A New Use for Old Calendars

Do you still use paper calendars? 

I keep one in my office to track deadlines and reminders. I like that I can immediately see the whole month in a glance. Apart from its utilitarian purpose, I'm partial to calendars with dreamy photos (like a faraway beach or a majestic mountain range) and whimsical illustrations. 

This is an old calendar by Rifle Paper Co. (they produce a new version every year). On each month, there's a playful map of a city. Some, I've been lucky enough to have visited:

And others that I still dream of crossing off my travel list:

I chose one city that holds a special place in my heart:

What's not to love about Rome? The hearty food, the decadent gelato, the historic sites, breathtaking churches, and the stunning landscapes...okay, you caught me drooling there. But I do love Rome!

So I chose this print and cut out the calendar part. 

I got this picture frame at the dollar store. I like it for the price and it's made of two pieces of glass, not the typical glass and wood combination.

I removed the label and prepped the picture frame by spraying it with glass cleaner to remove fingerprints and dust. Allow the glass to dry.

To center the print on the frame, here's a little trick: I use a ruler to find the midpoint of the glass and mark it with a piece of washi tape. I do the same with the print and mark the back side with a pencil. Line up the washi tape and the pencil mark to make sure the print is centered on the frame. 

This tip is important if you plan to have bare borders around your print once it's in the picture frame. You can add some tape to keep the print in place. Sandwich the print in between the two pieces of glass and remove the washi tape markers.

Mount the glass on the frame and display it where you'll see it everyday. Put it up solo or assemble a gallery wall like these:

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

via The Creativity Exchange

That is just one way we can turn old calendars from blah to TADA!

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