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February 5, 2025
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September is the perfect time to refresh your bullet journal with cozy fall themes. From vibrant autumn leaves to pumpkins and warm color palettes, your journal can reflect the season beautifully while keeping you organized.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced journaler, these ideas will help you stay organized while celebrating the charm of autumn.
Turn the first page of your bullet journal into a beautiful gateway to autumn with creative September cover designs. This opening page sets the tone for the fall vibes that will flow through the rest of your journal.
Nature-Inspired Designs
Add a touch of the outdoors with fall foliage doodles and gradient backgrounds in warm autumn shades. For example, Masha Plans [5] showcases how natural motifs can create a seasonal theme. Try blending deep oranges and golden yellows for a background that feels dimensional and vibrant.
Minimalist Approaches
Go for simplicity with a single standout element, like a detailed maple leaf, paired with elegant typography or a short fall quote. This style, often seen in the work of creators like journalbykim [2], proves that less can be just as impactful when done right.
Here’s a quick guide to combining popular elements for your September cover:
| Design Element | Color Palette | Recommended Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Leaves | Orange, Red, Brown | Tombow Dual Brush Pens |
| Pumpkins | Burnt Orange, Green | Sakura Micron Fineliner |
| Mushrooms | Russet, Cream, Brown | Zebra Mildliners |
| Acorns | Golden Brown, Dark Brown | Faber-Castell Pitt Pens |
Mixed Media Additions
Take your cover to the next level with mixed media. Use pressed leaves, metallic accents, textured paper, or seasonal washi tape. Creators like leelajournals and thejournallife [2] show how combining materials can elevate your layout into something truly special.
Typography Focus
Play around with vintage-style typography or bold block letters. Add shadows, serifs, or other decorative touches for extra flair. If you’re new to lettering, My Inner Creative [1] recommends starting with simple styles and building up to more intricate designs.
Once your cover page sets the mood, extend the fall aesthetic into your monthly calendar and other spreads to create a cohesive September journal.
Turn your September calendar into a warm and inviting autumn space by blending practical layouts with seasonal touches. The goal is to create a planner that meets your needs while celebrating the cozy vibes of fall.
Grid-Style Calendar with Fall Details
Design a classic grid calendar, but give it an autumn twist. Add small illustrations of leaves, pumpkins, or acorns around the edges. Use 2×2-inch squares for daily entries and include sections for goals, habit tracking, and notes to keep everything organized and visually appealing.
Goal Tracking with Seasonal Flair
Try a tree-themed tracker where branches represent your goals. As you make progress, "add" leaves in autumn colors. It’s a fun way to stay motivated while embracing the season.
Layered Textures and Materials
Add a tactile element to your calendar by using washi tape, vintage-style stamps, or textured paper. These small details can give your layout a rustic, cozy charm.
Key Features to Include
Make sure your layout has room for:
Color-Coded Categories
Use colors to organize your plans. For example, burnt orange for work tasks, golden yellow for personal events, and deep red for deadlines or reminders.
Roomy Weekend Sections
Make weekends stand out by giving them extra space. This is perfect for jotting down details about fall outings or special events.
After setting up your monthly calendar, carry these warm, autumn-inspired designs into your weekly layouts to keep the seasonal theme flowing through September.
Create weekly spreads that balance functionality with the cozy vibes of fall. While monthly layouts provide an overview, weekly spreads let you dive into detailed planning and add personal touches like Dutch doors, dashboards, or habit trackers.
Pick a vertical or horizontal layout and bring it to life with autumn-inspired touches. Think warm tones like burnt orange, deep red, and golden yellow, paired with seasonal elements. Vertical layouts are great for organizing tasks into categories, while horizontal spreads can flow like falling leaves across the page.
A Dutch door layout is a fun way to organize your week. Use the top flap for a weekly overview framed with fall foliage, the middle section for daily tasks (pumpkin-shaped checkboxes, anyone?), and the bottom panel for habit tracking with leaf-shaped progress markers.
Add a small dashboard to track the weather with fall-themed icons, log your mood using color gradients, and mark deadlines with leaf stickers. For a seasonal touch, use fall-patterned washi tape to divide time blocks and highlight key events with earth-toned highlighters like Zebra Mildliners.
Turn seasonal icons like leaves or pumpkins into habit trackers. Color them in as you complete tasks, creating a visual snapshot of your progress. Keep plenty of white space to avoid clutter and make your layout easy to navigate.
Use fall-themed tabs or dividers to separate weekly spreads, adding texture without making your pages feel crowded. Dedicate a section to seasonal activities or reflections to capture the spirit of autumn.
List pages are a great way to bring order to your seasonal plans and ideas while keeping the cozy autumn vibe alive in your bullet journal spreads.
Build a fall bucket list filled with warm colors and seasonal doodles for a charming touch. Instagram creator @daynadoodles suggests using a Dutch Door layout to separate categories of activities.
Break your list into sections like outdoor adventures (think apple picking or enjoying the fall foliage), indoor fun (like baking or movie nights), and social events (festivals or bonfires). Add checkboxes, progress bars, or circle trackers to make it easy – and fun – to monitor your progress.
Create a page dedicated to fall recipes, from your go-to comfort foods to new dishes you want to try. Use warm tones and seasonal drawings to keep the autumn vibe going. You could even include a simple rating system to keep track of your favorites.
Design a reading tracker with cozy fall aesthetics – think leaves, steaming mugs, or even a mini bookshelf where each book spine represents a title you plan to read. Use fall-inspired colors like burgundy, amber, and forest green to color-code genres or completion status.
Set up a gratitude list decorated with fall motifs like pumpkins or leaves. Each day, jot down something you’re thankful for to create a growing collection of seasonal appreciation.
Devote a page to fall-inspired self-care. Include ideas for cozy routines, favorite seasonal drinks, aromatherapy blends, or activities that lift your mood during the cooler months.
Once you’ve mapped out your autumn plans, you can dive deeper into mood tracking and gratitude journaling with these fall-inspired designs.
Once you’ve laid out your seasonal plans, spend some time reflecting on your emotions and daily gratitude with these creative and visually appealing trackers.
Design an apple tree where each apple represents a day. Use colors like red for joyful days, golden for peaceful moments, green for neutral feelings, and brown for tougher days. By the end of the month, your tree becomes a colorful snapshot of your emotional journey. For inspiration, check out @hoaslife’s apple pie mood tracker, which blends cozy fall vibes with an easy-to-use system [3].
Create a mood tracker inspired by autumn leaves. Use colors such as burgundy for energetic days, orange for happy moments, yellow for calmness, and brown for low-energy days. The natural shifts of autumn leaves mirror the ebb and flow of emotions, making this a perfect seasonal theme.
Transform your gratitude log into a pumpkin patch. Write daily gratitude entries inside pumpkins and group them into categories like:
You can enhance your pumpkin patch with seasonal stickers, like those in Dark Moon Paper’s fall collection, for a festive yet practical touch [4].
Stick with earthy tones, leave plenty of white space for readability, and choose a tracking method that fits seamlessly into your routine.
With these mood and gratitude trackers ready, you’re all set to gather the tools and materials that will bring your creative ideas to life.
To create eye-catching fall bullet journal layouts, you’ll need the right tools. These supplies are handpicked to help you bring the cozy, colorful vibes of autumn to your pages.
A solid bullet journal setup starts with dependable pens. The Sakura Pigma Micron pen set (sizes 005, 01, 02, and 03) is perfect for precise lines and features archival-quality ink that won’t bleed through your pages [6]. For everyday writing, the Pilot G2 gel pens offer smooth ink flow and quick-drying results to avoid smudges.
To add those warm autumn tones and textures, here are some must-haves:
Washi tape is a simple way to elevate your layouts. Look for designs featuring pumpkins, maple leaves, and other seasonal motifs. The "12 Rolls Fall Washi Tape Set" is a great option for decorating borders, tabs, and headers. Skinny tapes (3-5mm) work well for calendar grids, while wider ones (15mm) make bold headers stand out.
Stickers bring personality to your journal. Dark Moon Paper’s fall collection includes metallic foil details and offers:
Opt for paper that’s at least 160 GSM to avoid issues like ink bleeding or ghosting, especially if you’re using markers or brush pens.
Start with the basics and build your collection as your style develops. Test new tools on a spare page before diving into your layout. For detailed autumn doodles, outline with black gel pens (sizes 06, 08) and enhance with white gel pen accents (sizes 05, 08, 10) [6].
With these supplies, you’ll be ready to craft layouts that capture the essence of fall and showcase your creativity.
Dark Moon Paper’s Fall Sticker Sets bring the essence of autumn to your journal with designs featuring pumpkins, maple leaves, and acorns in warm, earthy tones. These stickers add cozy, seasonal vibes to your September layouts, perfectly capturing the feel of fall.
This collection blends style with functionality, offering headers, dividers, trackers, and decorative accents to keep your journal organized while looking fantastic. Add pumpkins and leaves for titles, use delicate leaf borders for dividers, or track habits with autumn-inspired checkboxes.
| Purpose | Sticker Types | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Headers | Decorative leaves, pumpkins | Title your monthly and weekly spreads |
| Dividers | Leaf borders, branch designs | Separate sections or mark timelines |
| Trackers | Checkboxes, circles | Track habits and tasks |
| Accents | Acorns, falling leaves | Add decorative touches or highlight areas |
These stickers pair beautifully with other journaling elements. Use them to frame handwritten notes or as centerpieces for more detailed spreads. Even the simplest layouts get a polished look with these designs.
Dark Moon Paper’s stickers are flexible and easy to work with. Layer them for added depth, trim them to fit your layout, or pair them with watercolor backgrounds for a personal touch. The adhesive is strong enough to stay in place but allows repositioning during setup.
For a cohesive fall theme, combine these stickers with mood trackers or gratitude logs. They’ll help your September journal pages reflect the beauty of autumn and inspire even more creative ideas.
Give your September bullet journal a seasonal twist with cover pages inspired by nature. Think autumn leaves, pumpkins, and earthy tones like orange, red, yellow, and brown. These colors instantly create that warm, cozy vibe we all associate with fall.
Nature-themed cover pages open up so many creative options. As Masha Plans puts it, "Nature is a wonderful theme for every month, I think. And somehow, for me, mountains are very fitting for Fall because they make me think of camping which I think is perfect to do in September." Here are some design ideas to get you started:
| Design Element | Materials | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves and Foliage | Fineliners, markers | Adds texture and natural borders |
| Mountain Scenes | Craft paper, brush pens | Brings an adventurous, outdoor feel |
| Tree Silhouettes | Black fineliner | Highlights the seasonal transition |
Make your nature-inspired cover page your own by trying out different materials and techniques. If you’re new to this, start simple – sketch some leaves, trees, or mountains, outline them with a fineliner, and fill them in with rich autumn colors.
Want to add more depth? Include seasonal accents like acorns or mushrooms. Layer washi tape, stickers, or hand-drawn elements for extra texture and charm. These touches not only set the tone for September but also help you create a theme that flows throughout your journal.
Once your cover page is ready, you can carry these autumn vibes into your calendar and weekly layouts for a cohesive look.
Bring the charm of autumn into your September bullet journal with a pumpkin-themed calendar layout. Using warm colors like orange, yellow, and brown, this design captures the cozy feel of fall while keeping your planner functional. It’s a perfect way to celebrate the season and stay organized.
This pumpkin calendar layout isn’t just about looks – it’s designed to help you stay on top of your schedule. Use different pumpkin icons to categorize events and tasks:
| Icon Type | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Filled Pumpkin | Completed Tasks | Mark goals you’ve accomplished |
| Outlined Pumpkin | Upcoming Events | Highlight important dates |
| Colored Pumpkin | Event Categories | Assign colors for various activities |
"Using colors and texture in your spreads is a simple way to make your theme look and feel amazing." [3]
Make your calendar pop with artistic details! Use tools like Tombow Brush Pens or Crayola Supertips for smooth color gradients. Add seasonal touches like curling vines, scattered leaves, or even a few acorns along the edges to set the mood.
Start with a simple oval shape for your pumpkins, then add curved lines to give them dimension. Tailor the design to fit your journal’s size and your personal style. Here are a few ideas to make it your own:
This layout brings the warmth of autumn to your journal while keeping your planning system efficient. With your pumpkin calendar ready for September, you’re all set to dive into more fun weekly spread ideas!
The Dutch Door Weekly Setup is a clever way to expand your planning space while keeping a touch of style with fall-themed designs. This layout involves cutting part of your page to create a layered spread. It keeps your weekly overview in sight while letting you focus on detailed daily plans below.
Here’s how the setup breaks down:
| Section | Purpose | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Top Banner | Weekly overview & key dates | Always visible |
| Middle Section | Daily tasks & appointments | Changes with page turns |
| Bottom Area | Trackers & notes | Stays consistent |
This setup is a great way to include seasonal vibes in your journal. The fixed top banner can feature autumn-inspired designs, while the cut pages create natural frames for fall-themed accents. Try these ideas:
Start by creating a top banner that’s about 1.5–2 inches tall. The layered design of the Dutch Door makes it easy to add decorative fall touches while keeping your journal practical and organized.
"While waiting to finish this page in which I plan a vertical Dutch door, here are some examples: Users can create a vertical Dutch door by folding the page from the middle in half or cutting it vertically in a defined shape."
Once your Dutch Door is set up, you can incorporate seasonal lists or trackers to make your fall-themed journal even more engaging.
A fall activity list can bring a fun and seasonal twist to your bullet journal. Paired with a Dutch Door setup, it helps you stay organized while enjoying everything autumn has to offer. Break down your activities into categories to keep things clear and easy to manage.
Sort your fall activities into categories for better planning and tracking:
| Category | Activity Examples | Tracking Method |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Adventures | Apple picking, scenic drives, pumpkin patch visits | Checkboxes + Date |
| Cozy Home Activities | Baking seasonal treats, lighting candles, decorating for fall | Progress bar |
| Social Events | Bonfires, harvest festivals, game nights | Location + Notes |
| Self-Care Rituals | Morning walks, gratitude journaling, sipping seasonal teas | Mood rating |
Make your fall activity list visually appealing by incorporating seasonal designs. For example, @len.journals suggests using autumn-themed washi tape and other decorative elements to tie everything together. You can also use creative tracking methods like checkboxes, progress bars, or mood ratings to keep an eye on your activities while adding a touch of flair.
Here are a few ways to tailor your fall activity list to fit your needs:
For instance, @catsplanner’s approach to organizing activities by month ensures you don’t miss out on fleeting moments like peak foliage or local festivals.
Once your fall activity list is set, consider adding seasonal mood or gratitude trackers to your journal. These can help you capture the cozy and reflective spirit of autumn.
The Apple Tree Mood Chart beautifully reflects September’s shift into autumn, blending mood tracking with seasonal charm. This hand-drawn tree, decorated with apples representing each day of the month, is a perfect addition to your September bullet journal. It pairs seamlessly with other fall-inspired pages like gratitude logs and activity trackers, giving your journal a warm, seasonal vibe.
Turn mood tracking into a visually engaging activity with this easy-to-use system:
| Mood Category | Apple Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Energetic/Excited | Bright Red | High positive emotions |
| Content/Happy | Golden Yellow | General happiness |
| Calm/Peaceful | Light Green | Relaxed and balanced |
| Tired/Low | Brown | Low-energy days |
| Stressed/Anxious | Dark Red | Difficult moments |
Add a personal touch to your Apple Tree Mood Chart with fall-themed elements like falling leaves, textured bark, or apples shaded with gradients. For inspiration, @journalbykim’s design incorporates detailed bark and gradient-colored apples, striking a balance between aesthetics and practicality [2]. If drawing feels daunting, Masha Plans suggests simplifying the design with basic circles for apples and straightforward branch structures, proving that even simple designs can look great and work effectively [5].
Whether you prefer a full-page spread or a smaller version, this layout can fit your style while keeping its seasonal appeal. Stick to classic fall colors or create a custom palette that matches your mood categories for a tracker that feels uniquely yours.
Once your Apple Tree Mood Chart is complete, consider complementing it with gratitude pages or other creative layouts to round out your fall-themed journal.
Bring the essence of autumn into your gratitude practice with a leaf-inspired journal layout. This design reflects the beauty of fall’s changing leaves and works perfectly with an autumn-themed journal. Think warm tones like burnt orange, deep red, and golden yellow – ideal for recording those small, daily moments of gratitude.
Here are a few ways to incorporate a leaf theme into your gratitude tracking:
| Layout Style | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Daily Leaves | Use one leaf each day to jot down a thought of gratitude. |
| Branch Design | Draw a central branch and add leaves for weekly reflections. |
| Falling Leaves | Scatter leaves across the page for a more free-form approach. |
Add depth and personality to your gratitude page with creative touches. Use varied line weights, add small accents like twigs or acorns, or bring in watercolor effects for a layered look. If you’re into minimalism, simple line-drawn leaves keep things clean and elegant. For those who love detailed work, try sketching intricate botanical designs.
Want something interactive? Try leaf-shaped cutouts or fold-out sections where you can write longer reflections. Whether you like structured layouts or a more organic flow, the leaf theme works beautifully with your style while keeping that cozy autumn feel.
Once your gratitude page is set, think about other fall-themed ideas for your journal, like seasonal activity lists or mood trackers. There’s plenty of room to get creative!
Bullet journaling is a great way to stay organized while celebrating the fall season. With the right approach, your September layouts can balance functionality with the charm of autumn.
Here’s a quick guide to key elements for your fall bullet journal:
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Color Palette | Creates a seasonal vibe with burnt orange, deep red, and golden yellow. |
| Natural Motifs | Brings autumn to life with designs like leaves, pumpkins, and acorns. |
| Layout Structure | Keeps your planning clear and organized. |
| Tracking Systems | Helps you monitor habits and progress effectively. |
From pumpkin-themed calendars to apple tree mood trackers, these ideas can bring the season into your journal while keeping you on track. Your bullet journal should be a reflection of your personal journey, evolving to fit your needs as the season unfolds.
If you’re just starting out, try simple touches like warm autumn colors or small leaf doodles. As you grow more confident, you can experiment with more detailed designs and techniques. Let your September layouts capture the essence of fall while keeping your plans in order.
Stickers Made for Planning
Our custom stickers are a fuss-free way to brighten up your planner pages with perfectly-sized designs that add a spark of personality to every layout.
Why use planner stickers?
Planner stickers make organizing easy, fun, and personal! Add color, creativity, and structure to every page, transforming your planner into a tool that reflects you. Perfect for tracking, decorating, and staying inspired daily!
Hello and welcome!
I’m Rachael Snow, a lifelong artist and entrepreneur, and I started Dark Moon Paper to blend my love of art, technology, and the mysterious beauty of the world around us. My sticker kits are meant to set the mood, tell a story, and give you a little escape from the ordinary.
I work from my cozy studio tucked away in the beautiful woods of Oregon, surrounded by nature and a dark night sky full of stars.
