Chipboard Coaster Calendars

While racking my brain for Christmas ideas a few weeks ago, I looked over to my stamping desk and saw the Chipboard calendar that me Lostie sistahs and I made early this year. AHA! I can make those! Quick! Simple! Easy! Just my style! So here are some pics, and of course, some basic instructions. If you have any questions, please let me know!

All of the months are made of Stampin' Up cardstock (4"x4"), with designer paper layers (3 3/4" square). I found the calendar on Splitcoast and altered it to my liking - it's an Excel file. I printed the calendars on white cardstock. I tried printing them on regular paper first, but I think the cardstock just has a crisper, cleaner look to it.

I made four calendars at the same time. I found that it was just faster to make four similar calendars all at once than doing them one at a time - I had all of the matching embellishments out, so why not whip up all of them at once??? The only months that are different on my calendars are May (I was stumped, so I made them all different) and October (only because I ran out of DP!). Embellishments are different on some months just for variety's sake. I had a lot of fun making these!



The front and back covers of the calendars are made from chipboard coasters covered with designer paper and inked around the edges. To make sure the paper didn't separate from the chipboard, I adhered it with Terrificly Tacky Tape. I suppose you could Mod-Podge it, but I always end up with bubbles in the paper when I do that!

For the numbers in the year, I used my Cuttlebug and the Olivia alphabet to cut out "2008" and then ran the numbers through my little teensie Xyron to make them sticky. They are layered on SU Whisper White cardstock. I punched the holes in the chipboard with my ever-handy Cropodile. That things cuts through anything!!!!













So how did I get the holes to line up on all of the pages? Well, I cheated. I took my existing calendar apart and used it for a template! *grin* They are roughly 1" in from the left and right sides, and 3/8" down from the top. I punched one month and then used it as a template for the other pages. I punched 3/16" holes in all of the pages as well as the cover and then mounted them on book rings. You can find the book rings at Wal-Mart. I think they are either 97 cents or $1.97 and come 5 to a package.

So those are my chipboard calendars! They are tons of fun to make - I was able to use up a bunch of my "collected" embellishments and scraps of paper!