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If you’re a stationary fanatic like me, chances are that you have more than one empty notebooks lyring around. Or maybe, if you’re not, someone gave you a notebook and journal. Either way, you want to know what to do with an empty notebook. No worries, I’ve got you covered.
As someone who has filled up many notebooks in her life, here are some fun, creative and practical ideas for you to fill up your empty notebooks.
Or if, for some reason, you don’t have an empty notebook to fill up but still clicked this post, might i suggest you get yourself one? I recommend these ones (*)!
So now that we’ve all got an empty notebook that needs filling up, here are some ideas.
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This post may include affiliate links, which means I make a small amount of money from your purchase at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. to do lists
I cannot say enough good things about to-do lists. I am basically useless without one, and my days are so much more productive when I write a to do list at the start of the day, or even the day before. Use your empty notebook to write to-do lists so you can keep track of when you did what!
2. art journal
Get creative and fill your journal with sketches and paintings. The benefit of a journal is that it’s so small, you can take it anywhere. Sketch the people in the coffeeshop, or paint your favorite street sights or flowers. You can also get creative and fill it with clippings, fabric or wallpaper samples or anything else to express yourself creatively.
3. scrapbook
A different way to use your journal creatively is to turn it into a scrapbook with your personal pictures. Stick your absolute favorite pictures on the pages and write the story that goes along with them. I love looking back on picture albums, and I am sure you do too.
4. quotes
When I was younger I used to write all my favorite quotes in a little pink metallic book that closed with a bow. I loved that book, and I loved the content it had. Keep track of your favorite quotes and make them more personal by writing them – and your thoughts on them – down in your empty notebook.
5. bullet journal practice
Many people who have a bullet journal don’t want to mess it up and keep it beautiful, so they practice their spreads before hand. An empty notebook would be the perfect place to practice those spreads, practice your lettering or create some beautiful drawings or cover art for your new months. This way you can see what works – and what doesn’t – without sacrificing the perfection of your bullet journal.
6. daily journal
Write down your daily thoughts or what happened on a day in your empty notebook as a way of processing your days. Especially on busy or eventful days, this is a great practice and I guarantee it will help you sleep. And figure out your thoughts. Two birds, one journal!
7. letter writing
Why not use your empty journal to write letters! To yourself, to your loved ones, to heaven or to whomever you believe in. Letter writing is another great way to process happenings and feelings, and it can be a lot of fun. You don’t have to send them, just keep them in your journal for yourself, or rip them out and burn them in a safe place to let go of them.
Whatever you do, don’t put them in a hat box in the back of your closet! 😉
8. gratitude journal
A gratitude journal is a beautiful practice to help you see and appreciate the beautiful things in life, and the amazing things you already have. We are so used to focusing on what we want, and what the future will bring, that we forget to look around and see what we have. Write down a handful of things every morning and evening, and see how much more you appreciate the things in your life!
9. habit trackers
Work on your good habits by keeping track of them in a habit tracker. You can make a separate page for every habit nd get creative, make a ‘don’t break the chain’ page per habit, or keep them monthly in a simple overview.
10. book journal
Keep track of the books you read and what you think of them by turning your empty notebook into a book journal. You can write down the book, the date, a rating and a summary, or even write down your favorite quotes from the book. This way you’re sure to never forget what books you’ve read.
11. travel journal
You can also create a travel journal and keep track of your favorite places. write down your favorite cafes, restaurants, shops or secret lookout spots and keep them in your journal to pass on to others, or for a trip down memory lane.

12. recipe book
Keep your favorite recipes in a single book by turning your empty notebook into a recipe book. Simply copy your favorite recipes into your journal or print them out and stick them on the pages. You can alter them as you want, or even add a picture to make it more personal.
13. life lists
Life lists are great, and there are so many you can make! Lists of your favorite songs at a given moment, life lessons, bucket lists, big gratitude lists, things to buy lists, books to read, movies to watch, or books read and movies watched. Your favorite compliments people have given you, places you want to visit, to do lists for a given season or holiday, the possibilities are endless.
14. review book
Combine all your reviews in a single, efficient journal by writing them all into one. You could keep your reviews down to a couple of lines, or divide our notebook into sections. This is great if you don’t read too much or don’t watch a lot of movies, so you don’t want to keep a separate journal for them.
15. dream journal
This could go 2 ways. You could write down what you dreamt about at night in the morning, or you can write down your life dreams as a visualization exercise. Whichever works for you would be another great way to use that empty notebook.
16. budget tracker
Keep track of your income, your spending, your ideal budget and the things you want to buy and turn your notebook into a budget tracker. You can make it as simple or creative as you like, it is all up to you. You can also print out saving trackers and stick them in, or draw out your own to make your savings more visual and fun.
17. learning or personal development
Finally, turn your notebook into one for learning and personal development. Take notes on your favorite self help books, use it to learn vocabulary for a new language, or make a summary of the course you are studying. Keep it all in one place and you won’t be searching for loose sheets of papers ever again.
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