Sakura Pigma Micron and Staedtler Pigment Liner.

Finally, you probably will want to add some color. I would offer to get some brush pens, like Tombow Dual Brush Pens or Sakura Koi Brush Pens. I also absolutely adore Zebra Mildliner Highlighters, they have two different tips, and their colors are so so pretty! For a bit, more budget options, definitely check out Crayola Super Tips Markers, they are great, and you can use them for lettering as well as coloring.

Free Bullet Journal Printable

Of course, I didn’t want to leave you without a freebie, so I designed a cover page for you, full of mandalas but with space to add your name and other details on the first page.

It’s fun, you can enjoy coloring it in, and it’s already in the Resources Vault under “Other Pages”.

If you don’t have your access yet, you can always sign up in the form below.

Once you confirm your subscription, you’ll get the password to get 100+ free Bullet Journal printables to use right away.

If you’ve never used printables before, be sure to check my post How To Use Printables In Your Bullet Journal.

It’s pretty basic, and all you need is a printer, a good-quality paper, and, of course, a paper cutter.

What did you use for your cover page? Or planning to? Looking forward to reading your comments below.

I hope this post was useful. If you find it so, please share! If you enjoy my content and want to show your appreciation, please consider supporting me with a cup of coffee.

And remember: Keep Bullet Journaling, and Don’t Be A Blob.

5 Comments

  1. Hi, I’m just a teenager and I’m new to bullet journaling. And your tips were very useful to me. S o thank you sooo much.
    I’m from sri lanka so i couldn’t find the right brush pens and stuff. Your recommendations are so good I’ll try to get them.

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