Make Your Own Easel Calendar

Hi Everybody,

I know you're probably all getting ready for Thanksgiving, but Christmas is just around the corner and knocking at the door!

Today I want to show you how to make some easel calendars for the coming new year.  These make great stocking stuffers or small gifts for someone special on your Christmas list.  Here are some of the calendars I made for family members last Christmas.  

Start with a plain piece of card stock which is 4 ¼” x 11”.  Score this at 2 ¾” and 5 ½”.  You need to pre-fold all the score lines.  So first fold the paper at the 5 ½” score giving it a good crease.  Unfold that and fold at the 2 ¾” score giving it a good crease.   This creates the easel card base.  So you have something that looks like this: 

Now it’s time to decorate the top front of the easel calendar.  Take a 4x6 piece of card stock and just use some of your scrap papers, embellishments or even Project Life cards.  You can decorate this any way you want.  Personalize it for the person who will be receiving it. See my pictures for some ideas. Have fun with it.  Imagine it being a small scrap booking layout.  

When you are finished decorating and embellishing your 4x6 piece of paper, you will need to attach it to the 4 ¼” x 11” piece of card stock which you previously folded and scored.  Lay this piece of paper out flat and apply adhesive to the section of the paper that is folded and scored at 2 ¾”.  This is the section that is at the very end of your long piece of card stock.  Adhere the 4x6 paper so it looks something like this:

The calendar will be at the base.  The thickness of the calendar also helps to hold the easel part in place.  To make the calendars, I used the Calendar Wizard in Microsoft Word.  Open Microsoft Word.  Click on File -> New.  This opens a new window on your screen.  Look for the tab that says  "Other Documents".  Double click the Calendar Wizard.  Follow the steps in the wizard to create your calendar.  I was able to put 6 months on each page.  Then I cut them down to size, stapled them together and adhered them to the bottom part of my calendar.  You can always buy your calendars, too.  If you don’t have Microsoft Word or would rather not deal with making your own calendars, there is a web site which has free printables.  There is a calendar or two that would probably work for these easel calendars: 

http://www.printable2015calendars.com/preview/2015_Vertical_Scrapbook_Calendar_Cards

Instead of a calendar, you could always put a sentiment like Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, or Happy New Year to make it an easel card instead. 

If these instructions seem to confusing, there are quite a few tutorials on youtube.  Just search on easel calendars.  Happy creating and Happy Thanksgiving!

  Sandi Chromey
  Creative Team Member of SCRAP YOUR SCRAPS