DIY calendar

For the past few weeks, we’ve spent most of our free time (which less face it, it’s pretty much nonexistent) putting the finishing touches on my office work space downstairs. I don’t actually know whether to call it an office or a craft room. It’s really a little of both. As we finish projects, I’ll be sharing some of my favorites on the blog, and I’ll be sharing the whole space, too!

One thing I knew I wanted was an editorial calendar to keep track of blog posts for both my personal blog and Every Day Cheer. I know Google has a fantastic calendar that syncs with my phone and can be accessed anywhere, but I’m a paper and pencil girl. I like to look at it and be able to put my hands on it. I also know that blog content tends to get moved around depending on when sponsored posts come back to me from editors, and when I need to stick a review or giveaway in the mix.

I did a good bit of brainstorming before coming up with the final product, but I must say that it turned out exactly as I had envisioned. It’s also fully functional and on the wall right beside my desk, so I can look over at it while I’m working and see my schedule at a quick glance.

The calendar is good for five weeks, at the end of each week, I just pull those stickies off and move everything up. I mark the actual date on the sticky note, it’s easy to mark through if things change, and I don’t have to worry about rewriting the dates on the actual white board.

Here’s the thing, you can use this same calendar template for so many other things in your home. You could color coordinate the sticky notes for different members of your family, or whatever your personal schedule lends itself to.

The process is quick and easy, here’s how the wall calendar came to life.

I started with white board we already had and removed the trim for the actual calendar. You can have Lowe’s or Home Depot cut a piece of shower board for you for a fraction of the cost of a white board. If you want it to be magnetic, I would just go with a white board from an office supply store. You can choose your size and remove the frame for this project, it’s an easy step and pops right off without much force. For reference we used a 35″x23″ white board for the project.

Start by measuring your grid lines for the calendar. I just created a calendar grid to one side, and used the extra space for ideas, you could even use it as a notes section. I knew that each of my squares needed to accommodate a standard sized Post-It! note, so I used that as a guide for creating the grid. I used washi tape to create the grid lines.

Once your grid is complete, use your board to mark the trim and cut the pieces to size to ensure an accurate fit.

Hold the dry erase board in place and trace around the entire board, giving yourself a guide for attaching the trim pieces. Attach all four sides and corner pieces to the wall using finishing nails.

Using adhesive caulk, glue the dry erase board in place. Fill in nail holes and joints with caulk and paint to finish the board. I used the Silhouette to cut out the words for the calendar.

Once the board has dried and the final coat of paint has been applied, you’re ready to start planning!