Making a Dream Board That Inspires You + 3 Printables

I remember making my very first dream board in junior high. Around that time, we were redecorating my bedroom. I had already picked out a floral comforter and practically begged my mom if we could paint the walls bright green! Back then, I loved coming up with new art projects. I decided that a collage would be the perfect decoration for my new space.

We went to Walgreens and bought a bunch of art supplies and a poster board. I also picked out a few fashion magazines and stickers for my collage. When I got home, I began cutting out photos that inspired me.

On the board, I glued pictures of places I wanted to go to when I was older, cute outfits, beach themed photos, and other random stuff. I even added a photo of Jesse McCartney on the board too (because he was my future husband, duh). Music was (and still is) one of my biggest passions, so I made sure to jot down lyrics here and there.

I had no idea what a dream board was, but I had accidentally created one!

Even as a 25-year old adult, I still love the idea of dream boards. I made a dream board when I started college, the summer after graduation, when I moved into my first apartment, after my first six months of blogging, and again last weekend!

I’m a pretty visual person, so it’s neat seeing all of my aspirations and goals in a collage format. It keeps me motivated!

Jump to the printables!

What is a dream board?

A dream board is a visual tool for inspiration. It’s typically a collage of images, quotes and affirmations that reflect your hopes for the future. The idea is to create the board as a reminder of those goals and aspirations.

As I was researching this topic, I found that dream boards (or vision boards) are often associated with the law of attraction. Essentially, seeing your dreams laid out in front of you is thought to help with motivation!

Dream boards can be super general or focused on one goal. For your canvas, you might use a poster, cork board, or even a page in your journal. You can also create a digital dream board through graphic design sites like Canva! It’s totally up to you, and everyone’s dream board will look different!

How to Create a Dream Board

1. Find a calming workspace. 

First, find a quiet spot in your place that has little distractions. You’ll want to make sure your workspace is also quite roomy. The extra space will help a lot when you’re creating your dream board.

This is especially true once you start laying supplies and your images on the floor. Art projects are always messy, but that’s what makes them fun!

When I made my dream board, I decided to work in my living room. The view of our neighborhood is so pretty! I felt super relaxed as I planned out my dream board, cut out the images, and searched for inspirational quotes.

Clean up was quite easy too, since our living room is connected to the kitchen area.

For an ideal workspace, I recommend working in your kitchen, living room, or office!

2. Write down a few of your goals and aspirations.

What are some of your goals for the near and distant future? Any childhood dreams that still cross your mind? Think about what’s on your bucket list, and start writing these aspirations down in a journal.

After you’ve written freely for a few minutes, you’ll be better able to organize your thoughts. Next, start asking yourself questions. Write down 10-15 questions about your dreams and answer all of them.

Some examples include: where do I want to travel to in the next year? Do I want to make a career change? What are some things that make me happy?

Lastly, don’t feel weighed down by this step! Sometimes, all it takes is actually finding your images and words to really gain clarity.

At first, I felt a little bit stressed about my board’s direction. I didn’t know where I wanted to go with it, until I started browsing through magazines. I found so many pictures and affirmations that resonated with me. Everything eventually started coming together!

3. Take a trip to your local craft store.

Make a list of supplies you’ll need for your dream board. This step will vary, since there isn’t a rule about what a dream board should look like!

I suggest buying your supplies at a local craft store, like Michael’s or Jo-Ann’s. They typically have a wide range of art supplies, including cork boards, accessories, and stickers. This has to be my favorite step, because who doesn’t love a shopping trip to Michael’s? 🎨

Here are just a few recommended supplies:

• A canvas: poster board, cork board, paper, etc.
• Coloring supplies, like markers, colored pencils, and pens
• Decorative paper
• Magazines
• Newspaper
• Postcards
• Glitter
• Glue stick, tape, clothespins, or push pins
• Scissors
• Stickers

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Search for images that inspire you.

Here comes the fun part! Start looking for pictures that not only motivate you, but also evoke positive emotions. Try scrolling through various forms of print media for inspiration. This can include magazines, books, newspapers, and so much more!

Pinterest is another great place to find pictures! Print out a few photos that spark your attention, like beautiful landscapes, fashion, makeup, and creative flat lays.

If you enjoy art, consider drawing a few images for your dream board! There are a lot of drawing tutorials online, which is super helpful.

I found this awesome blog post via Shihori at Shihori Obata called 30 Cool & Easy Things to Draw to Get Better at Art. She provides easy drawing ideas for beginner artists (like stars, planets and flowers). Each idea comes with a step-by-step tutorial! How awesome is that?

5. Think of some meaningful quotes to add to your dream board.

Once you’ve finished compiling your images, start adding words. What are some quotes that inspire you? Maybe they come from a celebrity, advocate, friend, or a family member. Is there a quote from a book, tv show, or movie that resonates with you? Mantras that changed your life?

Consider making up your own quotes, or jotting down words that reflect your dreams.

For example, if you dream of traveling the world, you might write down words like “wanderlust,” “adventures,” and “destination.”You can find inspirational quotes by searching through magazines, books, Pinterest, and sites like Goodreads.

There are also a lot of blog posts online featuring free quote printables, including this post by Karen at A House Full of Sunshine. To download her printables, simply click the pink button below the collage image!

I also stumbled upon this quote printable by Everything Etsy and it’s stunning! All of the printables would look amazing on a dream board!

6. Create your collage.

It’s finally time to create your collage, YAY! After you’ve cut out your images and words, start pasting, taping or pinning them to your dream board. Feel free to add embellishments like stickers, string lights, and fake flowers. It’ll add such a nice touch!

Don’t be afraid to edit as you go along! You may decide to remove a few things or possibly add on to the board. Ultimately, you want to ensure that looking at the dream board truly makes you feel motivated!

If you’re creating a digital dream board, you can make a gorgeous collage on Canva. There are many templates to choose from, which is awesome!

7. Keep the dream board in a visible place.

After you’ve finished creating your dream board, make sure you keep it in a visible place. This way, you’ll be able to look at it often to derive inspiration! For example, I decided to keep my dream board in our bedroom.

In the mornings, I sometimes tend to wake up in a negative headspace because of my anxiety. The dream board is a nice reminder of my dreams, and it also calms my anxiety.

Despite waking up with an anxious mind, I end up feeling encouraged to work on my goals! It’s nice seeing all of my biggest dreams in one spot! I also love looking at the dream board before I go to sleep.

Other great places to keep a dream board are your office, kitchen, living room, or doorway! Test out different locations in your home, and see which one is most effective!

8. Check in with yourself.

Continue using your dream board as a visual reminder of your dreams. Look at it every day, and don’t forget to congratulate yourself for accomplishing your goals!

Check in with yourself as time goes on. After a month, does the dream board still inspire you? What about after six months, a year, or more?

Update the dream board as needed, so that it reflects your current goals!

You can also always create a new dream board! I had the dream board I made in college for so long. After graduation, creating a new dream board just felt right. I grew as a person, completed a few major goals on the board, and now had different goals! That’s the really cool thing about life! At the end of the day, we’re always growing and changing as people. 💓

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3 Vision Board Printables!

Feel free to click on the images to download the quote printables!  🌸

 

 

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Creating my Own Dream Board

Focus of my Dream Board

I made my dream board a little bit general, and focused on the semi-distant future. I not only found images and quotes that reflected some of my goals, but also thought about how I want to feel in the next few years. The answer is peaceful, happy, and confident in myself.

Photos of Loved Ones

Before anything else, I printed out a few photos of my family and Alejandro. My mom, Nonna, Jonathan, and Alejandro all hold a special place in my heart. They keep me motivated and support my dreams. I don’t know where I would be without them! Looking at those photos of us makes me feel like I’m home. 💗

Inspirational Quotes

I pinned the Nelson Mandela quote printable from Everything Etsy all the way at the top. He said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Often times, I catch myself using the word “impossible.”

I’ll especially use the word if I’m feeling uninspired, experiencing writer’s block, or dealing with anxiety. I wanted this quote to be very visible, so I remember that I can do anything I set my mind to!

I also added an Audrey Hepburn quote — “I still read fairy tales and I like them best of all.” For me, becoming a writer is my version of a fairy tale. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a little girl. I can’t see myself doing anything else!

This quote inspires me to keep reaching for the stars and following my fairy tale!

Self Care and Mindfulness 

Aside from those main quotes, I pinned a couple of messages about anxiety, mindfulness, and everyday happiness. Self care has become such a huge part of my life. I’ve also been trying to show gratitude for those little, everyday moments!

Wedding

Since I recently got engaged, of course I had to add a few wedding pictures to the board! Let the wedding planning begin! I was scrolling through The Knot and got so much wedding inspo!

Travel & Paris

Finally, I pinned a lot of pictures related to travel! Ever since I went to Cabo, I’ve been inspired to travel the world. I really want to visit France one day, especially Paris!

When I was a teenager, I told everyone that I was going to move to Paris and live in an apartment near the Eiffel Tower. This is still one of biggest dreams! As Ms. Audrey Hepburn would say, “Paris is always a good idea!”

Looking at my dream board has already motivated me so much! I love waking up and seeing all of those inspiring photos and quotes. If you are thinking of starting a dream board, I’d say please do it! It’s such a great way to visualize your goals and aspirations for the future! It’s also really fun!

I hope that you enjoyed this post, lovelies! Have a wonderful day! x

Have you ever made a dream board? Also, what are some of your biggest goals and dreams?