So you’ve decided you want to make a vision board but need some ideas?  You’ve come to the right place.  I’ve recently completed my first one and wanted to share the super easy steps it takes to create a stunning, customized vision board.  It doesn’t have to be expensive either….I’ve included my cost-cutting ideas below by including some Pro-tips!

1. Determine the reason you are creating the vision board.  

Is it to motivate you to reach specific goals this year, next 3 years, next 5 years? Is it to remind you to be grateful each day?  Is it to visually express what makes you happiest?  Is to help guide you through decisions?  Is it how you want to shape your life?

Answering these questions and determining exactly why you want a vision board will help you decide what content to include on it!

I decided my board was going to be to visually outline my goals to both help me achieve some big dreams and also to help keep me focused on the things that I love and make me happy!

2.  Gather your content and supplies.

First, you need the board itself.  I used thick poster board ($$$$ Pro-tip: You can get these for only $1.00 from the Dollar Tree).  Other options include bulletin boards, cardboard, corkboard, chalkboard, wood, glass, etc.  Really anything that you want to use to give it the look you want.

Second, you need adhesive of some sort to secure your content to the board.  This can be glue, tape, push pins, tacks, etc.  ($$$$ Pro-tip: I raided my kids’ art supplies for some good old craft glue that worked wonders!)

Third, you will want to start cutting out material and art that you can use for your content.  Sources include magazines, newspapers, pictures, clipart, graphics, quotes, sayings, children’s art, your art, drawings, notebooks, online sources, stickers, coloring pages, etc.  Even left over scrapbooking supplies that you have laying around will come in handy.

I used a variety of magazines (fashion, architecture, cooking, sports) as well as personal pictures, free clipart and some text I printed from my personal computer using Word.  ($$$$ Pro-tip: I contacted a friend who works at a doctor’s office and asked if I could have all of the old magazines they were going to throw away so the expensive magazines didn’t cost me a dime!).

I recommend cutting out more than you think you will need.  It is always easier to scale down than to go back and keep hunting for more content.  I flipped through all of my content sources and gathered everything that spoke to me that was related to the reason for my board (goals, dreams, things I loved and things that made me happy) including both pictures and words/phrases.

3.  Layout your design (before you start gluing!)

Layout all of the content on the board and arrange it until it pleases you aesthetically.  There is no wrong here!  Arrange it however it makes sense and appeals to you; don’t worry about what anyone else may think.  Afterall, you are going to be the one looking at it and using every day.

I organized my content into sections on the board and then created labels for the different areas.  I tend to be a little picky about stuff like this.  For my brain, it helps if I compartmentalize the content.  It keeps me from getting overwhelmed with all of the information on the board and just seems to make sense to me but then again, I like organization more than chaos.  But that’s just me….you do your’s however it makes sense for you!

Personally, I chose the following sections: Family and Friends, Health, Inspiration, Career and Loves.

4.  Assemble it.

Now that you have the design and format laid out how you want it, start gluing down all of the content.  I overlapped items and adjusted the placement of items as I worked my way from the bottom right corner of the board to the top left corner.  I didn’t end up using every single image and content I had collected.  I made some last minute adjustments as I worked my way through it all.  I even realized that I had missed a couple of pictures of some friends and needed a way to recognize all the extended family members without including pictures of all of them.  So I added the missing picture and then put a family tree to symbolize extended family.

Give it one last visual review once you have everything secured, just to make sure you are happy with it.  I recommend adding your initials and the date, that way, as you achieve goals and/or your priorities change you can see your progress over time and in comparison to the next board(s) you create!

5. Work it.

Once the glue has dried and everything is final….proudly display it!  Post it someplace you will see it every day so you can be reminded of its message to you!  This might be in your bedroom, your entryway, your office, a hallway you walk through, or anywhere else that makes sense for you.  I’ve got mine prominently displayed on my office wall, right next to some other motivational artwork to keep me on point!  Remind yourself why and let it motivate you each day when you look at it.  It should direct you to your true north.

Here is a picture of my completed vision board.

Comment below, let me know what you think and post pictures of yours!  I would love to see your creation.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful!  Good luck and best wishes to you and your future endeavors!

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