DIY Pocket Bullet Journal with Hidden Wire Binding & Pocket Cover

Make a DIY Pocket Bullet Journal You’ll Actually Use

Need a planning tool that’s as mobile as your life? In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create your own DIY pocket bullet journal with hidden wire binding and a built-in cover pocket — perfect for jotting down ideas, tracking habits, and staying on top of tasks wherever you go.

This isn’t just a tiny notebook. It’s a fully functional bullet journal with concealed O-wire binding (the same technique from our hidden wire planner tutorial) plus a fold-over pocket built into the cover for storing loose notes, cards, or receipts.

What Makes This Pocket Journal Special

With the help of Planify Pro templates and your own creativity, you’ll design layouts that match your goals — whether you’re tracking mood, water intake, or planning the week ahead. New to planner making? Start with our beginner’s guide to custom planners.

We’ll guide you through sizing pages, creating chipboard covers with a pocket flap, and binding it all with concealed O-wires. For printing tips, see our best printers for planners guide.

💡 Pro Tip: The pocket is created by folding the 3rd and 4th chipboard pieces together with cardstock spacers — this same technique works for adding pockets to any wire-bound project. See more binding options in our complete binding methods guide.

Ready to build your pocket bullet journal? Check our Planner Collections for matching templates!

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Template

How to Export PDF

For Inserts: Go to Save/Export -> Selected Page -> Paper -> Select A4 -> (Optional select A6 Quadruple) Click Generate PDF

For Cover Design: Go to Save/Export -> All Pages -> Paper -> Select A4 -> Do Not Rearrange -> Click Generate PDF

How to Print PDF

Download the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader program for printing.

Print the inserts at 100% scale, on both front and back side. If you print the quadruple version, print 30 pages, if you print the double page version, print 60 pages, all front and back in order to get 120 pages in total. Print the cover pages on white glossy sticker paper at 100% scale, if possible print Borderless. There are two pages for the covers, print out both.

You will need

Materials:

Paper 80gsm or any kind
White Glossy Sticker Paper
Chipboard 1.4mm or any thickness
O-wires 20mm (or similar size)
Cardstock around 180gsm

Equipments:

Cinch Machine or any O-Wire Binding Machine
Heavy Duty Paper Cutter
Clipper to clip wires
Cutter

Instructions:

Print and cut the inserts (120 pages in total) and trim them using a heavy duty paper cutter or regular cutter and ruler
Hole punch the inserts with the Cinch or any Binding Machine
Print the cover pages (2 pages). If there is a white border around the cover pages, trim it off. You want to align the cover pages next to each so all chipboard pieces fit on to it. Creating a long cover piece
Cut four chipboard pieces to following sizes and align them next to each other in the following order: 1) 2.2x15.5cm -> 2) 2x15.5cm -> 3) 12.2x15.5cm -> 4) 11x15.5cm
Between each chipboard leave a 3mm gap. However, between the 3rd and 4th chipboard leave a 6mm gap
This is how it should look like all aligned next to each other
Fold in all the sides
Take some white glossy sticker paper, and cut it to size so it covers the inside cover, then place it on the inside cover
This is how it should look like
Hole punch the cover at the 4th chipboard (11x15.5cm.)
Take O-wires and insert the cover page first then the inserts
Cinch close the wire
Take two pieces of cardstock (8.8x9.4cm) and score/fold them at 1.5cm -> 3.2cm -> 3.2cm -> 1.5cm, like in the image shown
To the outer flaps of the cardstocks apply double sided tape
Stick the cardstock to the top and bottom part of the 3rd chipboard
Fold in the 4th chipboard on top of the 3rd chipboard
Make sure the 3rd and 4th chipboard are now attached by pressing them together
The 3rd and 4th chipboard should now form a pocket opening