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08 January 2023

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. 


calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars

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:

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, New York

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, London

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, Paris

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

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, Sydney, Australia

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, Moscow

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

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, Rome

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!

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, Rome, scissors, pencil, ruler

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

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, picture frame

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.

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, picture frame

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.

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, picture frame, tips when hanging pictures in a frame

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. 

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, picture frame, tips when hanging pictures in a frame, Rome, washi tape

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.

calendar, Rifle Paper Co., Anna Rifle Bond, Cities calendar, blah to TADA, crafts made from old calendars, recycle old calendars, picture frame, tips when hanging pictures in a frame, framed calendars

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:

Framed illustrations from the 2016 Cities Calendar designed by Anna Bond for Rifle Paper Co.
via Pinterest

Travel the world calendar from Rifle Paper Co turned to art. Inspired by pinner and blogger at the creativity exchange.
via Pinterest

Turn calendars into beautiful gallery walls: a great DIY wall art idea from the Creativity Exchange.
via The Creativity Exchange

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

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2 comments:

  1. Priscilla BettisJanuary 8, 2023 at 9:57 PM

    I've noticed all sorts of things lately I could frame: an artsy gift bag, a large notecard received in the mail, a page from a calendar (I love your whimsical calendar, no wonder you kept it), and of course a family picture!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ClaireJanuary 19, 2023 at 4:03 PM

    These ideas are wonderful, Priscilla! Art doesn't have to be expensive!

    ReplyDelete

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