The basic supplies:- 24” X 36” poster frame, get one with chip board backing (instead of cardboard) Hobby Lobby half price $9.99
- 2/3 to 1 yard of fabric, I bought a remnant and had extra that I used for the table cover
- 5 sheets of 12” X 12” scrapbooking paper to coordinate with fabric, plus scrap or 1 sheet for number circles
- basic craft supplies, white glue, glue brush, scissors, glue dots, ruler, bulldog clips
- printable window clings
- Rotary cutter and mat
- 1” circle punch
I applied a bead of glue around the edge of the backing board and spread it thinly with a brush and then applied the fabric, stretching it slightly and holding it in place with the bulldog clips while the glue dried. You don’t want to saturate the fabric with the glue, you just want to tack it down. Once the glue it dry trim off any excess fabric from the edges.Cut your scrapbooking paper, you’ll need 35 - 3 1/2” X 3 1/2” squares, 2 – 3 1/2” X 10 1/2” rectangles, and 1 – 2 1/2” X 12” rectangle. The easiest way is to use a paper trimmer or rotary cutter, but scissors can be used in a pinch. I also punched 35 – 1” circles for the dates.
On my first attempt I rounded the corners of the squares, but the second time I did not, it made lining up the grid easier. I used glue dots to affix the circles to the corners of the squares. Then I started arranging the squares that I also tacked down with glue dots. I started in the lower left corner, 2” in from the left side and 1” up from the bottom. Working across the bottom row, I positioned seven of the squares 1/2” apart. At the end of this row I added one of the 3 1/2” X 10 1/2” rectangles 1/2” from the final square. The next row of squares was 1/2” above the first row. I used a clear ruler to make lining up the rows easier. I added all five rows this way and also added the other 3 1/2” X 10 1/2” rectangle 1/2” above the first one. The title rectangle ( 2 1/2” X 12”) was positioned 8 3/4” from the left edge and up 1/2” from the squares. Lining up all the squares was the most time consuming part of this project.
Now you can put your poster frame back together. Remember to remove the plastic coating on the Plexiglas, mine had a coating on both sides! The calendar is finished, just start filling in you numbers and appointments OR we can make it a bit fancier.
I opted for fancier. I used printable window clings to make the months, dates, and some standard things that I would have on my calendar (like Doctor, No School, etc.). I used a basic word program to type everything out, picked out a fun font (Beyond Wonderland) and printed the clings according to the package instructions. Everything had to be cut out, but my paper trimmer made that quick. I stuck all the dates on, the extras are stored on a page protector that I have stuck on the back of my calendar. I used Velcro fasteners to stick my calendar on the wall, so I can take it down and lay it flat to fill it out for the month. The printed clings make the calendar so neat and tidy. I followed Bonnie’s suggestion on the Facebook page, to hide the clutter, I can’t afford a new piece of furniture right now, but I CAN cover the piece that is there.
I barely had enough fabric to make the top match the calendar (there is a small stripe of brown at the back, I was about 2” short). Yes, hiding it is much better. The same stuff is under there, but it really looks a lot better, thanks Bonnie! Now I need to organize that organizer :P and work on the matching paper organizer that is going to hang under the key rack (that is why the table and calendar aren’t perfectly centered on the wall).Have a super crafty weekend! and if you need any clarification on this tutorial just ask.
2 comments:
Lookin' great! Like how the table and calendar match.
Mieljolie
very cool. thanks for telling us how you did it... looks good.
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