That friend who told me to use a ruler instead of a stencil for my monthly spread was actually right

I spent a year fighting wonky lines from cheap stencils because I thought a ruler would look too plain. After she handed me her own journal with this clean, custom box borders I had to admit my spreads looked messy. Now I wonder if I wasted a year fighting the obvious fix how many of you just use a ruler straight from the beginning?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel5111mo ago

I've been using a cheap 6 inch ruler from the dollar store for about two years now, and I never bothered with stencils at all. The one thing I will say is that not all rulers are created equal. Have you found that the clear plastic ones are better for seeing your guide marks underneath, or do you prefer a metal edge for cutting? I'm genuinely curious because I've gone through three plastic ones that cracked at the end after a few months of use.

abby_king221mo ago

Three cracked plastic rulers in a row is basically a rite of passage at this point. I swear the dollar store ones are made of the same stuff as those cheap sunglasses that snap in half the first time you sit on them. I got tired of that game and finally bought a metal ruler with a cork backing so it doesn't slide around. Sure, you can't see through it, but I just mark my cut line with a pencil first and line up the edge. Plus, it doubles as a weapon if anyone at the craft store tries to grab the last roll of washi tape.

kevin_bailey1mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain on the cracked plastic rulers. I went through that exact same cycle for way too long. In my experience, the clear plastic ones are great for visibility, but they just don't hold up if you do any cutting at all. I switched to a metal ruler with a cork backing a couple years back and honestly, its been night and day. Yeah, you cant see through it, but I just take two seconds to mark my cut line with a pencil, then line up the edge. It stays put way better than the plastic ones ever did, and I haven't had to buy a new one since. Your mileage may vary depending on what you're cutting, but for general use, the metal ones have been way more durable for me.