5 Tips to Design a Productive Monthly Dashboard in Your Hobonichi Cousin Using the Violet Frost Dashboard Kit

Designing a productive monthly dashboard in your Hobonichi Cousin isn’t just about arranging stickers—it’s about creating a functional, inspiring snapshot of your month that’s uniquely tailored to your life. With the Violet Frost Dashboard Kit from Dark Moon Paper, you have a thoughtfully crafted set of tools designed to complement the distinct A5 layout of the Hobonichi Cousin. Here are our top five tips, developed from our experience working with planners and our customer community, to help you make the most of your dashboard and genuinely boost your productivity (and joy!).

1. Start With an Intentional Dashboard Structure

Before you peel and stick anything, reflect on your true priorities for the month. Are you tracking habits? Working toward a big goal? Managing a busy family or multiple projects? By taking a beat to set your intentions, you can customize your dashboard layout for real life—not just what looks pretty on Instagram.

• Top zone: Reserve this space for an inspiring quote, a monthly mantra, or your main focus. The Violet Frost Dashboard Kit contains headers and decorative washi to make this area shine.
• Left side: Use columns or checklists for recurring tasks, habit tracking, or self-care challenges. These are the tasks that anchor your month.
• Center: This is the heart of your dashboard—dedicate it to your monthly goals, projects, or highlights. Violet Frost includes functional boxes and banners for this purpose, so you can spotlight what matters most.
• Right side: Prioritize by using to-do flags, icons, or a gratitude log. Function and beauty really can co-exist here!

2. Layer Functional and Decorative Elements (Without the Clutter)

The magic of a productive dashboard is harmony between functionality and beauty. We designed the Violet Frost kit with both in mind—a cohesive color palette of dreamy lavender, indigo, and frosted blue, plus plenty of ample white space for jotting notes.

• Start with the basics: Place your foundational stickers first—headers, calendar overlays, trackers. Use the included washi strips along the top or sides to frame your content, giving the dashboard visual boundaries.
• Add in functional icons: Use icons for appointments, bills, or self-care (whatever’s most relevant to you). Mixing icons with written tasks makes information pop at a glance.
• Finish with deco touches: Our Violet Frost kit features delicate snowflakes, frost patterns, and soft winter botanicals. Place these sparingly in corners or in white space, so your dashboard remains clean, open, and inviting.

3. Use Color Coding for Instant Organization

Color coding isn’t just a visual treat—it’s a powerful tool for mental clarity, especially on a busy monthly dashboard. With Violet Frost’s harmonious palette, you can easily assign a color to each area of your life (work, personal, health, family, etc.).

• Assign sticker colors: For example, lavender for self-care, frosty blue for work projects, navy for social or appointments. This keeps your dashboard organized without a second thought.
• Pair with pen colors: If you love fountain pens or gel pens, coordinate ink colors with sticker hues for ultimate cohesion.
• Highlight special days: Use bolder colors or foil-accented stickers to call out deadlines or special occasions (the kit includes standout banner stickers for this purpose).

4. Schedule Regular Dashboard Reviews

Your dashboard is only as powerful as your commitment to using it! Block a few minutes at the start or end of each week to update, decorate, and review your monthly spread. Celebrate the wins, adjust the plan, enjoy the process.

• Habit trackers: Check in and mark off completed habits weekly. Use the kit’s tiny dots or checklists for satisfying tracking.
• Memory keeping: The blank spaces on your dashboard are perfect for a quick doodle, a quote, or even a sticker memory from the month.
• Goal resets: If you’ve drifted from your original focus, don’t be afraid to peel up and reposition a sticker, or layer new ones—it’s your dashboard.

5. Make It Uniquely Yours—But Easy to Recreate

The best dashboards are the ones you’ll actually use—not just this month, but all year. The Violet Frost Dashboard Kit is intentionally versatile, with modular elements you can rearrange for future months (or even different planners, if you want to experiment!).

• Mix and match: Don’t hesitate to combine Violet Frost with other kits, washi, or markers. Your planner is a living, evolving space.
• Save your layout: Snap a photo of your favorite dashboard. Next month, you can quickly replicate (or riff off) a layout that worked well.
• Experiment with dashboard kit elements: Try using the decorative boxes as mini habit trackers, or the smaller icons for gratitude points. The more you experiment, the better you’ll discover what truly supports your goals and inspires you daily.

A Sample Violet Frost Dashboard Workflow

Here’s how we love to set up a dashboard using the kit, step-by-step:

1. Place a large cover sticker along the top for your monthly header.
2. Add a sidebar checklist for recurring tasks and routines.
3. Create a central goals section with one of the kit’s banner boxes.
4. Sprinkle in color-coded icons for appointments, paydays, and deadlines.
5. Use washi strips to subtly divide sections.
6. Fill in remaining space with affirmations or motivational deco.

Bonus: Keep the Core Tools Handy

The Violet Frost Dashboard Kit is crafted from high-quality matte sticker paper for smooth writing and easy repositioning (trust us, we test these in our personal planners!). Be sure to keep your favorite pens, a small ruler, and a pair of tweezers nearby for precision placement—you’ll breeze through setup week after week.

Ready to Make Dashboard Design the Best Part of Your Month?

Your planner is a canvas, and your dashboard is where productivity and creativity meet. We hope these tips help you design a dashboard in your Hobonichi Cousin that’s as efficient as it is beautiful. Looking for inspiration or ready to grab your own kit?

• Shop the Violet Frost Dashboard Kit for Hobonichi Cousin

And if you crave more coordinating options, check out our full Violet Frost collection—from weekly kits to monthly cover pages, everything is designed to harmonize for a truly stunning planning experience.

Here’s to a new month of creativity, clarity, and calm! Happy planning from all of us at Dark Moon Paper.