Big Plans: The Official Laurel Denise Blog

If you’ve been waiting for a Laurel Denise planner without the coil, your moment has officially arrived 🎉

Introducing the brand-new Bookbound Weekly Planner (comes in horizontal + vertical) — soft, sleek, and filled with everything you love about paper planning, minus the spiral. In this post, we’re walking you through both layout options, spotlighting our collaboration with Amanda’s Favorites, and sharing a few honest thoughts about the cover (spoiler: it’s VERY soft).

Whether you're new to Laurel Denise or already a die-hard fan, this guide will help you decide if the bookbound format is your planner soulmate.

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What Is the Bookbound Weekly Planner?

This is a totally new format in the Laurel Denise lineup. We took everything you love about our weekly planners — minimal lines, thoughtful structure, beautiful paper — and put it into a bookbound format that’s easy to carry, coil-free, and incredibly satisfying to write in.

Choose from two layouts:

• Horizontal Weekly

• Vertical Weekly (created in collaboration with Amanda’s Favorites)

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A Closer Look: Horizontal Layout

If you love a clean division of schedule and to-dos, the horizontal layout might be your new fave.

• Left page: wide open space for your daily schedule, time blocking, or just scribbles

• Right page: "To Do Today" column + a blank "This Week" section (unlined and totally flexible)

This layout is based on our classic horizontal short-page layout — just blown up into full-page glory. It gives you more room to plan your day the way your brain actually works.

💡 Pro tip: use the left side for appointments and the right side for work/personal lists — or get creative and split it any way you like.

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The Vertical Layout (ft. Amanda’s Favorites)

This layout was designed in collaboration with Amanda from Amanda’s Favorites, and if you love planner stickers, washi, or a vertical workflow — you’re going to swoon.

Here’s what’s inside:

• 1.5-inch columns (perfect for planner sticker packs!)

• Lightly lined days with space underneath for meal plans, weather, or extra notes

• Open side column — no labels, just blank space for whatever you need

• Bottom section: dot grid and completely open to customize

Amanda had very specific goals when designing this: clean lines, no visual clutter, room for creativity, and layouts that work for both minimalists and decorators alike. We love what she came up with.

🎥 Want to see every detail? Watch Amanda’s Favorites full review video here

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Let's Talk Cover: Honest First Launch Notes

So... the cover. Let’s just say it’s the softest thing we’ve ever made. Like, security blanket meets fancy notebook soft.

But! Real talk: it’s not as sturdy as we want it to be

We could’ve held the product back, but honestly? It’s still beautiful, totally usable, and we know many of you would love it exactly as it is. So we priced it to reflect that it’s version 1.0 — and we’re already working on a sturdier cover for the next round.

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Size, Specs + Paper Details

You know we love a good details section. Here’s what you’ll find in every Bookbound Weekly Planner:

• Closed size: 7.5" x 10.25"

• Open size: 14.25" x 10.25"

• Paper: 80 lb — same as our other weekly planners

• Monthly boxes: 1.5625" square

• Line spacing: 0.25"

• Available in Monday or Sunday start

Each month section includes one full month spread, with a lightly lined note space, and — of course — full-page weekly spreads right after. 

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Accessories, Tabs & Sticky Notes That Work Beautifully

Since the Bookbound Weekly Planner is a brand-new format, we tested everything — from zipper pouches to sticky notes — to help you accessorize with confidence (and cuteness).

✏️ What Works Like a Dream:

• Large Zipper Pouches
  

  • Our pouches (Arts & Crafts and The Magician) are the perfect match — they hold all your planning essentials and pair beautifully with the bookbound color palette.

• Sticky Notes

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    We recommend pairing the Bookbound with the Standard sticky note sets for the most layout flexibility.

     

  • Itty Bitty sticky notes are ideal for small reminders, moving tasks, or creating flexible tabs. Use them across weekly layouts, monthly views, or even the back grid pages.

     

     

• Circle Tab Stickers
  

  • These patterned and solid-color stickers make great month markers — whether you place them on the top or side of the page. Bonus: they double as decorations!

💡 We recommend pairing the Bookbound Planner with the Standard + Itty Bitty sticky note sets for the most layout flexibility.

🧠 How to Use Elastic Pen Pouches with Bookbound Planners

Yes, you can use our elastic pen pouches with the Bookbound Weekly Planner — but there’s a trick to making them work well with the soft cover:

• Slide the elastic horizontally across the entire planner, not just one cover

• This helps keep the cover from warping or stretching unevenly

• Bonus: it acts like a little bookbinder, keeping your pages safely tucked in when you’re on the go

So if you’ve got an elastic pouch you love, go ahead and use it — just give your planner the full hug it deserves.

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Should You Switch to Bookbound?

If you’re wondering if the bookbound life is for you, here’s a quick cheat sheet:

 

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Watch the Full Walkthrough

Want the full page-by-page experience? In our latest OMG Planners YouTube episode, we show:

• Both horizontal + vertical layouts

• How to use sticky notes in each version

• Circle tabs in action

• What we love, what we’re tweaking, and why the cover is so dang soft

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FAQs

Do the planners lay flat when open?
Yes! The binding was designed to open fully — and stay that way while you write.

Can I add inserts to the bookbound planner?
Nope — unlike our coil planners, this one doesn’t have removable pages.

Will there be more cover options in the future?
That’s the plan! We launched one beautiful color this round to test it out and keep things simple.

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Final Thoughts + Next Steps

Ready to grab your new planner?

✅ Head to laureldenise.com to shop the Bookbound Weekly Planner
📹 Watch our YouTube video for the full walkthrough
🛍️ Don’t forget your sticky notes + pen pouches
📣 Tell us in the comments: Are you Team Horizontal or Team Vertical?

✨ May your bookbounds be brilliant, your stickers fit perfectly, and your planning space feel like a hug.