Making A Perpetual Calendar
Hey there!
When I was researching planners for 2016 (yes, 12 months ago!), I kept coming across perpetual calendars. The idea of a calendar that you can use every year that's cute and compact is always a win. While I love decorating a planner every week, some people just like turning a page to get to the next day. This DIY is for them.
Once I decided that I wanted to return to the perpetual calendar idea, I began looking at all the types of perpetual calendars. You could have a wall one, a wooden one, an index card type or even one on a stick. You and your imagination can come up with something pretty fantastic. Once I saw a calendar made from a shadow box frame, my mind was made up.
I was very lucky and found a shadow box frame that is a thick enough frame and perfect size at the Dollar Tree. It already has cording and a mini clothes pin to hang things. I want the numbers turned the other way so I'll use my own cording.
Other than that, it was so simple. You can make one in 15 minutes!
What you need is ...
* A boxed picture frame or shadow box
* A sheet of scrapbook paper for your background
* Two or three complementary pieces of paper for the date tags
* Three clothes pins for hanging your date tags
* Scissors, cord and glue
1. Decide what type of paper you'd like for the back of your calendar and what paper you'd like for your date tags.
2. My boxed frame came with a wire and clothes pin. I decided to use my own cording because I wanted pink wire instead of the black wire. And, because I liked the clothes pin idea, I used some rose colored clothes pins that were left over from my Halloween goodies. You can find clothes pins at your local craft store for little of nothing.
3. Remove the back of the frame and measure your backing paper to the frame.
4. Glue your paper to your frame backing. I am normally a Scor-tape kind of girl but for this project I used glue. I find that a liquid adhesive is forgiving and gives you time to adjust the paper to the backing before it dries.
5. String your clothes pins through your cording. There is a small hole where the metal clamp coils. That's where you string your cording through.
6. Make sure that your cording is taunt and tape it to the back. The reason for threading your clothes pins first is so that you can allow for the extra room that the clothes pins will need.
7. Decide how you will cut your tags. You can purchase precut tags from your local craft store. You can do like I did and use a tag die cut if you have a die cutting machine. Or, you can cut paper in the shape of die tags or any other shape that you'd like. Squares, rectangles, diamonds, tags, whatever you'd like works.
8. You will need to cut 25 tags (27 or 28 to play it safe in case you make a mistake). You need January - December (12), 0 - 3 (4) and 1 - 9 (9).
9. Decide how you want add your dates to your tags. I chose to use alphabet/number stickers from my local craft store. You may decide to freehand yours or use stamps if you have them. For me, stickers were the easiest method. I got away with using 2 packs of stickers. You may want to pick up 3 packs just in case. You can always return others or use them for something else.
Set up is so easy -- everything just falls into place. If you are life me, you'll stand up and pat yourself on the back when you're finished with this project.
You definitely have to let me know if you tried this project. Tag me on Instagram and show me your perpetual calendar skills!
