How To Create A Discbound Bullet Journal

Last Updated on May 20, 2022 by Keri

There are so many different notebook options that you can use for your next Bullet Journal, but have you ever considered using a discbound notebook for your Bullet Journal?

A discbound Bullet Journal combines the benefits of a traditional planner with those of a Bullet Journal.

This allows for greater flexibility, as well as easy organization and customization.

You can easily make your own discbound journal using supplies that you can find in most craft stores, and it won’t take you more than 15 minutes to put together! Let’s get started!

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Why Should You Start A Discbound Bullet Journal?

A discbound notebook is a great option for a Bullet Journal because of the flexibility it provides.

But what are the other benefits to the system, and are there any cons?

I’ve compiled a list based on my experience using one. I hope this list will help you decide if a discbound Bullet Journal is for you or not.

Pro’s of a Discbound Bullet Journal

• The system is extremely customizable. Because this is a DIY solution, and because there are so many brands that offer products, you have a lot of choice which makes this a very customizable option! You can get different coloured rings, different covers, dividers, pockets, paper types, etc.
  
• The choice in paper type is up to you. Be it watercolor paper, marker paper, lined paper, the possibilities are endless. You can also choose between dot grid pages, normal grid pages, lined pages and blank pages.
  
• Pages can be easily removed. This is great if you no longer need a spread, or you make a mistake you just can’t live with.
  
• If you get busy, you can utilize printables. Just punch the holes, and add your layouts!
  
• It is possible to move pages around to where you need them most.
  
• You can combine planner pages with your Bullet Journal pages. This is perfect if you like using a traditional planner, but want to start utilizing Bullet Journal collections.
  
• You can add different accessories like folders and dividers.
  
• The system can be easily archived.
  
• You won’t have to recreate your most important collections, as you won’t ever need to migrate to a new journal (unless you want to!)
  
• You can flip the cover and pages over like a traditional coil notebook!

Con’s of a Discbound Bullet Journal

• The rings are a bit bulky, which makes it more difficult to drop in your purse or backpack.
  
• If you use a laminated cover, it may not be as sturdy.
  
• The rings can get in the way of writing.

Hopefully, this has helped you determine if a Discbound Bullet Journal might be right for you.

Now, let’s take a look at the supplies you will need to create your own Discbound Bullet Journal!

What Supplies Do You Need To Create Your Discbound Bullet Journal

Discbound notebooks and planners have become extremely popular, which is good news for you, as it makes it easier to find the supplies you need!

Some popular discbound brands are;

• The Happy Planner or Happy Notes by Create 365 (This is what I use!)
  
• The Arc System by Staples
  
• Martha Stewart 
  
• Discagenda by Dokibook

There are even more brands out there than this, but these are some of the top ones! All of these brands sell full notebooks and planners, but they also sell the accessories on their own so you can mix and match for your own style!

The Discs

Choosing your discs can be a little bit overwhelming at first because they have so many different options including:

• disc size
• colours
• metal vs. plastic discs

It can be easier to pick the brand of supplies you want to go with first. That will significantly narrow down on your options. Here are some general options you may want to consider:

• The Happy Planner Plastic Discs – They come in 0.75in, 1.2in, and 1.75in
  
• The Happy Planner Metal Discs – They come in 1.2in and 1.75in
  
• Discagenda Discs (Metal) – They come in 0.94in, 1.3in, and 1.65in.
  
• Martha Stewart Discs – 1.25in
  
• The Arc Discs – They come in 1in and 1.5in.

The Cover

If you are using one of the brands mentioned above, you can use the covers that they sell alongside their discs.

They all make a variety of cover options such as laminated covers, hardcovers, or even slip-on covers.

There are also some amazing shops on Etsy, like this one, who sell covers too!

If you would like a DIY option, then you can also create your own laminated covers. This is a really fun, custom option because you can use a photo you like, scrapbook paper, cardstock, and then laminate it.

For a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own custom cover, check out this YouTube video.

The Paper

Again, most of the brands have paper that you can purchase, but, if you purchase a discbound punch (more on that below) then you can use any paper you want!

Just cut the paper down to size, and punch the holes in it.

This is especially great if you like to use Watercolor paper for painting in your journal, or even if you prefer using printable’s rather than drawing everything out.

Additional Accessories For Your Bullet Journal

If you are going to use a dicsbound notebook for your Bullet Journal, there are a couple additional supplies I recommend getting. These will give you even more options when it comes to your notebook.

A Punch

If you plan on adding in your own paper, or if you want to include printable’s in your dicsbound Bullet Journal, then you will definitely want to get a punch!

They are a little bit costly, however, they last a really long time, so you shouldn’t need to buy them often.

Each brand has their own punch system, so check the website for whichever brand you are using.

• The Happy Planner or Happy Notes by Create 365 (This is what I use!)
  
• The Arc System by Staples
  
• Martha Stewart 
  
• Discagenda by Dokibook

Accessories

Some of the brands I have shared throughout this post also make really cute accessories that you can add to make your Bullet Journal even more functional.

Creating Your Discbound Bullet Journal

Now that you have all of your supplies, all you need to do is put it all together.

Step One: I would recommend you start by putting your covers onto your rings first. This will provide a bit of stability to start adding things in between.

Step Two: Next, add in your paper, printables and any other accessories like folders and tabs that you want to include.

FAQ’s

In this section, I am going to answer some commonly asked questions about using a discbound notebook system for your Bullet Journal!

If you have any questions I didn’t include here, please comment below this post.

How many pages can a discbound notebook hold?

This will highly depend on what size discs you have, how bulky your cover or backing is, the type of paper you are using, and what additional accessories you have inside like folders and dividers.

But generally speaking, here is how many pages can fit onto the rings:

• 0.5 inch discs can generally hold 50 – 70 sheets
• 0.75 inch discs can generally hold 90- 120 sheets
• 1 inch discs can generally hold 110 – 150 sheets
• 1.5 inch discs can generally hold 140- 220 sheets

Do discbound notebooks fall apart?

In my experience, this highly depends on the quality of the supplies you are using.

When I use a hard cover vs. a laminate cover, I find the cover tends to last significantly longer. But, these covers do also make it more bulky.

And I have had a couple of the plastic rings break before, but this is because I dropped my notebook and it landed on the ring.

So, it will simply come down to the quality of the supplies you are using and how the notebook is generally used day to day. (I.e. is it being left on your desk vs being thrown into your purse or backpack daily.)

Discbound VS. Ringbound (Binder)

Something I am often asked about is using a discbound notebook instead of using a binder.

Using a binder is a fantastic option! Again, there are a lot of supplies readily available, and you can even get binders in smaller sizes, similar to what you would get with a notebook.

Check out these cute A5 binders from Amazon!

Both of these options offer a lot of the same benefits like:

• custom options
• the ability to use what paper you want
• you can easily move your layouts and pages around as you need

Once big pro that a binder system has over the discbound system is set-up cost. It will not cost nearly as much to get all the supplies you need to get started making it a really great budget-friendly option that still gives you the same benefits of the discbound system.

But, in my opinion, there are a couple of additional cons with a binder system.

• Personally, I find binders to be a bit bulkier.

• Writing on the pages in the binder can also be a bit cumbersome in my opinion. I remember in school, I used to take most of my papers out of my binder to write on because it drove me crazy.

So as you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. If you think a binder system will work better for you, then get started with that and see what you think of it!

Final Thoughts

I hope that this post has been helpful for you in getting your discbound Bullet Journal set up!

This is a fantastic notebook option for your Bullet Journal thanks to the wide variety of available supplies and the customization options.

If you have any questions about this system, let me know in the comments below!