Hi everyone, it’s Delphine (@delphinesjournal) from the Archer and Olive (@archerandolive) ambassador team. Despite the fact that I’ve been bullet journaling for years, mistakes inevitably happen. So today, we’re going to explore different ways to cover them up, from small mistakes to covering up an entire page. 

Supplies

• Archer and Olive Notebook
• White gel pen
• Fineliner 
• Acrylograph pens
• Stationery accessories, like stickers or washi tape
• Themed planning kits 
• Notepad 

Small mistakes

Have you ever drawn a line that was longer than what you wanted to? Or made a mistake in the title of your spread? Small mistakes are so common, and here are suggestions on how to cover them.

Use a white gel pen 

Using a white gel pen works great to fix smaller mistakes, e.g. if you over-drew a line with a fineliner. The key for using this method is to make sure your paper is crisp white, otherwise the correction will stand out instead of blending in. This is why the Archer and Olive Notebooks are perfect for this method! 

If you miscalculated and drew an entire line at the wrong place, you can still use a white gel pen to erase a larger surface. However, if you want to make the correction even more seamless, I recommend going over your correction with a lighter fineliner! 

Add a drop shadow 

When a line isn’t perfectly straight, it bugs me to my core. Adding a drop shadow can easily cover up this type of small mistake. 

Draw with the Acrylographs

Since the Acrylographs are pigmented paint pens, they can easily cover up small to medium mistakes by drawing on top of them. Let the ink of your mistake dry, and then strategically color or add a design, like a banner or flowers, on your mistakes. Ni vu, ni connu! (this means not seen, not known in French).

Use stationery accessories

Creating a theme that incorporates stickers, washi tape and/or paper scraps is incredibly forgiving, because these stationery accessories can be strategically placed to cover up mistakes. 

Medium mistakes

Create a collage with stationery accessories 

We’re exploring the same concept as the previous suggestion, but expanding the size of the correction. If you’re not satisfied with how a portion of your page has turned up, a collage might be the answer to your problems. Adding different elements like stickers, washi tape, scraps of paper or a mini calendar can come in handy to make it seem like every placement was intentional. If you’re interested in collages, the Archer and Olive themed planning kits are great foundations to build a collage, and so is the Kit Club subscription!

Transform your space with the Acrylographs 

Another way to cover up a portion of your page is to transform your space using the Acrylographs. The matte look of these paint pens allows you to create something new, like this color blocking design, which can be carried out throughout the entire month. 

Large mistakes

Have you ever created a cover page you absolutely hated, but you don’t want to rip the page? If so, please consider one of these two options next time it happens!

Glue a printable in your notebook

You could totally glue a printable in your notebook to cover up a cover page you dislike! Take a look at the printable I created, inspired by @leelajournals and feel free to use it as your next cover page! 

Use a notepad 

A notepad is not just useful for note-taking; you can also tear out sheets to add to your journal to cover up a theme you don’t enjoy. If the format of your notepad doesn’t perfectly match your notebook’s, don’t worry. You could add tabs at the top of your page, or create layered dutch doors like these ones below, inspired by @Nocha’s Corner. 

Video

If you’re more of a visual person, take a look at the YouTube video below, where I show you how I fixed the mistakes mentioned in this blog! 

If you end up recreating one of these spreads, please tag @archerandolive, @archerandolive.community, #AOShare and #archerandolive! You can also read this blog for more ideas!