Birthday Planner Tutorial

Want to stay organised this year and keep up with all the birthdays you have to buy for? Why not make yourself a Birthday planner that you can keep in your bag and keep a record of presents you have bought and ones you need to get. This planner can also be made into a Christmas planner if you don't need a birthday one or maybe make yourself both!

You will need:
2/3x 12"x12" pieces Cardstock
Printer paper/light card
Patterned Papers (scraps will work too) I used Echo Park Dots & Stripes Candy Shoppe
Bone folder (or something to score lines with)
Brads
Chipboard or Greyboard (optional)
Planner pages (you can download from our website for free here)

1.Take a piece of 12x12 cardstock that you want to use as the base for your planner. You will need to make 4 score lines. 1 line at 3", 1 at 6" and 1 at 9". Then rotate your cardstock 90 degrees and make another score line 4" in from the edge.

2.Now fold the bottom edge of the cardstock on the 4" line into the middle. This will be the pocket.

3. Concertina the card on the other lines. Fold in half at the 6" line (so the pocket section is on the outside) then fold inwards on the other 2 lines.

You will end up with something that looks like this:

4. From another piece of cardstock cut 3 or 4 pieces measuring 2 3/4" x 7 3/4". These will be the inserts for the pockets. In my birthday planner I used the same colour as the base of my planner but in my Christmas one I used another contrasting colour.

5. Now you need to print out the calender, gift ideas, card list etc pages.

You can find the different printable pages here. Choose the ones that you want to use and print them on a light weight card.

6. Trim each element so you are cutting just inside the border lines. This will ensure that they fit onto the card inserts you previously cut. Attach the pages to the card inserts with a brad so that you can swivel the pages. 

7. As an alternative to having a 4th page element you can also create a pocket that you can store lists, receipts etc in. To make this you will need a piece of cardstock measuring 91/4" length x 6" width.  Score a line at 2 1/2" and 5 1/4" (from top to bottom) and another 1 1/2" from the top. Cut off the 2 corner pieces and then fold on all your score lines. 

Put some adhesive on the edge of the large flap and stick on top of the small flap. This will then give you a pocket that is open one end and with a flap at the other end. You can seal the bottom of the pocket by wrapping a piece of decorative paper around the bottom.

8. Now you can decorate your planner.
I kept mine quite simple and just stuck some patterned paper and stickers on the pockets. You don't want to add any bulky embellishments or you will struggle to close the planner!

9. For the covers I covered 2 pieces of 3" x 8" chipboard and stuck them to the cardstock but you could just use some card or patterned paper to decorate the front if you don't want to use chipboard or greyboard.

10. Add some ribbon so you can tie the planner closed (optional) and you are finished!

Here is my Christmas Planner example, you can also find all the pages to create a Christmas planner on the page with the Birthday planner pages here.

I hope that you will find this planner of use and if you make one I would love to see. Feel free to share a picture on our Facebook page or a link to it on your own blog in the comments below.

Happy Crafting,

Maxine

Please note: these instructions, photos and files are copyright of Creative Hobby Supplies 2015.  If you wish to link to this tutorial please feel free, but do not copy this and claim as your own. Thank you!