A new year means a fresh new journal! Messing up is inevitable, however, and while it’s meant to be a relaxing hobby, making mistakes while journaling can be frustrating. After all, you can’t simply hit Ctrl+Z to undo your slips. But don’t be tempted to tear out a page just yet to keep things neat. Try these creative ways to cover up your journaling slips, let your pages stay cute, and make your spreads unique.
I recently started playing Genshin Impact and journaling regularly again, so I used my 6-ring binder gaming journal for this post. It felt great to get back into both my comfort game and hobby during the pandemic days. You might also notice the journal cover change as I ended up converting my Hoyo journal into one that’s completely focused on Genshin, and I’ll be using my spreads for other Hoyoverse games into separate journals instead.
Washi tape
Add a strip of your favorite opaque washi tape over the mistake. To complement your spread, use a design that suits the theme of your page, or use a contrasting color if you want it to stand out on its own way. Alternatively, if you’re in the middle of your journal entry, you can continue writing and use more washi tape strips after the mistake to underline certain words & phrases and highlight them.
I made a smudge instead of a dot while making my entry for Yanfei, so I covered it up with the same Liyue-themed washi I used as a border.
White out, then color
As you normally would, cover up the mistake using correction tape or fluid. Once it’s dry, go over the white area using a highlighter or colored marker of your choice. Alternatively, you can use Deco Rush tapes, which come with a transparent background and a variety of cute patterns. They’re a great way to add a pop of color to the mistakes you’ve whited out.
I made a mistake while writing the profile for my chosen twin (Lumine). I initially went over the correction tape with marker, but didn’t like how smudgy it ended up looking. I ended up repeating the same process but used my sparkly Deco Rush tape to cover it up instead.
Color on color
If you’re using a pen, use the same one to cover the mistake so that it blends in naturally. You could even add doodles to make it look intentional. Or use other pens/markers to create a small color block or gradient effect over the area for a decorative accent.
While writing Noelle’s special dish, I accidentally used the wrong color. Coincidentally, the color block I made to cover it up looked a little bit like a pancake, which worked out well since I doodled her special dish instead!
Paper on paper
If you’re using a ring binder journal, cut off a piece of paper from an unused page, then glue it on the mistake. Since it’s the same type of paper, it keeps your spread looking clean and smooth. Don’t forget to save the remaining sheet for future quick fixes.
I’m not very good at lettering, and I didn’t like how I initially did Amber’s name, so I tried it again on one of the blank pages I saved from previous cover-ups. Fortunately, I liked the new one better, so I cut it out and glued it over the original lettering.
Ephemera
If you’re a junk journaler and collect tickets, receipts, and product labels, you can carefully place them over your mistake. Or if you hoarded colored papers, sticky notes, and memo sheets throughout your school and/or corporate life and they’re now gathering dust, now’s the time to finally start using them again.
Make things even more creative by using craft punchers or scissors to cut out your desired shapes to stick on your mistakes. You can draw little faces on them, too. Also, lots of artists and small businesses sell cute memo sheets and foldable notes in various sizes, and they’re great for covering up slips & adding mini notes to your journal spreads.
I didn’t like how I wrote some items in the profile for Kazuha, so I wrote the same info more carefully on a new memo and glued it over the old one.
Stickers
Placing stickers is always fun since you can pretty much put them anywhere. It also makes it seem as if the sticker was meant to be there in the first place instead of actually covering up a mistake. Use varying sizes depending on how much you want to cover up. Create sticker art by layering or making a collage over your slip up. You can also mix different finishes such as holo, glitter, and puffy stickers, for added texture & personality.
I made so many mistakes and kept changing things around while working on my spread for Gorou and Itto, to the point that Gorou’s part already ended up looking a bit smudged. I didn’t want to go through the same process again, so I turned things around by adding a sticker and writing the covered-up parts again. Despite all the mishaps, I ended up satisfied with how it turned out!
How do you cover up mistakes when journaling? Share your tips in the comments below.
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