DIY {Homeschool} Happy Planner

Can’t find a homeschool planner that works for you? You, my friend, are not alone. Homeschooling isn’t one-size-fits-all. Make a simple and attractive DIY homeschool planner on the happy planner framework. Customize a cute and functional homeschool planner to fit your homeschool life perfectly.

I have learned around here successful homeschool day doesn’t happen without a little planning. Believe me, I have tried.

My personality is a bit more of a “go with the flow”, or ” just wing it” type.

Over the years of homeschooling, I have learned that doesn’t work for homeschooling, and me keeping my sanity.

So then I took the logical next step and went and got one of those generic day planners. Which I quickly learned are not well suited for homeschool planning.

Ok so take the dive into buying an expensive homeschool planner that cost $30-$50. Every. Single. Year.

It didn’t take long before I got tired of buying those. The 15-minute time increments, the prefilled-out subjects, the cost, I was over that.

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That was when I dove into creating my own and The Relaxed Homeschool Planner was born. It fits the more relaxed way we homeschool, with less time scheduling, more space for creativity, and a less typical schooling structure.

Basically more us being us, and less us trying to be, well, other homeschool families.

I loved being able to be more creative and just do my own thing, my own planning. But I didn’t like using a bulky 3-ring binder, and I learned if I have it spiral bound I could no longer add in extra pages, for say when my readaholic reads more books in a semester than the reading log had space for.

That’s when I learned about the happy planning system. The ingenious planning system that lets you customize things.

Benefits of a DIY Homeschool Planner

1. If you find you don’t fit into a “typical” homeschooling mold a DIY planner might be a better fit for your particular situation.
2. Better allows for flexible schooling, unschooling, wild schooling, and road schooling
3. Better fits your style. Don’t want a planner with flowers? Done. DIY your homeschool planner to reflect your style.
4. Save money on buying new planners dated for every year. DIY an undated planner, reuse that every year.
5. Allows for more creativity.
6. A DIY planner allows you to create a size of your choice.
7. A DIY planner gives you the ability to add pages where and when you want without the bulk of a 3-ring binder.

How to make your Homeschool Planner

Happy Planner Style

To make your own happy planner you need a few items. I found these items to be something I could make more planners for other things like our budget planner and my morning journal and save money in other places so win-win there.

Items you will need

• • cardstock: I like using cardstock to print my planner pages on, but you can also just print yours on regular paper.              Neenah Cardstock, 8.5″ x 11″, Heavy-Weight, White, 94 Brightness, 300 Sheets (91437)
  • planner pages. Again I used The Relaxed Homeschool Planner for my planner pages, but you can also find many printable homeschool planners on Etsy or even get creative and make your own.
  • Happy planner hole punch                                                                                                                                                              Me & My Big Ideas MAMPUNB.1 PLN The Happy Planner

  

  

  • Happy Planner discs or rings.                                                                                                                                                                Create 365 RINDR-02 Happy Planner Medium Metal Expander Discs 11/Pkg Silver,

• • laminator                                                                                                                                                                AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator Machine 
  • thick laminating sheets: For creating a thicker more stable planner cover                                                                                Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches, 8.9 x 11.4-Inches, 5 mil thick, 100-Pack (TP5854-100),Clear

  

  

DIY Planner Instructions

Make sure you have your homeschool planner pages printed onto your cardstock or paper in the way you want them.

Laminate both the front and back covers then hole-punch them. Make sure you have the paper in the hole punch correctly so your holes are not slightly off. After this, you can start inserting the discs into your cover page. They will just snap right in.

Next, begin to hole-punch your pages and add them to the planner as you want them to look while you are using it.

Voila. Just like that, you have yourself an easily customizable planner, without all the bulk of a 3-ring binder. There are many accessories you can add like pocket folders, dividers, pen holders, and more that all fit with this binding. For more accessories check out the brands TUL, Talia, and The Happy Planner for more add-ins to your DIY Homeschool Planner.

So typical homeschool planners don’t work for you, but you still want a sleek and customizable planner to keep your homeschool life smooth. No biggie making a DIY homeschool planner couldn’t be easier! With any printable or homemade pages and The Happy Planner binding, you can easily make the planner that will fit your homeschool life like a glove, without restrictions of a spiral binding or the bulk of a 3-ring binder. Homeschool on my friends, homeschool on ♡♡♡

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From our family to yours, thanks for stopping by

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Beth

Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.