How To Swap Out Your Personal Organizer's Ring Mechanism
3 min reading time
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a planner except for the ring color — you’re not alone. We’ve all been there: the perfect layout, the dreamiest leather, and then… silver rings when your heart was set on gold, or vice-versa. Good news: depending on your planner, swapping out your ring mechanism might be totally possible — even if it’s riveted in.
Let’s break it down
First, What’s a Ring Mechanism?
The ring mechanism is that shiny metal spine inside your six-ring planner — the part that holds your inserts together. It’s usually secured to the planner with either rivets or screws:
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Screw-in rings are easy to swap. If your ring planner has tiny screws on either end of the mechanism, you're golden (quite literally, if you're upgrading).
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Riveted rings, like the ones in most ring planners (pictured below), aren’t made to be removed easily — but they can be replaced with a little DIY action.
Can You Replace Riveted Rings?
Short answer: yes and no! While you can remove rivets and install new ones, they aren't made to be removed or replaced easily. Here’s how you can replace your rivets:
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Drill them out carefully (a precision drill and patience are your friends here).
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Line up your new ring mechanism, making sure the spacing matches the original holes.
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Attach it using Chicago screws or other small screws and washers that fit well.
It sounds intense, but it's been done before and if you really want to customize your dream setup, it might be worth the effort.
Where Do You Get Replacement Rings?
There are shops online that sell ring mechanisms in different metals, sizes, and styles. Etsy is a popular choice, and many listings come with the screws you’ll need.
Two things before you order:
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Double-check the length of your planner's ring mechanism.
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Make sure the ring spacing is compatible with your planner.
Watch It In Action:
Here’s a tutorial to walk you through the process...
Is It Worth It?
If your planner is your everyday essential (and you want it to match your aesthetic down to the details), then yes — 100%. A ring swap lets you keep the cover you love while customizing the hardware to make it truly yours. It’s also a fun weekend project.
If you tried this at home, let us know in the comments how it went. We'd love to see the result!
