I always make a covered calendar for my girlfriend for the new year. The last one I made her was a two-year one, so I haven’t made one since then.

You’ll need a calendar…this is the one I bought from Dollar Tree link: https://tinyurl.com/yumk4vv7 so if you want to replicate what I did (for sizing), you’ll need this calendar. I used Graphic 45 Magic of Oz (Scatter Brained Scarecrow) paper now retired, but I did find a reasonable set of 12 sheets, including the one I used, on ebay link: https://tinyurl.com/3wkya92e as well as the chipboard pieces I used for the paper clips link: https://tinyurl.com/27nbksyp

Start by taking the plastic cover off of the calendar. Then cut the paper down to 7 1/2″ tall and leave the length the same. I cut my paper 7 1/2″ from the bottom to get all of the scarecrows I wanted on my calendar. Then to score it, I scored it 1/2″ on the 7 1/2″ length and at 11 1/2″, or flip it over to the back to score it at 1/2″ (that is actually 11 1/2″ but easier for me to score as I’m left handed.) On the 12″ length score at 3/4″ and 8 5/8″ I used Amazon tear tape that I like link: https://tinyurl.com/3kzsyx2k

I should have cut off the top and bottom score lines all the way across before attaching it to the calendar, but didn’t, so really made this project a lot harder than it should have been. So my advice is to cut off the 1/2″ top and bottom score lines, including the lines, and then add tear take to the back of the calendar especially on the seam at the center of the calendar. Add tear tape to the back up to the 3/4″ score line on the left side of the paper and wrap the around the front of the calendar and glue it in place, making sure the top and bottom are evenly spaced. NOTE: Your calendar might be a different size than mine, so make sure you measure yours to ensure the paper covers it from top to bottom.

My calendar was exactly 6 1/2″ tall, so by cutting off the two score lines, my paper was 6 1/2″ tall. The reason I scored mine, is I wasn’t sure if I was going to fold the paper and then wrap it around the book for more stability, but in the end, decided against that…. You can simply cut off the top and bottom 1/2″ of the 7 1/2″ to make sure you have the image centered properly.

Once you’ve attached the front cover, but before covering the rest of the book, take a 1″ circle punch and cut out half of the circle in the center of the end of the paper, so when you create the pocket, you have a finger hole to grasp it. I again, waited until after attaching the paper, and made it harder on myself, but don’t want you to have to struggle with this. Take the backing off the tear tape on the back of the calendar and carefully lay the paper over the calendar, making sure, again, that the paper covers the calendar from top to bottom, then wrap the paper around the back of the calendar, and add tear tape to the bottom and top of the paper you’ve wrapped around the back of the calendar, and take off the backing paper, then glue the paper in place to create a pocket. If you chose not to make the pocket, you can simply cut the paper 3/4″ from the back edge of the calendar from top to bottom and tear tape it in place, making sure to leave about 1/8″ additional paper at the end of the book, so you have room for it to grow once glued down.

To make a front flap for the calendar, I cut a piece of the same paper 3 1/8″ x 6 1/2″ tall and scored it on the 3 1/8″ length at 1 3/16 and 1 5/8″. You’ll glue from the 1 5/8″ score line (not including the line) to the back of the calendar…the score line will be the piece that folds at 90 degrees toward the front and the other score line folds flat onto the front of the calendar. I rounded the front two corners with my Kadomaru Pro corner rounder on large.

I attached this piece to the calendar and then decided the front flap wasn’t thick enough for the front flap so added another piece that was 1 3/16″ wide (check to make sure this is the measurement for the piece of paper that lies flat on the front of the calendar up to the score line) and 6 1/2″ tall and rounded the corners on the left side then added a lot of tear tape under it to make sure it would stay in place and then added wet glue to make sure if I put this paper down it wouldn’t pull back up. I added a Dollar Tree Velcro circle to the center of this flap and then closed the calendar so the Velcro is in the right place on the front cover.

I used Stampin Up olive green ribbon that was 13″ long and added a line of tear tape into the inside front cover of the calendar at the center, glued about half way down the calendar, so I could wrap the ribbon into the calendar and it would still stick out the bottom and be seen. I took some of the small chipboard pieces from the Oz collection and hot glued them to either side of larger gold paper clips and clipped them into the pocket on the back cover.

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