We’re taking it back to basics this week with some minimalist bullet journal weekly spread layouts. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I’m a creature of habit and have been using the same weekly spread layout since October 2021! This seemed like a good excuse to try out some new layouts and see if I could encourage myself to mix it up every once in a while.

You could keep these spreads as they are, or use them as a base for washi tape, stickers, papers or your own illustrations. I usually decorate my first weekly spread but they get gradually plainer and messier as the month goes on!

 I only used a handful of supplies to make these spreads:

• A5 Archer and Olive Morning Sun dot grid journal (above)
• The Pentel Sharplet mechanical pencil to sketch out layouts before inking
• Tombow Mono Eraser to erase my pencil lines - one of my absolute favs!
• I flitted between the Sakura Pigma Micron in 02 and Pentel Ultra Fine fineliners
• This adorable wooden kitty ruler although full disclosure: I often draw my straight lines freehand!

Fine liners are a bullet journaler’s best friend and this starter set is perfect if you haven’t settled on a favourite yet!

 Let’s get started...

4 x 2 Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads

First up is the classic 4 x 2 weekly spread which was my most used layout in my early days of bullet journaling. Definitely the speediest to make and I’ve added Nikki’s cursive days of the week washi to make this even quicker. I’ve used the spare box for “problems for Future Joy” i.e. things I need to do next week! This layout is handy if you have a lot of weekend plans or tasks to keep track of.

I divided each page evenly into four, so each box measures 6.5 cm x 9.5 cm

Next up is a slightly different take on the 4 x 2 layout, in which the weekend has been combined to make way for a vertical “to do” section. This one could be a definite contender for my new go-to layout as I love having a separate to do list so I can assign tasks on a daily basis as well as having an at-a-glance overview for the whole week. It gives more daily planning space than my current preferred layout. For some reason, writing all caps with one letter per box makes my writing look nicer than it actually is, and I’ve shifted it to the bottom of the box to mix things up.

The days of the week boxes measure 6.5 cm x 9.5 cm and the “to do” column measures 6.5 cm x page height

If you prefer to write a more detailed to do list but have fewer tasks, you could use a similar layout with a horizontal section for notes, appointments or tasks:

The days of the week boxes measure 6.5 cm x 9.5 cm and the “task” section measures page width x 6.5 cm

Horizontal Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads

I absolutely love how clean this horizontal layout looks and the vertical days of the week and gaps between add a little interest. I tend to veer away from horizontal layouts as I find it gives me a lot of width I don’t use, but you could divide each box into two columns for work and home to make better use of the space.

Boxes measure page width x 6 cm, with a 0.5 cm gap between

I usually add habit trackers to my monthly spreads but thought it would be cute to try including them in a weekly spread instead. I created a 2 x 4 horizontal layout and used the 8^th box for a weekly habit tracker, and an at-a-glance calendar to stop me looking at my phone calendar so much! I used Nikki’s black and gold banners day of the week washi and replicated the banner design for my habit tracker with a gold gel pen.

The top and bottom sections measure x 4.5 cm tall and the middle sections measure 5 cm. The blank space at the top and bottom of the page helps give the illusion that the boxes are the same height!

Vertical Weekly Bullet Journal Spreads

I must confess that vertical layouts don’t work brilliantly for me as I have quite large writing and end up going over several lines for each individual item on my list! These work really well if you’ve got a lot of tasks each day that you don’t need to write a huge amount for. I’ve broken up the page with a section for notes and next week at the bottom of the page.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and the weekend boxes measure 4 cm wide, and Tuesday and Friday measure 5 cm wide. The days of the week boxes are 15 cm tall and the notes section is 4 cm tall

My Favourite Bullet Journal Weekly Spreads

I love the look of “dashboard”-style weekly spreads I see on Pinterest but they look a bit overwhelming to create and use, so I made a pared-back version. As well as generously size boxes for daily tasks, I’ve included the week’s top three priorities, a to do list, daily gratitudes, notes and things to remember for next week. This feels like a really effective use of the space, and this is probably the layout I’m excited to try out!

Days of the week: 7.5 cm x 6 cm | To do: 5 cm x 12.5 cm
Priorities, Gratitude, Notes, Next Week: 5 cm x 6 cm

…and of course, I have to round things off with my absolute fav. It features the days of the week on the left-hand side, and a master to do list on the right. I sometimes mix things up and separate it into categories, like this week’s deadlines, next week’s, and personal life admin, as I’ve done here. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I really struggle with lettering but I’ve added a bit more interest to my titles here with some additional horizontal lines.

The boxes on the right measure 6 cm x 6 cm

The measurements I’ve provided will work in any A5 journal but could be easily scaled up for a B5. Nikki uses a B5 journal, and usually uses one double page spread for a fortnight, so be sure to check out her Plan With Me videos on You Tube if you’d like to see more B5 spreads!

Who says minimalist needs to be monochrome? Love these splashes of colour!

I hope that’s given you a little inspiration for your weekly spreads, whether you’re new to bullet journaling or just looking to mix things up. I’ll definitely be trying out a couple of these to see if they work as well for me as my old faithful!

If you’ve been inspired to try any of the layouts from this post, we’d love to see! Please tag @nikkissupplystore and #NikkisSupplyStore on Instagram, where you can find heaps more journaling and stationery inspiration. You can also follow me, @joy.margot, for more craft content and pictures of my cat.