Scrapbooking Calendars

Now that the Christmas hustle and bustle is over, it’s time to start thinking about the new year. I love this time of year and the opportunity it gives me to reflect on the year ahead and organize my life again. I have a large family, so when I think of organization, the first thing that comes to mind is our family calendar. We use it to keep track of everyone’s activities. I’d be lost without it—there’s way too much going on to remember it all.

So, on that note, today I’m going to give you some ideas on making calendars for the new year. Scrapbooking calendars are fun to make and also make great gifts. You can create a calendar using traditional scrapbooking methods, or design it digitally. There are many digital websites that have calendar templates available. Some even have the design done for you and you can just add in your own birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. Here is one created for your computer desktop for December. Just do a Google search for digital scrapbooking calendars and you'll find lots, and most of them are free!

For this blog, we are going to stick with making calendars using traditional methods. First, make a calendar template on your computer using any calendar software. There are a variety of templates available in Microsoft word. Add in special dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. If you use a calendar program such as Calendar Creator, it will carry your dates over from year to year. If you don’t have a program you want to use, check out SmartDraw.com or TimeAndDate.com.

After making the calendar at home, you can save it on a disk or thumb drive and take it to a copy store such as Kinko’s and have them enlarge it to whatever size you want. I like a 12x12 size. This gives me a full 12x12 space to scrapbook on for each month. Kinko’s can also add a spiral binding. Another, even simpler, option is to purchase a blank calendar from your local craft store. They are available in a variety of sizes. The only disadvantage to this is you have to handwrite details on the calendar pages.

Now it’s time to decide what you want on each page. One fun idea is to use pictures taken during that month from the previous year. Make sure they are themed, such as snow pictures for winter, swimming pictures for the summer months, and maybe pictures in leaves for the fall. Another idea is to include pictures of family members who have a birthday or anniversary that month.

Now for the fun part, create your pages just as you would create a scrapbook page. Cover your design area with patterned paper. If you are using a 12x12 calendar you can use a whole sheet, otherwise trim it to the desired size. Add photographs, matting, stickers and embellishments. Pretty much anything you would put in a regular scrapbook can be used on a calendar also. You don’t need to feel like they are wasted, because when the year is over, you can cut off the binding and put the pages in an album.

I hope this has given you a few ideas for making your own scrapbook calendar. Have fun with it. In a few short hours you should be able to create something you can use and enjoy all year long. Once you make one, you will keep your eye out this year for fun photo opportunities for next year’s calendar.

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