One good thing about the holiday season ending is that I can finally share some of the projects I created to give as gifts. Today, I have a bright and fun 2012 photo calendar I created as a gift to my mom. A photo calendar is sort of a tradition for me to give my mom each year. I fill it full of photos from the previous year (these photos are from 2011), and once she's done using it as a calendar, it serves as a small mini-album of sorts, which she keeps together on a shelf. This particular calendar is my favorite to date!
To create the calendar, I used:
- Sassafras papers and embellishments
- Almanac Template Pack by In the Making Designs
- Ikea Nyttja frame
You read that right, the base is actually an Ikea frame! I removed the plexiglass, added a sheet of patterned paper, punched holes into the backing with my Crop-a-Dial. I then threaded the binder rings through the holes and added the pages. It was the perfect solution for a calendar stand - it's sturdy and has a nice easel backing. I apologize for not having a side view shot so you could see how it's attached - I shot these photos at the last minute before Nate and I ran out the door to head back to PHX.
I tried to keep the pages consistent with one another by using similar embellishments, scalloped edging, buttons and twine on most pages. I had to adapt the digital calendar template ever so slightly for my format. Since I needed 4x6 prints, I resized the 5x7 tempates and added some additional space between the photo and the calendar itself so I would have room to add my embellishments.
When selecting photos, I tried to feature people on their birthday months and/or anniversary months. After choosing a photo for each month, I selected digital cardstock that matched the patterned paper I planned to use for that month and printed the photo/calendar. Matching the digital papers to the actual patterned paper was a little challenging, but I got most of them right on the first attempt!
Here's a look at the rest of the calendar:
I really love how this project turned out and I'm pretty sure my mom loved it too! I am actually considering making myself one for my desk at work to add some color and cheer. I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's 2012! Hats off to a great year :)
