DIY Decoupage Desk Calendar

Hello Home Lovers, I’m so thrilled to be guesting here at Lemon Thistle as Colleen takes a bit of time to devote to her gorgeous and expanding family.

I’m a fan of Colleen’s spirit and style. Family, fun, friendly. She creates accessible inspiration. Over at my blog, Recreational Decorator we are likeminded. We show how you can design, DIY, cook and garden like a pro – even if it’s just for fun. So, as a kindred maker, I hope you’ll enjoy a little Recreational Decorator love on Lemon Thistle. It’s especially exciting to kick off the new year with a project that will take you through the next 365 days.

Time flies. 2016! How did you get here already?

Make sure to celebrate each day of the New Year with this old-school DIY decoupage desk calendar – it’s a great way to say hello 2016 (and years to come).

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own DIY Decoupage Desktop Calendar:

• Heavy Card Stock
• Pretty Paper
• Deck of Cards
• Spray Paint
• Clear Printer Labels
• Exacto Knife
• Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Paint Brush
• Mod Podge (or mix equal parts white craft glue and water)

After you gather your supplies, get your crafty on! In preparation, on the heavy cardstock draw: a rectangle pattern for the calendars back and sides; three dividers of staggered heights; and a rectangular base. Cut out with an exacto knife and crease the sides as shown.

Now it’s time to make it pretty. Wrap the calendar stand with paper and adhere with Mod Podge. For tricky corners and angles, simply cut the paper to size and glue with the Mod Podge. When finished, cover with a final coat of Mod Podge to hold everything in place.

Spread out 25 of your playing cards (this gives you a few extras). Paint one side with the spray paint and let them dry, then flip over and do the other side. We used gold paint and the finish is gorgeous!

Now let’s make the date. Print out: 1 to 31 numbers for the days of the month, the 12 months, 5-10 years. We used clear labels and our printer so we could get creative with the font and size. You could also try stickers or hand letter. Use full size playing cards to put the days (two on each side, upside down from each other) and for the years. Use half size cards as shown for the months.

That’s it! Now you can enjoy your beautiful new DIY decoupage desk calendar for years to come.