Ever feel overwhelmed by the number of ideas, recipes and potential projects out there? All the great blogs, books and magazines (not to mention Pinterest!) filled with amazing projects…
Relying on my memory when I got to the craft store or thrift store never worked very well. I tried using the tiny screen and inadequate internet service on my phone to look up the ideas I’d saved. Still not good enough. I decided I needed to create a binder for the projects I was planning on using in the near future. Which is where the idea for this handy book was born.
My binder contains an organized collection of recipes, diy projects, craft projects, decorating ideas, gardening ideas and gift ideas I plan to do in the near future. At the beginning of each month, I pull out the project I want to accomplish and make a plan for getting it done.
Here’s how you can create your own idea book. You will need:
- 3 ring binder
- tab dividers
- page protectors
Step 1: Decide on Your Categories
Think about the things that are highest on your priority list. Things that you’d most like to get done. Be sure to choose projects that are realistic given your time and budgetary constraints. If you’ve been wanting to sew more, add a sewing category. If you’d like to put together a home decorating plan, you can make a decor category for keeping track of DIY projects, paint colors and dream rooms for inspiration. Wanna learn how to make homemade breads and rolls? Consider a baking or recipes category.
My categories are:
- Dinner Ideas – This is where I keep the recipes I haven’t tried yet but want to. I try to pull out one per week when I’m making my grocery list.
- Crafts – Various projects I’d like to try.
- Gifts – I keep all my teacher, neighbor, birthday and holiday gift ideas in one place. This has been a particularly handy category, because I have been able to find things on clearance or free with coupon for these projects. If I didn’t have them all saved in one place, I’m sure I wouldn’t have remembered to be on the lookout for them.
- Sewing – I especially like having printed copies of these projects so I can remember every detail when I’m at the store.
- Home & Garden – Here I have paint samples, diy projects and pages from magazines of the room styles I like. I can’t tell you how helpful it has been to have my “style” and color preferences defined. I have been able to focus my thrift store and clearance shopping purchases only on items that fit my overall vision.
Step 2: Slowly Add Your Projects
Now that you’ve decided on a few categories, it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes peeled for projects and ideas you can add. This is where it can be easy to get carried away. I love Pinterest, but I have pinned more ideas than I will ever have time to get to. This book should not be another version of that. Rather it should be small enough to be do-able. This is your Ideas-I’m-Actually-Gonna-Do book. 
I have even placed a self-imposed limit on how many ideas I allow myself to put in it!
Step 3: Make a Plan
Once my project for the month is chosen, I move it to the front of the binder and create a plan using this printable. Writing it out gives me a sense of ownership to the project and prevents me from putting it off.
And there you have it! A super easy way to get your ideas and projects organized in one tidy place! I have used my book so much this year, that I don’t know how I did without it!
Thinking of making one yourself? Get my Projects & Ideas Planner (shown above) as a free printable HERE!
Posted in: organize
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. Yes, Pinterest is great but so much I won’t remember to do.
I cannot seem to load the printable, any way you can email me the link?
I’m having the same problem. Can you send me one? I’m dying to have one.