• 120 ideas

Mini Drawing Ideas for Margins, Planners and Sticky Notes

One subject small enough for a planner box, with the few strokes it needs and the single detail worth keeping.

Mini Drawing Ideas for Margins, Planners and Sticky Notes

All 120
  1. Calendar page with one date circledA square, a thick top band, two binding ticks, a grid of dots. Circle just one dot.

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All 120 ideas

Planner icons 26

  • Aeroplane window with a cloud for flight days A rounded rectangle inside another, a half-drawn blind, one small cloud. Reads as travel at once.
  • Bus seen from the front for commute days A rounded square, a wide windscreen, two dot headlights, a number box. Front-on needs no wheels.
  • Calendar page with one date circled A square, a thick top band, two binding ticks, a grid of dots. Circle just one dot.
  • Coin with a star for pay day Two circles, one just inside the other, and a star. A short curve behind turns it into a stack.
  • Comb and scissors crossed for a haircut An X of two shapes: a bar with teeth, and two loops with blades. Keep the comb to six teeth.
  • Dumbbell for gym day Two fat rounded blocks on a short bar. Fill the weights solid so the icon reads as one dark shape.
  • Frying pan with an egg for meal planning A circle, a stick handle, a smaller wobbly circle inside with a filled yolk.
  • Glass of water for a hydration tracker A tapered cup and one wavy fill line. Draw a row of eight and colour one in per glass.
  • House key on a ring for moving day A round bow with a hole, a shaft, two teeth. Fill the bow solid to give it weight.
  • Laundry basket with a sock hanging over the rim A bucket shape with three upright slots. The one draped sock does all the explaining.
  • Moon in four phases for a sleep log Four circles in a row: empty, half, nearly full, full. Fill the dark part solid black.
  • Mop and bucket for cleaning day A bucket trapezoid with a handle arc, a stick leaning out of it, a few loops on the end.
  • Paw print for the vet or the walk One rounded triangle pad and four oval toes, all filled solid. It survives even at 1 cm.
  • Postage stamp with a wavy postmark for post to send A small rectangle edged in tiny scallops, a wavy postmark across one corner. Leave the picture blank.
  • Price tag on a loop of string for presents to buy A rectangle with two clipped corners and a punched hole. The string is one loop; a filled heart goes on the tag.
  • Receipt curling at the foot for budget day A narrow strip with a zigzag top, four short dashes for lines and a curl at the foot. One bold line for the total.
  • Running shoe seen from the side A wedge with a curved toe, a thick sole line and three lace ticks. The sole line carries it.
  • Shopping basket with a baguette poking out A trapezoid, two crossed grid lines, a handle arc. One diagonal stick is the bread.
  • Slice of cake with one candle for birthdays A wedge from the side, one wavy icing line, one candle. Three layers is too many at 2 cm.
  • Stack of three books for library day Three thin rectangles, slightly offset, a curved spine end on each. No titles: they turn to mud.
  • Suitcase with a luggage tag for travel days A rounded rectangle, a handle arc, two straps. The tag is a dot on a string; leave the wheels off.
  • Telephone handset for calls to make A thick C with a lump at each end, filled solid. Two small arcs beside it show ringing.
  • Ticked box with a pencil for exam days A square with a tick breaking out of it and a short pencil lying beside. Under ten strokes in all.
  • Tooth with a sparkle for the dentist One outline: a rounded crown dipping to two stubby roots. A four-point sparkle beside it says clean.
  • Watering can tipping out three drops A trapezoid body, a loop handle, a straight spout. Three drops, the largest one last.
  • Wheelie bin for collection day A tall box wider at the top, a lid line and one wheel. Four strokes and a circle.

Cute with a face 26

  • Ant carrying a crumb, drawn life size Three filled ovals, six bent legs, two feelers, one white dot eye. The crumb overhead is a lumpy outline.
  • Avocado half with a smiling stone A pear outline, a second outline inside, a circle stone. The face goes on the stone.
  • Bear face built from three circles One big circle, two small ears, an oval muzzle with a filled nose. Eyes level with the muzzle top.
  • Bunny made from a bean and two loops A bean body lying down, two long loop ears, a dot tail. One dot eye; skip the whiskers.
  • Chick peeking out of half an eggshell A circle head above a zigzag shell edge. Triangle beak, dot eyes, two hairs on top.
  • Cloud with stubby legs going for a walk A four-bump cloud on two short stick legs with oval shoes. Dot eyes and a small smile.
  • Frog face peeking over a ruled line A straight line, a wide bump above it, two smaller bumps on top for eyes. Only the top half exists.
  • Goldfish in a round bowl A circle with a flat top and a wavy water line. The fish is one oval and one triangle.
  • Grain of rice with a smile, drawn life size A capsule about 8 mm long. Two dot eyes and one tick smile are all that fit, which is the joke.
  • Hedgehog as a dome of short spikes A flat-bottomed dome edged in short zigzags, with a pointed snout and a filled nose.
  • Ladybird with a split back and four dots A half circle, a line down the middle, a filled head cap, two dots on each side.
  • Long-necked dinosaur with three back plates A bean body, a long neck, a tiny head, three triangles on the back. Stub legs; the smile is one tick.
  • Mouse holding a wedge of cheese A teardrop body, two big round ears, a long tail. The cheese is a triangle with two holes.
  • Mushroom with dot eyes under its cap A half-circle cap on a stubby stem, eyes tucked right under the brim. Three spots and no more.
  • Octopus with four curly arms showing A dome head and four curls along the bottom. Eight will not fit at 2 cm and nobody counts.
  • Owl as an oval with two huge ringed eyes An oval, two ear tufts, two circles that touch, filled pupils. A small V beak between them.
  • Peanut with two low dot eyes A figure-of-eight outline with a few dimple ticks. Eyes on the lower half, set wide. No mouth needed.
  • Penguin shaped like an egg An egg outline, a curve inside for the white belly, a tiny diamond beak. Fill the back solid.
  • Potted cactus waving one arm A tall rounded column with two bent arms, one raised. Short ticks for spines, a trapezoid pot.
  • Sloth hanging from the top edge of the page Use the paper's edge or a ruled line as the branch. Two long arms, an oval body, a mask-shaped face.
  • Snail with a spiral shell and eye stalks One spiral on a slug-shaped foot, two stalks ending in dots. Draw the spiral from the centre out.
  • Steaming dumpling with a pleated top A half moon with five short pleat ticks along the curve, dot eyes set low, three steam lines.
  • Strawberry with a leafy hat and dot seeds A rounded heart shape, a zigzag leaf cap, six seed ticks. The face sits in the lower half.
  • Tadpole with a white dot eye A filled oval and one wavy tail line, life size. Leave a white dot for the eye, or add it after with a gel pen.
  • Tea bag with a face on its tag A small square pouch, a string, a tag. The face goes on the tag, where two dots and a tick just fit.
  • Thumbprint-sized ghost waving one arm A rounded arch with a wavy hem, one stubby arm, two dot eyes set low. Low eyes are what make it cute.

Nature and weather 24

  • Acorn wearing a cross-hatched cap An egg shape with a cap and a stub stalk. Cross-hatch only the cap and leave the nut white.
  • Comet with a three-line tail A filled dot and three lines behind it that taper to nothing. Tilt the whole thing.
  • Crescent moon hooked round one star Two offset arcs meeting in points. Fill the moon solid and leave the star as white paper beside it.
  • Daisy with a filled centre A solid dot, then eight loop petals round it. Draw opposite petals in pairs to keep it even.
  • Dandelion clock losing three seeds A dot, fine lines out to a ring of tiny ticks. Three seeds drift off, each a line with a V on top.
  • Dewdrop hanging from a grass blade One long curved blade and one teardrop at its tip. Leave a small window of white in the drop for the shine.
  • Feather with one notch missing A curved spine, a leaf-shaped outline, one V gap cut in the edge. Barbs are a few slanted ticks.
  • Fern frond curling at the tip One curved spine ending in a spiral, with short leaflets each side that shrink toward the tip.
  • Five-star constellation joined with a ruler Five dots in two sizes, joined by ruled lines. A tiny four-point sparkle on the brightest.
  • Ginkgo leaf shaped like a fan A fan with a small notch in its top edge and a thin stalk. A few veins radiate from the stalk.
  • Lavender sprig tied with a bow A straight stem with pairs of small ovals climbing it and closing to a point. Bow a third of the way up.
  • Lightning bolt dropping from a small cloud A zigzag of three strokes with a filled point. Keep the cloud smaller than the bolt.
  • Mountain pair with zigzag snow caps Two overlapping triangles, a zigzag near each peak. Shade one side of each with parallel lines.
  • Oak leaf with a single centre vein A wavy lobed outline and one line up the middle. Side veins clog at this size.
  • Pine tree from three stacked triangles Largest triangle at the bottom, each overlapping the next, a short trunk. Fill it or leave it, never half.
  • Rain cloud with three slanting drops A three-bump cloud on a flat base. The drops are teardrops on a slant, never upright lines.
  • Scallop shell with five ribs A fan on a small hinge bar, with five lines running from the hinge to a scalloped edge.
  • Snowflake from three crossed lines Three lines through one point make six arms. Add one V tick near each tip and stop there.
  • Sprout with two leaves pushing through soil A short curved stem, two teardrop leaves, a mound line with three soil dots.
  • Stack of three balanced pebbles Three flattened ovals, largest at the bottom, a little off centre. A ground line and a shadow dash.
  • Sun rising over a ruled line A half circle sitting on the line, with short rays of two lengths by turns.
  • Toadstool pair, one tall and one short Two domes on stems, leaning apart. Spots as open circles, a few grass ticks at the base.
  • Tulip on a bent stem A U with a three-point zigzag top, a curved stem, one long leaf. Six strokes.
  • Wave curling over on itself One line that rises, curls forward and tucks under, plus three foam dots. It is nearly a letter.

Pocket objects 28

  • Anchor with a ring at the top A ring, a shaft, a crossbar, then a wide smile curve with a barb at each end.
  • Bicycle from two circles and a diamond frame Two circles, a diamond frame, handlebars, a saddle. Spokes are a cross in each wheel and no more.
  • Button with four holes and a thread cross Two circles, four dots, an X of thread across the dots. Done in seven marks.
  • Candle stub on a saucer with one drip A short cylinder, one wax drip down the side, a flame. The saucer is a flat ellipse.
  • Closed umbrella leaning on its hook A long thin teardrop, a J handle, a strap round the middle. Far easier small than an open one.
  • Hot-air balloon with three stripes A lightbulb shape, three curved stripes, a tiny square basket hanging on two lines.
  • Hourglass half run through Two triangles tip to tip between two bars. Fill the top half way and pile a small mound below.
  • Kite with a bow-tied tail A diamond with a cross inside, a wavy string, three bow ties spaced along it.
  • Lightbulb with a looped filament A circle running into a short neck, two base lines, a filament like a small w. Rays are optional.
  • Little bell tied with a bow A dome flaring to a lip, a clapper dot below it, a bow on top.
  • Little camera with a round lens and a strap A rectangle with a bump on top, a circle inside a circle, a filled flash square. The strap is one loop.
  • Message in a corked bottle A bottle on its side, a rolled scroll inside, a filled cork. Two short wave lines under it.
  • Padlock with a filled keyhole A square body, a U shackle, a keyhole made of a dot and a wedge. Fill the keyhole solid.
  • Pair of glasses, folded Two rounded squares joined by a bridge, the arms crossing behind. Leave the lenses empty.
  • Paper plane leaving a dashed loop trail A long triangle with one fold line. The dashed loop-the-loop behind it is what makes it fly.
  • Paperclip drawn in one stroke Three nested U turns without lifting the pen. Keep the gaps even or it turns into a spiral.
  • Pencil stub worn down to the ferrule A short barrel, a metal band, a rounded eraser, a cone tip with a filled point.
  • Pocket compass with a half-filled needle Two circles, four tick marks, a diamond needle with one half filled solid.
  • Pushpin seen from the side A flat cap, a waisted body, a wider collar and a pin line. Four shapes stacked.
  • Ring with a faceted stone A circle band, a small five-sided gem on top with three facet lines, two sparkle ticks.
  • Safety pin, closed One long loop with a coil at one end and a rounded cap at the other. A single line plus one fill.
  • Sailboat on two wave lines A shallow hull, a mast, one big triangle sail and one small. Two short waves under the hull.
  • Single match with a teardrop flame A thin stick, a filled oval head, a flame of two curves. A smaller flame inside if there is room.
  • Spool of thread with a needle stuck through A cylinder between two flanges, parallel lines for thread, a needle on the diagonal.
  • Teacup on a saucer with one curl of steam Half a circle on a flat ellipse, a C handle. The steam is one S, not three.
  • Thimble with rows of dimples A flat-topped dome with a rolled rim. Three rows of dots follow the curve. Draw it at its real size.
  • Tiny house with a smoking chimney A square, a triangle roof, a door, one window. The smoke is three shrinking loops.
  • Wristwatch with two hands and four ticks A circle on two tapered strap bands, two hands, four tick marks. Skip the numerals.

Margin borders and dividers 16

  • Arrow that ties itself in a knot A line with a loop in the middle, fletching at one end, a filled head at the other. Aim it at a heading.
  • Bunting flags on a sagging string A shallow curve with triangles hanging from it. Fill every other flag.
  • City skyline one centimetre tall One continuous line up and down: flat roofs, a spire, a dome, a water tower. Window dots go in last.
  • Dashed flight path with a plane at the end A long looping dashed line across the top margin. The plane is one small triangle.
  • Fairy lights looping along a wire A loose scalloped line with a teardrop bulb at each dip. Colour the bulbs in a repeating order.
  • Heartbeat line with one heart in it Flat line, sharp up, sharp down, flat, then the line loops into a heart and carries on.
  • Laurel divider with a dot in the centre Two curved sprigs mirrored, leaves pointing outward, meeting at a centre dot. Sits well under a heading.
  • Line of marching ants turning a corner Each ant is three filled dots in a row with six ticks for legs. Send them round the page corner.
  • Mountain range in a single zigzag An uneven zigzag with a second, fainter one behind it. Three birds as tiny ticks above.
  • Paw prints walking off the page Pairs of prints, left and right, staggered. Let the paper's edge cut the last one in half.
  • Row of five potted plants, no two alike Same pot five times: a cactus, a trailing vine, a spiky one, a round one, a sprout.
  • Running stitch with a threaded needle Even dashes along the margin, ending in a needle with a loop of thread through its eye.
  • Scalloped lace edge A row of half circles along a ruled line, a dot in each, a smaller scallop row inside.
  • Stars hanging on strings of different lengths Upright lines dropping from the top edge with a star on each. Vary the lengths and fill a few stars.
  • Vine with leaves on alternate sides One wavy line down the margin, a teardrop leaf at every bend, left then right.
  • Washing line of tiny socks and shirts A string between two posts, each garment pegged on with a dot. Four items fill a margin.

How it works

A planner box is about 2 cm wide, and most subjects turn to mud at that size. All 120 of these mini drawing ideas survive it, and each hint names the few strokes needed and the one detail worth keeping. Five groups sort them: planner icons, cute faces, nature, pocket objects and margin borders. All are tiny things to draw in any pen.

Read the full guide

What survives at two centimetres

Silhouette first, then one detail. At 2 cm a 0.5 mm pen line is a fortieth of the drawing's width, so side veins and whiskers close up into mud. Oak leaf with a single centre vein gets exactly one. Solid black reads better than hatching, so the paw print and the dumbbell are filled. The best mini things to draw are nearly letters: the curling wave is one line.

Planner boxes, margins and sticky notes

The 26 planner icons each mark a real task: a wheelie bin for collection day, a tooth for the dentist, a row of eight water glasses to colour in. The 16 borders repeat along an edge, like the marching ants that turn the page corner. A typical square sticky note is 3 inches across, about 76 mm, so nine of these tiny art ideas fit in a three by three grid.

  • Use a 0.1 to 0.3 mm fineliner. Gel pens and felt tips spread on thin planner paper and flood the gaps.
  • Rule a 2 cm pencil square first. Without it a small drawing creeps up to 5 cm.
  • Draw the same icon five times in a row. By the fifth, the padlock is a symbol your hand knows.

Questions and answers

Which are the cute tiny things to draw?

Choose Cute with a face for 26, among them Thumbprint-sized ghost waving one arm and Grain of rice with a smile, drawn life size. At this scale a face is two dots and a tick, and eyes set low do most of the work. Ant carrying a crumb, drawn life size needs no shrinking at all.

Do these work as mini art ideas for gift tags?

Yes. A gift tag is about the size these were planned for. Pocket objects suit tags best: Little bell tied with a bow, Kite with a bow-tied tail, Ring with a faceted stone. For a card front, repeat one drawing twelve times and colour a single one.

What timer length suits drawings this small?

Switch the clock from the five minutes it opens on to 30 seconds or one minute. Ten one-minute rounds fill a margin, and the short limit helps: it stops you adding the whiskers and side veins that close up at 2 cm.

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