The Family Calendar

I like having a BIG calendar in the central kitchen/family area that everyone can see. I used to have a big white-board calendar that I would erase and change out each month, but I didn't like that I could never flip to the next months to write down future appointments or events.

So I decided to create an attractive way to have a big calendar and still be able to flip pages and plan ahead. I bought a desk calendar, some cork-board (on the roll), some black ribbon, and black spray paint from Walmart; some black upholstery tacs/nails from (can't remember where, it's been a couple years); a piece of 1/8 inch hardboard, one strip of framing, and a metal sheet from Lowes (or HomeDepot). I cut all these to size myself because I had to figure out all the measurements first. (BTW, I used some cork-board squares that I already had, but the kind on the roll might look cleaner!)

Here's what the back of it looks like. My hardboard piece measures 20 7/16" by 24".
I used glue, brackets and finish nails to put everything together. I also screwed on some wire to hang from. Oh, and I hammered 2 nails on the front to hold the calendar.

Oh, and those letters at the top? That's leftover hardboard cut down (w/ scroll saw) to fit some letters that I found, on a piece of scrapbook paper I found on clearance at Craft Warehouse. (I cut out the letters and Mod-Podged them to the hardboard pieces. Then I put cut-n-stick magnets on the back of each letter.

Now for the calendar itself...
Being a family of 6, we have a pretty busy schedule. So to make things a little easier on myself I decided to color-code our activities according to each family member.
Here's a closer look...

I have loved this calendar system! My husband often stands in front of it to update his Blackberry with the family happenings as well. The children also like to look up and see their names on there, and know what is going on every day.