If you have followed me on Instagram @theorganizedmommyco for a while, you probably witnessed the dumpster fire that has been my attempts to create a family calendar wall, complete with magnetic paint, and then chalkboard paint, to write and draw on, as well as hang toddler artwork and invitations. The chalkboard paint over the magnetic paint was a disaster once I used chalk pens on it, and I ended up painting over it with more magnetic paint, so now it is just an art and flyer wall...anyways, that is another story.
Ultimately, what I really wanted, was a large calendar that is easy to edit (and clean) and that displays the month's AND the week's happenings so all members of the household know what is going on on any given day...and so I do not forget important events or reminders (mom brain hit me hard when I became a parent).
I love the personalized acrylic calendars on Etsy, but a custom one in the size I wanted was going to cost me $300-400. Soooo, of course I set out to make one.
I bought 2 sheets of 24x48 inch acrylic sheets that were 1/4 inch thick at Home Depot (I went in person to double check what size and thickness looked right to me). Then, I ordered brass standoff mounts (they came in a pack of 10 and I needed 8 - 4 for each sign). Next, I purchased white permanent Cricut smart vinyl, which I have never used, but since I was printing an area larger than my 12x24 inch cutting mat, I needed to print without a mat and only smart vinyl can do that with my machine.
When I looked for a calendar SVG to purchase on Etsy, I found a simple SVG file to use for the monthly calendar, but couldn't find a weekly version I liked. So, I designed one myself using Canva. I used it as a print out for a few weeks to make sure it was the right setup for my needs, and then converted it into an SVG file. The PDF print out and SVG file are available in my Etsy shop here.
I printed on the smart vinyl, weeded the vinyl, and applied it to clean and dry acrylic (cleaned with alcohol).
My husband drilled four holes for me in the corners for the stand off mounts, and hung them on the wall using the screws the mounts came with.
I use these thin chalk paint pens to write and they easily erase.
Since I forgot to take photos before I hang the finished product, these are not great pics (because of the glare off the acrylic), but I love my new calendars!
The project took me about 2 hours, minus the designing of the calendar SVG, which I made weeks earlier. If you aren’t well practiced at weeding and using transfer tape to place the vinyl correctly, it will probably take you longer.
There are videos on my instagram @theorganizedmommyco of the project in action.
What do you think?
xoxo Blair