The beginning of a new year is a great time for fresh starts, including hanging up a fresh, new calendar! While paper calendars used to be the standard in keeping track of your schedule, they’re not as necessary now that every smartphone has a calendar app. But I still like to hang a least one paper calendar somewhere in the house, not least because there are so many cute ones to choose from! :-)
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But once you’re ready to hang up that fresh, new calendar, you’re faced with a dilemma… what should you do with your old calendar?? I was facing this exact dilemma yesterday, and I was stubbornly unwilling to just toss it out. Instead, I poked around the internet for some ideas, and came up with 7 great uses for old calendar pages that you are going to love!
So go ahead and hang up that new calendar, but keep the old one handy too. There is plenty of creative potential hiding in those pages! :-)
7 Things You Can Do With Your Old Calendar
1. Make A Notebook
Repurpose an old calendar page as the cover for a small notebook! Here’s how to do it:
- Gather your supplies. You’ll need a calendar page, some filler paper, embroidery floss, a needle, a pair of scissors, and some washi tape.
- Trim your calendar page so that it’s just a bit larger than the size of your filler paper.
- Stack the calendar page on top of the filler paper and fold them in half, so the calendar page forms the cover. Using the needle and embroidery floss, sew 3 small stitches along the fold to hold the pages together.
- Finally, use a piece of washi tape to decorate the binding.
2. Decorate Gifts
You could use a large calendar page to wrap a small gift! Or you can use a tag punch to turn it into cute gift tags.
3. Make Postcards
Make pretty postcards by glueing your best calendar pages to a postcard-sized piece of cardboard. Write a short message on the back and send it to someone you love! (If your new year’s resolution is to reconnect with family and friends, this project makes a great two-for-one!) :-)
4. Make A Gallery Wall
If your calendar has several cute pages that are too cute to toss out, use them to make a gallery wall display! All you need are some frames, and maybe some scissors to trim the calendar pages to size.
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Our photographer Kaitlyn used her old Rifle Paper Co. calendar to make a gallery display, and she couldn’t get over how easy it was! Here’s what she had to say:
5. Mod Podge Everything
Use your old calendar pages to make all kinds of Mod Podge projects! You could make a set of drink coasters, cover a large initial from a craft store, cover a notebook, and much more!
6. Make Candle Votives
Use your old calendar pages to make some pretty candle votives. Just grab some Mod Podge and a sponge brush, and attach part of your calendar page. Let it dry thoroughly before using!
7. Donate Them
If you don’t end up using your old calendar pages yourself, consider donating them. Elementary schools and other programs for kids will often gladly accept donations of art supplies. Your old calendar pages can be cut up and used in collages, presentations, and art projects!
I love my calendars. When I was a teacher (retired now) I would use my calendars to direct my classroom. I used many pictures to high light the topics we were covering. Sight and sound excellent teaching tools
I’ve used old calendars and turned them into puzzles. I cut them into squares that match the days of the week. It’s fun to put the pictures back together in a unique way….. since all puzzles pieces are the same size. This puzzlesdoes not have interlocking pieces.. so we create our own patterns. There is no wrong way to reassemble.
Thanks for the suggestions…..
They make beautiful and unique envelopes.
I keep the really nice calendars, they are so expensive. Then the next Year coming up, I check what year had the same calendar, then reuse it! I’m looking at the date, not the year. Get more mileage out of my calendars!
Wow! I I thought I was the only one doing that!! Some calendars are just too beautiful to toss them after just one use.
so do I!!+
I use them to frame and send the state photos to friends out of state
My favorite aunt ever kept a diary on her calendar. She wrote price of gasoline, weather, significant happenings, etc. I love looking back at it. It is a treasured item to me.
That is such a creative, beautiful, brilliant, & sacred thing for her to have done. Thank you for sharing your aunt’s very special, unique, & so endearing calendar keepsake idea that’s literally a timeless, priceless gift. Be Blessed !!!
You can also make beautiful paper beads. Many tuturials on the web.
Love your site!
GREAT ideas, Jillee! Thank you. :-) Here are a couple more ideas….you can make a box out of an old calendar pages as well as envelopes and gift bags. There are tons of videos on youtube to show you how. I love making little gift boxes. :-)
Just take a pair of scissors and cut out the pictures. Or give to kids to cut out the pictures, good indoor fun.
Great ideas. I had one several years ago that had impressionistic art. I saved the pictures. We used them when we did a makeover for my bedroom.