Do you wish you could find spreads instantly on your bujo without having to flip so many pages until you landed on what you were looking for? Say no more:

Categorize with Tabs!

Hello friends, Caroline here (@carolineace_bujo on instagram) and today I wanted to show you how to elevate your bullet journal by categorizing/organizing it using DIY tabs!

As you set up your new 2023 bullet journal, you’ll want easy access to your most used spreads, (such as future log, finances, etc) and using tabs will help you do just that! 

All you need are the following simple supplies: 

1. Archer & Olive dotted grid journal- the thick 160GSM pages are perfect for nice and sturdy tabs that won't easily bend.
2. Scissors - to cut into your journal (I know what you’re thinking but it will be worth it!).
3. Pencil - for creating our markings before we cut.
4. Fineliner or any permanent pen/ink for labeling the tabs.
5. Acrylograph, water color paint, or Washi tape- You want your tabs to stand so you can spot them easily.

Remember to use my discount code “CAROLINE10” for 10% OFF your Archer & Olive orders!

Now before we begin I invite you to watch this video tutorial to get an overview of what we will be doing:

Now let’s get started!

The first thing is to mark the width of the tabs, I recommend using 3 dots of spaces, this will help your tab be big enough to work with without limiting the writing space. (Ps. You want to create the tabs on blank pages right before setting up any spreads). 

Then you'll mark the length of each tab- one tab per page and this will depend on how many tabs you plan on using. Think on how many spreads you constantly refer back to, then divide the vertical length of your journal by that number, in this case I divided 21cm (the length of my A5 bujo) by 5 (the number of spreads I want to refer back to a.k.a total number of tabs) = around 4.2cm per tab is what I will be marking.

THE FUN PART:

Okay now that we’re done with the mathematical equations lets get cutting!

Cut the first page vertically (starting at the bottom of the page) until you reach your first marking on the top. I like to angle my cuts for a fancier look but that is optional. Continue cutting each page until you’ve reached all your tabs.

PRO TIP you can round-cut the corners of the new page to mimic the original look.

MAKING IT STAND OUT

There are two main ways to make your tabs stand out, you can either color them in using your favorite acrylograph markers, water color paints, or you can use washi tape. Here I’m alternating between my two favorite colors of acrylograph pens but your options are endless! Be creative and have fun.

THE FINAL STEP

Finally it is time to label your tabs. For my initial bujo set up, I want to access my future log, TBR, memories, goals & finance spreads. You can create your unique titles based on your needs using black or white ink for labeling. Once that is finished you’re ready to start creating your spreads!

I love the versatility of tabs, you can use them to organize your initial bujo set up, your monthly spreads, weekly layouts and much more!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and make sure to check out my free printable that I created for you to label your tabs with ease!

If you try these please share with us on Instagram and don't forget to tag @archerandolive @archerandolivecommunity and use the hashtags #AOShare and #archerandolive 

I look forward to seeing your creations! 

Did you enjoyed transforming your bullet journal and have a creative itch for more? check out this blog on how to create bullet journal dutch doors.