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20 Creative Calendar Designs

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Sure, many of us use electronic calendars these days, quickly storing reminders of important meetings and appointments in our phones and laptops with the click of a few keys. But nothing beats the visual effect of a physical calendar. Writing down upcoming events is one way to celebrate the dates we look forward to, while crossing off completed tasks with a pen is very therapeutic. Plus, if you purchase or make a creative calendar, it can become a design statement, and even a focal point of your home office or cubicle. Here are 20 designs to consider as you incorporate a calendar into your workspace and we’ll be sure to drop in the products you can purchase to make your organization dreams come true!

Wall Calendars

Let’s start with calendars that hang on the wall. Now here’s a creative calendar idea: Chasing Paper Wall Panels from West Elm! These decorative decal tiles create a chalkboard calendar that you can write on, erase and enjoy. The days of the week are the focus here (rather than a month at a glance). Peel-and-stick style has never been handier. Make your calendar work for you by just picking up this 7ft chalkboard contact paper that will peel and stick in whichever shapes and sizes you need!

Chalkboard calendar from West Elm

This Calendar Wallsticker from ferm LIVING comes with chalk and post-its so you can truly make it your own. Vinyl stickers get the job done:

Sticker calendar from ferm LIVING

If you like the look of the calendar above but live more on a week-by-week basis, you’ll love ferm LIVING’s This Week Wallsticker> set, which creates a handy calendar that can be personalized with chalk and erased as needed at the start of a new week:

Days of the week wallstickers from ferm LIVING

Pottery Barn offers a series of daily wall systems that help you organize your life just the way you see fit! Below we get a glimpse of the Build Your Own Galvanized Modular Wall System, which includes a whiteboard calendar that you can place anywhere in the configuration. You can also get this chalkboard galvanized version here.

Build your own wall system from Pottery Barn

If you don’t want to be locked into a framed wall calendar display, check out Pottery Barn’s Stainless Steel Wall System, which you can embellish with a calendar as needed. And you can easily change its placement on the stainless steel backsplash. Simply print out the calendar sheet of your choice each month and attach it to the stainless steel surface. Instant calendar, your way!

Stainless steel wall system from Pottery Barn

And don’t forget that you can always purchase creative wall calendars that are ready to go! We’re fans of these Hanging Calendars from Cotton On:

Hanging wall calendars from Cotton On

DIY Calendars

If you’re feeling crafty, why not create your OWN calendar?! This DIY Acrylic Calendar from A Beautiful Mess uses an acrylic decor board, adds a touch of glam with gold accents, and provides an ideal surface for writing with dry erase markers. So chic…and practical!

DIY acrylic calendar from A Beautiful Mess

This DIY Dry Erase Board Perpetual Monthly Calendar from Celestefrittata makes clever use of a glass picture frame. The post-its help create an awesome calendar layout, yet it’s the glass frame that makes this calendar perpetual. Write over each square as needed, then erase it when you’re done!

DIY calendar from Celestefrittata

Can a calendar double as a work of art? Absolutely! This February Ombre Heart Calendar from Me and My DIY just might inspire you to make your own framed calendar artwork for each month of the year:

DIY heart calendar from Me and My DIY

The colorful DIY Paint Chip Calendar from Say Yes uses one of our favorite free home improvement store supplies (bring on the paint chips)!, plus a corkboard and some chic rose gold pushpins. When a new month arrives, change out the colors with a set of new chips. [via Good Housekeeping]

Paint chip calendar

Polymer clay is your friend when you craft this Pacman Perpetual Calendar from Instructables. Check out the full tutorial for instructions and a helpful video!

DIY Pac Man calendar

If the act of flipping the days that pass helps give you a sense of accomplishment, give this Perpetual Flip Calendar DIY from A Beautiful Mess a good look. Use it year after year. After all, since it involves glitter card stock, you’ll definitely want to keep this shimmering calendar around as the years pass!

DIY perpetual calendar from A Beautiful Mess

This DIY Ombre Calendar from Handmade by Carmona makes creative use of white gift tags, watercolors, and gold rub-on transfers. Lovely and modern:

DIY flip calendar from Handmade by Carmona

There is a LOT of inspiration to be taken from DIY advent calendar projects, and this DIY Flair Advent Calendar from Studio DIY is no exception. The best part: you can hide a little treat for yourself under each paper circle (Studio DIY used fashion pins). And to give this calendar a monthly layout (rather than merely a seasonal one), simply line up rows of 7 circles rather than five – one for each day of the week!

DIY advent calendar from Studio DIY

Here’s one more DIY advent calendar for inspiration, this time from Homey Oh My! Once again, you can transform it into a monthly calendar with a simple layout change (and you can switch out the Christmas trees with another motif). We’re loving the use of mini tote bag boxes to hold treats. There’s nothing like a reward for making it through each challenging day!

DIY advent calendar from Homey Oh My!

Unique Calendars

We end today’s roundup by shining the spotlight on some truly unique calendar designs! Pottery Barn’s Dial Desktop Calendar has a cool industrial look. If you’re not into “calendar style,” this little gem can double as a sculptural work of art. Plus, the date easily changes with the turn of a dial:

Desktop calendar from Pottery Barn

Etsy is an amazing source for cleverly designed calendars made by artisans. We’re loving this 2016 Floral Desk Calendar from Etsy shop KTF Design, which is super affordable and allows you to display beautiful calendar pages on a handmade wooden stand:

Desk calendar from Etsy shop KTF Design

If you want an extra reminder of the date while you dry your hands in the kitchen, check out these clever Claudia Pearson Calendar Tea Towels from West Elm. Pearson, a Brooklyn artist, designed these towels based on her hand-drawn calendar.

Calendar tea towel from West Elm

While we’re on the topic of calendars that double as functional household items, let’s highlight the Climbing Rose Mousepad from Anthropologie, designed by Michelle Morin. It’s paper and cardboard, meaning you can write on it as you would any weekly calendar. And yes, it’s a mouse pad as well. Simply tear off each sheet when you reach the end of the week and begin again. Don’t you love fresh starts?!

Floral mouse pad calendar from Anthropologie

Merge your calendar with your meal planning tasks! Anthropologie’s Grocery and Meal Planner helps you chart out breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day of the week. Plus, there’s a built-in grocery list column and a handy magnet on the back. Yes, this practical planner can live on your fridge!

Meal planning calendar from Anthropologie

We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post. Keeping track of the date is anything but boring with these creative calendar designs!

Kate Simmons

Kate Simmons is a freelance writer and design blogger with a love of all things decor. She spent her childhood writing stories and working on interior design-themed DIY projects. Kate’s published writing reflects her special interest in how design has changed through the decades. Her blog Mirror80 ( http://mirror80.com/) explores the fashion and [...]

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