7 Fun & Crafty Ways to Reuse An Old Calendar

No need to throw out your old calendar at the end of the year! Instead, turn those pretty pictures into something new and unique.

Just because the year is over and your favorite calendar is no longer relevant doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying the beautiful pictures and artwork from the old calendar. Did you know you can reuse your old calendar and calendar images? All you need is a little imagination and some simple craft supplies. Consider new uses for those old pages and give yourself more time to enjoy all the pictures you love.    

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The Best Calendar For The New Year

Before you start crafting with your old calendars make sure to get a replacement for the new year? 

I'm still kind of old school when it comes to calendars. I prefer a paper calendar over the online version. For our family calendar, I really like the large full-size ones that I can hang up so everyone can see what is scheduled. The other requirement for a calendar is large open spaces for each day so I can write down all of our activities. With four kids our schedule is pretty full so I need a lot of room to fill out these details on the calendar. 

 

I got my husband a desk calendar for Christmas with Green Bay Packers and NFL trivia questions that he really loves! 

If you still need a calendar make sure to check out Calendar.com. Their site has a ton of great options and styles for everyone!

7 Crafty & Fun Ways To Reuse An Old Calendar

I've pulled together 7 easy and fun projects you can do with your old expired calendars. I hope you are inspired to upcycle your calendar and make something new and exciting with it!

1. DIY Postcard

Sending postcards to friends and family is a great way to stay in touch when you don't have a lot to say or want to send a quick note. Postage for postcards is also cheaper than sending a full-size card or letter too. 

You can make your own postcards from old calendar pages which is a great way to recycle them! Gather up the following supplies to make your own postcards:

• old calendar
• thin piece of blank cardboard (like an empty cereal box)
• glue / glue stick
• ruler
• scissors
• pencil

The acceptable dimensions for a postcard are 4.25" x 6" (maximum) to 3.5" x 5" (minimum). Measure out the dimensions for the postcard you want to make using these dimensions on the cardboard and old calendar page then cut them out. Spread a thin layer of glue on the cut-out cardboard then place the calendar page on top of that with the picture side facing up. Smooth down the calendar page making sure there are no air bubbles.  Your postcard is now ready to use! 

2. Custom Calendar Picture Tile Coaster

Making your own custom coasters is easy and fun. This is a great project to use your old calendar pictures because you can continue to enjoy them for long time. They really are very simple to make too! Follow the full tutorial at Neat Houses Sweet Home!

Supplies: tile coaster, mod podge, foam brush, spray sealer, felt or cork, scissors

3. Decorative Tin Can Planter

Another way to preserve those lovely calendar pages is to cut them out and Mod-Podge them to the outside of a tin can. After disposing of the can label and cleaning off the glue reside your can is all ready to be turned into a beautiful planter. To make your own vase follow the full tutorial at Positively Splendid. 

Supplies: empty tin can, old calendrer, Mod Podge or white craft glue, scissors, potting soil, a small plant or succulent

4. DIY Jig Saw Puzzle

When my kids were little I was always looking for ways to keep them busy. There were really into puzzles and I used to make them their very own puzzles cut from empty cereal boxes. Using old calendar pictures to make your own jigsaw puzzles is another great way to reuse outdated calendars! The pictures are a lot nicer than the pictures on a cereal box too! If your calendar page is thin you could always glue the picture to a thin piece of cardboard before cutting out the jigsaw pieces. Follow my full tutorial on how to Make Your Own Jig Saw Puzzle.

Supplies: old calendar, marker, scissors (optional: empty cereal box, craft glue)

 

5. DIY Wood Frame Picture Holder

Years ago I had a calendar with vintage artwork that I LOVED! After the year was over I couldn't bring myself to throw it away so I hung onto it knowing that I would eventually find a great use for the beautiful pictures. I ended up making a simple wood frame picture holder for the calendar prints and I just love how it turned out! Don't let the woodworking "stuff" scare you away - it is super simple and beginner friendly, I promise. Follow my full tutorial for this DIY Wood Picture Holder to make your own. 

Supplies: calendar page, wood (1" x 8' x 1/4"), hand saw, sandpaper, wood glue, leather cord, clamps, wood stain (optional)

6. DIY Calendar Collage Art

Depending on the type of calendar you have this project might be the perfect upcycle idea for you to use. I love making collages and typically use newspapers or old magazines but using an old calendar is another great way to upcycle an expired calendar into something new and useful. Collage art is also fun for kids to make too! Here is a tutorial I used to make a multi-media DIY Collage Art that will be helpful for you.  

Supplies: calendar, scissors, glue, cardstock

7. Mini Calendar Notebook

It is always nice to have a small notebook handy in my purse or in the car or even in a diaper bag. Making your own mini-notebook is simple and fun and a great way to reuse old calendar pictures that you love. I found the simplest tutorial to make your own mini-notebook at A Beautiful Mess that I encourage you to follow! 

Supplies: calendar picture, embroidery floss, embroidery needle, washi tape (optional), lined or blank paper (8.5" x 11"), scissors

Why not ring in the new year with a fun recycling project? Grab your old calendar and get crafting today! 

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How To Make A Simple Silverware Caddy From Tin Cans

Whether it's summertime full of outdoor grilling, cookouts, and picnics or fall and winter with indoor potlucks and holiday parties one problem I run into and maybe you do too is finding a good solution to hold the silverware for your guests.

Leaving it in the box it came in won't work because it all gets messed up and disorganized. You never know how many forks, knives and spoons you have when they are in a big jumbled pile. 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

Upcycled DIY Silverware Caddy

There are so many great silverware caddies available to purchase but to me, they all seemed so dainty and fancy - not really practical for an outdoor family cookout. Our family cookouts are anything but fancy. I need durable! This caddy has to last a while, especially with kids. 

Making my own silverware caddy seemed like the perfect solution and today I'm excited to share with you how I did it in this easy-to-make silverware caddy tutorial. Gather up the following supplies and let's get started making a DIY silverware caddy!

DIY Silverware Caddy Tutorial

Supplies:

4 - 6 tin cans (28oz) washed & dried

wood (measuring 11.5" x 3.5" x .3/4" thickness)

small screws

spray paint

water-based spray sealer

screwdriver

nail (any size to puncture the tin cans)

hammer

ruler

staple gun & staples

trim (optional)

hot glue gun & glue (optional)

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Cans

Step 1 - Make sure all of the cans are clean and dry and any leftover glue residue from the labels is scraped off. On a covered surface, preferably outside spray the outside and inside (optional) of each can and let them dry completely. You might need 2 coats of paint. After the paint drys spray each can, inside and out, with a water-based spray sealer. Let the sealer dry completely. 

I added a decorative piece of trim around each can using hot glue to secure it. This is a totally optional step and you can leave the cans plain too. 

Step 2 - On the inside of each can measure from the top down about 1/2" and make a light mark. Press the nail on the marked spot and gently hammer the nail through the can until the tin is punctured. Repeat this step until each can has a small puncture hole. 

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Step 3 - From the inside of the can screw in a small screw through the nail hole in each can.

Wood

Step 4 - Cut your wood to size then sand any rough spots. Stain or paint your wood and let it dry completely. Spray your wood with a water-based spray sealer and let it dry. 

Step 5 - Prop the wood up and set the cans along the perimeter, three on each side with the screws facing the wood. Once you have the cans where you like them firmly press the screws into the wood to make a mark. With a screwdriver begin to secure each can to the wood at the spots marked. 

Step 6 - Add a handle to carry your caddy on the top of the wood by stapling a piece of thick twine or thin rope to the top edge of the wood. For a decorative look add a washer and a small screw over the staples to conceal them. 

This easy-to-make silverware caddy provides plenty of space for you to organize and carry all the silverware you will need for your next picnic or cookout! Customize the color to your liking and add any decorations to the outside of the cans including labels, trim or painted stripes, and polka dots. 

More Easy DIY Tutorials To Check Out!

Easy DIY Dip-Dyed Yarn Wall Art

How To Make A Tabletop Bimini Hook & Ring Game

How To Build A Wood Step Stool - Easy Beginner Project 

Easy DIY Collage Art Project For Kids

From trash to treasure - making art from recyclables is a whole lot of fun and easy too! Make Earth day or any day special by making these cool torn newspaper puppy portraits.

Being a good steward to our planet is all of our responsibility. Instilling this into your children from early on will result in people who care and are concerned for the well being of our planet and the natural resources around us.

Recycling and taking care of the planet doesn't have to be drudgery - why not incorporate some fun into an important job? 

Using recyclable materials like newspaper, cans, bottles and empty cereal boxes is an easy way to engage your child in a creative and fun activity all while showing them how to reuse items found around the house for different purposes instead of tossing them into the trash bin.

There are tons of great ideas for creating art from recyclable goods so narrowing it down to one project to do with my kids was a tough task. 

We ended us making newspaper puppy portraits! 

They turned out amazing. This is a fun project for any age and requires only simple household supplies. See below the pictures for instructions on how to make your own.

Here are some pictures of our final projects:

Recycled Newspaper Puppy Print Artwork For Kids

Aren't they cute! Want to make your own? Here is what you need to get started:

1. Newspaper 

2. Thick paper - like cardstock, any size

3. Glue stick

4. Colored paper - construction paper or colorful cardboard/cereal boxes. We even discovered that our brown grocery bags had great print to use like barcodes and store logos.

5. Scissors

Instructions:

To begin find sections in the newspaper with unique print such as word searches, sudoku games and sections with lots of printed text. Then cut out some simple shapes such as circles, ovals and rectangles. 

Since we have a range of ages in our family (5 yrs to teen) I used the time to teach shapes to the younger kids while letting the older ones make their own shapes.

After cutting out the main body shapes a puppy arrange the newspaper shapes on the large piece of cardstock to look like a dog's body. Once the newspaper pieces are arranged glue them to the card stock.

Next use the construction paper, cereal boxes and grocery bags to make the ears, face, legs and tails for your puppy dog. I had my kids cut out different shapes, placed them on the dog body and rearranged them until they were happy with how the dog was looking. Glue these pieces to the puppy dog body and "walla" the little dog is done. 

Don't you think they turned out "frame-worthy"? Definitely going to be framing these cute puppies!

My kids really enjoyed this project and so did I! I think we will be doing this again in the future maybe making different animals next time - like zebras or giraffes. 

I would love to hear how this project worked out for you and what kind of animals you made. Please leave me a comment (and picture) of your final project. New ideas are always welcome!!

More Nature Inspired Recycling Arts & Craft Projects:

Secret Garden Crafts - 10 Nature Inspired Projects

Looking for more recycling arts and craft projects to do with your kids for Earth Day? I am happy to offer you this great ebook that has 10 fun nature inspired craft projects I'm sure your kids will love doing! You can find the ebook, Secret Garden Crafts - 10 Nature Inspired Projects on Amazon.

Click here to find this ebook.