Some months I find it easy to come up with my bullet journal themes, other months I waffle about my choices until its almost too late! I mean, it doesn’t really matter if I don’t finish my spread by the first day of a new month but I like to try. While browsing bullet journal groups on facebook I see a lot of posts asking for monthly theme suggestions. Since so many people ask about it I figured it would be a fun and helpful post to create and share with all of you!

Whether you are just starting a bullet journal, or have already created one this list of inspirational ideas will hopefully get you started on your next spread. Because of the way I use my bullet journal, these are monthly ideas but I expect many of them could be used as weekly spreads as well.  And remember, there are many ways to create these themes in your journal, you don’t have to hand-draw or worry about your artistic talent if you really enjoy a concept but are unsure of your abilities! There are so many tools out there to help you out that anyone and everyone can enjoy bullet journaling.

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Bullet Journal Themes

Starting out with your First Bullet Journal Theme

No matter what month you are starting with your first will be the hardest month to do. Why? Because a lot of people buy a beautiful journal and then stare at the blank pages and worry about ruining it with the wrong choices. Blank page syndrome is a thing, how many pretty notebooks do you have laying around that you haven’t used? If you enjoy stationary I am betting there are quite a few of them.

Don’t worry I do the same thing sometimes! The only way to get over this is to jump in and get started. This is your bullet journal and everything that goes in it is for you. You don’t have to share unless you want to and making a mistake isn’t going to ruin your future masterpieces. I promise! Don’t let the fear of starting keep you from pursuing this fun and creative hobby!

Some people also enjoy the thought of journaling but fear that they don’t have the time to invest in it! If that’s the case might consider a planner or gratitude journal! You can use themes, stickers and make these just as beautiful as a bullet journal but with a bit less of a time commitment as the layout are mostly done for you. You’re just adding the decorations!

January can be a really fun month. It’s the beginning of the new year and fresh starts. Lots of people make yearly goals or resolutions at this time and all of that can make for some great theme inspiration.

• New Years – Think fireworks, celebrations, New starts and fresh beginnings. Do you have a resolution you are really passionate about completing? Consider formulating a spread about it to keep you motivated.
• Seasonal –  For most of my readers January is likely one of the coldest months of the year, Ice, snow, and frost are pretty good bets as a theme. But in the other half of the world, it is sometimes the warmest month! No matter what your typical January weather is a seasonal theme is always a fun one to do. Maybe you can even play off the duality of this month throughout the world. It’s pretty easy to find beautiful stickers, washi tape, and cardstocks based on the seasons. You can even use a few of those leftover holiday cards if you want!
• Weird Historic Facts – Did you know January is named after the Latin word for door?  Me either! But it makes sense as the ‘door to a new year’. Doorways could be a neat theme. It has also been dubbed the wolf month by the Saxons. I fail to see how wolves could ever be a bad theme. In Finnish January is called tammikuu which literally translates into ‘oak moon’. Oak tree’s for the win.
• Symbols of January – Birthstone – Garnet, Flower – Carnation, Zodiac – Capricorn or Aquarius

February Bullet Journal Themes

February spreads tend to be dominated by Valentines/love related themes. My theme last year was roses and I’m not going to apologize for it! I’m a sucker for a good love story and I love roses. I also love pink. However, February has some other great things going for it if you are looking for a lesser used theme.

• Winter to Spring or Summer to Fall – Depending on where you live February is either the last month of winter or the last month of summer. A theme based on the transitioning seasons could be very pretty! It’s also a theme that would be easy to find supplies for.
• Weird Historic Facts –  February was named after the Latin term februmm which means purification and was historically celebrated on the 15th as a Full Moon celebration under the Roman lunar calendar. A Moon based theme could be nifty! Of course one of the historic names for February was also Kale-monath which means cabbage so not all historical facts lead to good ideas. Unless you really like cabbage. However, it has strong ties to ice, frost, and snow in Polish and Ukranian cultures so if you didn’t use a winter theme for January then it’s still a good choice for February.
• Symbols of February – Zodiac – Aquarius or Pisces, Flower – Violet or Primrose, Birthstone – Amethyst

March Bullet Journal Themes

March is the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere. Most march themed bullet journal themes tend to be based around these seasonal subjects. This is for a good reason – Fall and Spring are both filled with a natural beauty that translates well into bullet journaling.

• St Patricks Day – Greens, shamrocks, rainbows, and pots of gold, you name it and odds are you will find stickers, cardstock and supplies galore for this theme. Plus who doesn’t love rainbows and gold? Easy to draw, bright and pretty this is a fairly popular theme for March.
• The Equinox – maybe you want something a bit different in your journal. The spring equinox takes place at the tail end of the month and would make for a neat theme. Anything featuring the sun and the moon could work. There are many historical personifications of the sun that could be used including lions.
• Weird Historical Facts – March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war, while this might be a difficult theme to work with it would also be very interesting. Though you might have to explain to people why you are covering your bullet journal with weapons or ancient Roman symbols. Still, for you history buffs out there this has some merit! In Ukrainian the name for March means birch tree so if you are looking for a nature theme this could be your key.
• Time – A theme based on time could work for the month of March as depending on where you live Daylight Savings begins during this month.
• March Symbols – Zodiac – Pisces and Aries, Flower – Daffodil, Birthstone – Aquamarine or Bloodstone

April Bullet Journal Themes

April bullet journal themes tend to center around spring and Easter. Both of these are great themes to work with and can be a lot of fun so even though they are common don’t shy away from them if they speak to you! If you are still looking for some ideas however then maybe one of these will do! Of course, there is also the saying ‘April Showers, bring May flowers’ which can make for a fun two-month theme.

• Easter – Bunnies, chicks, and cute pastel colors might just be your thing! If it is then you are in luck there are probably hundreds of stickers, stencils, and washi tapes out there for you to pick from. If you want an easter theme that’s a little bit less conventional, try some water coloring done with egg dye or better yet…roll a still wet dyed egg across your page! Have some fun with it!
• Weird Historical Facts – It is believed that the name April comes from the word aperire which means ‘to open’ while this is kind of a vague term it makes sense when you think of it in terms of nature and spring. This is the time of year when many flowers and tree buds begin to open. There is also kind of a creepy superstition pertaining to St. George’s Day on the 23 which has to do with Ghosts so if you are into year-round Halloween based themes then there you go!
• Meteor Showers – There are quite a few meteor showers which take place in the month of April. A theme that is centered around space or meteors could be really run and colorful to create.
• April Symbols – Zodiac – Aries or Taurus, Flower – Daisy or Sweet Pea, Birthstone – Diamond

May Bullet Journal Themes

May is home to three holidays if you live in the United States – Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day. Any of these can make for a good journal theme! If you chose to do an April Showers spread for April then a May flower’s theme would work well for this month. As it is still considered spring (or fall depending on where you live) nature-related themes are also pretty popular.

• Weird Historical Facts – May was named after the Greek goddess Maia who was based around fertility. Since this is a spring month a theme based around cute baby animals could be fun! There is also a Russian connection to picnics (apparently the picnic was the front for some illegal celebration by revolutionists). May seems like a nice picnic themed month to me.
• Meteor Showers – There is a continuation of meteor shows this month so if you missed out on a space theme for April but really want to try one out then now is your chance!
• May Symbols – Birthstone – Emerald, Flowers- Lily of the Valley, Zodiac – Taurus & Gemini

June Bullet Journal Themes

For most of my readers, June is a month for holidays and vacations. The kids are out of school already or soon will be. Family trips to the beach or the park and other warm weather fun all make for some great theme fodder. If you happen to live on the other side of the world then June might well be the start of your winter themes.

• Summer/Winter Solstice – Depending on where you live June contains either the longest or the shortest day of the year. A theme that compliments this might be fun! Anything to do with the sun or the moon would work. You could even base it on time if you wanted too!
• Weird Historic Facts – Obviously this is pretty niche but apparently, June is historically one of the most favored months for weddings. So if you are planning one yourself or just really like going to them then I am betting you could come up with a really pretty theme. Supposedly it also has a strong connection to the Latin iuniores which means “younger ones”. This might be a neat time for a spread devoted to your kids if you have them! In ancient times the Romans had a festival involving decorating battle standards with roses that took place in the month of June – so if you’re looking for a flower connection that’s not Valentine’s day then there you go!
• Fathers Day – Father’s Day takes place in the month of June for many countries around the world. A tribute to the father in your life might be a neat theme.
• June Symbols – Birthstones – Pearl, Alexandrite & Moonstone, Flower – Rose & Honeysuckle, Zodiac – Gemini & Cancer

July Bullet Journal Themes

July is chock full of holidays all around the world that you can pick and choose from. Several countries have Independence Day holidays during the month of July making it a great month for a patriotic theme if that floats your boat. It’s also the month which hosts the international day of friendship and National Ice Cream Day. Both of those could lead to some rather fun monthly themes.

• Dog Days – Typically these start about mid-month in the northern hemisphere and while they don’t really connect with dogs…do we really need more of an excuse to make a dog-themed spread anyways? It’s probably more fun then a ‘complain about the heat’ spread right?
• Hot Dogs & Ice Cream – As mentioned above July is host to National Ice cream Day, It’s also host to National Hot Dog Day. If your a foodie then this month is for you and either or both of these could make for a fun spread.
• Historic Facts – July was named after Julius Ceasar so for you history buffs out there feel free to go crazy with some Roman themed decorations. July is also known as ‘fence month’ which marks the closed season for Deer in England. I’m sure the deer are celebrating this and if you like deer then why not make a deer theme?
• July Symbols – Birthstone – Ruby, Flower – Larkspur & Water Lily, Zodiac – Cancer & Leo

August Bullet Journal Themes

August is one of the few months of the year that I find hard to work with when it comes to bullet journaling. There is just not a lot going on this month to take advantage of. No major holidays, though I expect there are some smaller ones in certain parts of the world. Still, with a bit of creativity, I’m sure we can come up with something!

• Back to School – Depending on where you live this might be the month your kids go back to school. Some parents look forward to this and others mourn it but either way back to school can make for a good theme. Given how much the stores love to tote back to school sales and items there’s a pretty good chance that supplies for this are really easy to find too.
• Food/Drink Themes – Apparently August is host to quite a few food/drink related social holidays around the world. You know those silly holidays that people only celebrate because it’s an excuse to splurge? Well, August might be your month! August is the home of – International Beer Day, Peach Month, Sandwich Month, Food Day, Mead Day, National Dippin Dots Month, National Catfish Month and Get Acquainted with Kiwi Fruit Month. Quite an eclectic selection!
• August Symbols – Birthstone – Peridot, Flower – Gladiolus or Poppy, Zodiac – Leo & Virgo
• Historic Facts – August is considered the month of the harvest in some areas of the world and historically a great many harvest festivals took place in the mid-end of this month. A harvest based theme could be quite nice.

September Bullet Journal Themes

September is another transitional month. Depending on where you live this month marks either the start of fall or the start of spring. I tend to love seasonal based themes, especially transitional ones so months like September are some of my favorites to plan out!  Like August there are no major holidays happening during the month of September but there are likely a few smaller ones that you can draw from if needed!

• Harvest Theme – While August is considered the month of the harvest in some parts of the world. September holds that position in many others. If you were intrigued by the thought of a harvest month but ultimately went with something else for August then here is your second chance!
• Historic Facts – Did you know that September was originally the seventh month of the year? It only became the tenth month after the calendar reform around 153 B.C added January and February to the list. Although it is now the tenth month it still retains its name which comes from the Latin ‘septem’ which means seven. Now a theme based on the number 7 might seem a bit odd but 7 has some pretty strong symbolic meaning to a lot of cultures so it might be worth looking into!
• September Symbols – Birthstone – Sapphire, Flowers – Forget me not, Morning Glory and Aster, Zodiac – Virgo & Libra

October Bullet Journal Themes

Do we even need to mention Halloween? It seems like a given that many bullet journal themes this month will be Halloween based. Mine probably will be as Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday of the entire year and how can I resist all the fun decoration and supplies that I’m bound to find in the stores! But!  If your looking for something a bit different then the normal then maybe these will help!

• Seasonal Theme – October is either Autumn or Spring depending on where you live and both of these themes leave you with a lot to work with! Both fall and spring have a great color palette associated with them and there tends to be a lot of supplies available for you to work with.
• Historic Facts – Like September, October is named after a number (Octo – Eight) even though it no longer holds that place on the calendar. The Anglo-Saxons called this month Winterfylleth as the full moon symbolized the start of Winter. both moon and winter-themed spreads can be very pretty and really popular!
• October Symbols – Birthstone – Tourmaline & Opal, Flower – Calendula, Zodiac – Libra & Scorpio

November Bullet Journal Themes

November is either late fall or late spring depending on where you live. It tends to get a lot of attention when it comes to seasonal spreads as the seasons by now are well established. Of course, there are also some good holidays to draw inspiration from!

• Thanksgiving – A theme based on either the traditional Thanksgiving symbols of harvest horns, turkeys and autumn colors on maybe one a bit more personalized and based around what you happen to be thankful for are valid choices for a bullet journal theme this month.
• Shopping – If you live in the United States November boasts the biggest shopping day of the year. If you love shopping for deals then this is probably a fun theme idea to work with.
• Veterans Day – If you happen to live in a military family, or have relatives that served then November is a pretty good month to pay tribute to that.
• November Symbols – Birthstone – Topaz & Citrine, Flower – Chrysanthemum, Zodiac – Scorpio & Sagittarius

December Bullet Journal Themes

I don’t think we need to mention Christmas on this list. Most themes this month will center on Christmas. Like Halloween, it’s a hard theme to resist. Snowflakes, reindeer…Santa. You can’t really go wrong on the fun and cute scale! If your looking for something different though then maybe these ideas will help.

• Various Social Holidays – There is a multitude of fun social holidays that take place during the month of December. Any of these could make for a fun bullet journal theme – National Cookie Day, Bathtub Party Day, Children’s Day, The Day of the Ninja, Eat a Red Apple Day, National Fruitcake Day & many many more.
• December Symbols – Zodiac – Sagittarius & Capricorn, Flower – Narcissus, Birthstone – Turquoise

What are your favorite Bujo Themes?