8 Steps to Make a Stunning Custom Wall Calendar
Are you tired of generic store-bought calendars that don't reflect your personality? Those mass-produced designs simply don’t stand out as meaningful additions to your home or office.
So, why not make a personalized wall calendar instead?
That way, you'll get to enjoy your favorite photos and memories every month while staying organized throughout the year.
Ready to transform an everyday tool into a beautiful keepsake? This article will show you exactly how to make a custom wall calendar.
Why Create a Custom Wall Calendar?
Making a personalized wall calendar allows you to fill it with photos that tell your story – like that amazing beach vacation or just your pet being cute. Each month can become a little tribute to your happiest memories while still helping you keep track of dentist appointments and lunch dates.
Here's why you should consider making your custom wall calendar:
- They are great gifts: Grandparents love seeing their grandkids, newlyweds can relive their wedding, and new parents can document their baby’s first year.
- They personalize your space: A custom wall calendar adds a personal touch to your home with photos that make you bring a smile to your face.
- They stay useful all year: Unlike other gifts that might be forgotten, a wall calendar remains practical and meaningful every single day.
- They keep you organized: With a wall calendar, you will stay on top of appointments, events, and important dates.
If you’re into DIY personalized gifts, take a look at these tips to elevate them and make a lasting impression!
8 Steps to Make a Custom Wall Calendar
So, are you ready to design your custom calendar? Follow these steps!
#1. Organize Your Photos Beforehand
Before you start designing your calendar, take some time to gather and organize your photos. This will save you time and make the design process smoother down the line.
Here are some tips for choosing the best photos:
- Consider the seasons: Match photos to the months they'll appear in – winter scenes for January/February, spring blooms for March/April, etc.
- Create folders by month: Organize your selected photos into 12 folders (one for each month) to streamline the design process.
- Choose high-quality images: Select clear, well-lit photos that look good when printed. Avoid blurry, dark, or low-resolution images.
- Include variety: Mix up portrait and landscape orientations, close-ups, wider shots, and different subjects to keep your calendar visually interesting.
#2. Pick a Template
Choosing the right template sets the foundation for your entire calendar design.
Mixbook offers numerous calendar templates to match any style or occasion. Browse through holiday, family, travel, or minimalist-themed options.
Each template comes with pre-designed backgrounds and layouts that you can customize to make the design match your style.
#3. Choose a Format, Size, and Starting Month
Selecting the right format and size for your calendar is an important decision that affects how your photos will look. The right choice depends on your personal preference and the types of photos you plan to use:
- Square (12×12 inches): This size is perfect for Instagram-style photos and offers plenty of space for images and calendar details.
- Landscape (11×8.5 or 14×11 inches): Great for panoramic photos and provides a traditional calendar feel.
You don’t necessarily need to start your calendar with January, by the way.
This is your custom wall calendar, which means you can begin with any month that makes sense for your needs. This can be September for a school-year calendar, June for a summer-to-summer collection, or the month of a special event like a wedding or a new baby.
#4. Upload Your Photos
Next, you want to upload all the photos you handpicked to appear on your custom calendar.
Mixbook Editor makes this a quick and easy process. The platform offers several convenient ways to import your favorite images no matter where they're stored.
Here's where you can upload your photos from:
- From your computer: Upload images directly from your hard drive or desktop.
- From your phone: Use a QR code to transfer photos from your mobile device.
- From social media: Import directly from Facebook to use your shared memories.
- From cloud storage: Connect with Google Photos or SmugMug to access your online photo libraries.
#5. Change the Background
The background of each page sets the mood and complements your photos. Choose solid colors, patterns, or textures that enhance your images without overwhelming them.
Try matching backgrounds with each season’s themes and colors - like soft blues for winter months, floral patterns for spring, bright yellows, and greens for summer, or warm oranges for autumn.
And if you want to achieve a minimalist, clean look, stick with neutral backgrounds that let your photos be the star of the show.
Remember that consistency is key – using a similar style of backgrounds throughout your calendar will result in a more professional-looking and cohesive final product.
#6. Add Decorative Elements
Including decorations is a great way to add a personal touch to your calendar pages. Mixbook offers numerous decorative elements such as stickers, frames, and shapes that can highlight special occasions or enhance your theme.
You can choose from seasonal items, celebration symbols, travel icons, and much more to add that perfect finishing touch.
Here are some key tips to help you use these decorations effectively in your custom wall calendar:
- Decorate with purpose: Add elements that highlight important dates or complement your photos, rather than just for decoration.
- Keep it balanced: Remember that less is more – avoid overcrowding your pages with too many elements.
- Create visual consistency: Use similar decorations throughout your calendar to create a cohesive look from month to month.
- Consider your theme: Choose decorations that match your calendar's overall style – playful cartoon elements for a family calendar or elegant accents for a more sophisticated design.
- Layer thoughtfully: Place stickers and shapes so they enhance rather than hide important parts of your photos or calendar dates.
#7. Add Some Text
Text adds context and information to your calendar design. Mixbook's text tools allow you to customize everything from month names to special date markers and photo captions, helping you create a truly personalized calendar. You can adjust font styles, sizes, and colors to match your overall design theme.
Use these rules to make the most of your text instead of adding random captions:
- Limit your fonts: Stick to one or two complementary fonts throughout your calendar to maintain a polished, cohesive look.
- Create a visual hierarchy: Use larger, decorative fonts for month names and simpler, readable fonts for dates and captions.
- Add photo captions: Include short descriptions with your photos to remind you of the special memories they represent.
- Mark special dates: Add notes to highlight birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions.
- Check readability: Make sure your text color contrasts well with the background so dates and information remain easy to read.
#8. Preview and Place Your Order
Before finalizing your calendar, take time to review every detail.
You can share your project with friends or family members by using Mixbook's collaboration feature. They can review your design and offer feedback or suggestions.
Once you're completely satisfied with your creation, place your order and your custom-printed calendar will arrive at your doorstep within several days.
Do you want to upload custom stickers and backgrounds? Learn how with our tutorial!
5 Most Popular Photo Calendar Theme Ideas
Looking for inspiration for your custom wall calendar? These are some of the most popular calendar themes:
#1. Travel Calendar
Transform your adventures into a year-round visual journey with a travel calendar. Each month can take you back to stunning landscapes from your vacation destinations, cultural landmarks you've visited, or those perfect sunset moments from family trips.
This theme becomes even more magical when you match your photos seasonally.
#2. Family Calendar
What's a better way to celebrate the people who matter than with a family calendar filled with faces you love? Capture candid moments from holiday gatherings, birthday celebrations, and those ordinary days that somehow become extraordinary.
These calendars make particularly cherished gifts for grandparents or relatives who live far away.
#3. Pet Calendar
Got a photogenic furball who rules your home? Pet calendars turn your furry friends' cute moments into daily smile-makers. From your cat's ridiculous sleeping positions to your dog's excited beach runs, these calendars celebrate the non-human family members who bring so much joy to our lives.
They're guaranteed to make even Monday mornings a little brighter.
#4. Business Calendar
Business calendars offer a fresh way to keep your company in customers' minds all year long. Instead of typical marketing materials, these calendars showcase your products, team members at work, or stories from happy clients through professional photos.
These calendars are great for client giveaways, and corporate gifts. You can also hang them in the office to keep your team motivated and organized.
#5. Year-in-Review Calendar
Finally, why don’t you showcase your most meaningful memories from a previous year in a year-in-review calendar that tells your story month by month? Your daughter's graduation, that kitchen renovation finally completed, and the family reunion everyone's still talking about can all be preserved in a beautiful timeline.
Do you want to learn how to make a photo book? Check out our step-by-step guide!
5 Tips for Making a Stunning Wall Calendar
Creating a truly eye-catching wall calendar is more than just placing photos on a template. With a few simple design choices, you can make a calendar you’ll be proud to display all year long.
Follow these professional tips to create a beautiful and functional calendar:
- Seasonal photo selection: Match your photos to each month's season or theme. This creates a natural flow throughout the year.
- Color coordination: Create visual consistency by selecting photos with complementary color schemes for each season.
- Choose the right orientation: Use landscape-oriented photos for wider calendar formats and portrait shots for vertical designs. For square calendars, crop your photos carefully to ensure the main subject remains properly framed.
- Mix different types of photos: Include a combination of close-up detail shots, sweeping landscapes, group photos, and individual portraits.
- Mark special dates: Personalize your calendar by highlighting birthdays, anniversaries, and important events. You can add custom text or special symbols to make these dates stand out.
Check out these 7 design basics to turn your wall photo calendar into a stunning piece of art!
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure about certain aspects of making a customized wall calendar? Here are answers to the most common questions to help you navigate the creation process smoothly!
#1. When Is The Best Time To Create A Custom Wall Calendar?
The ideal time to design your calendar is 1-2 months before you need it. This gives you plenty of time to gather photos, design your custom calendar, and receive your printed order. People usually create calendars in November or December for the upcoming year, but you can make them anytime.
#2. Can I Start My Calendar In A Month Other Than January?
Yes, Mixbook allows you to start your calendar with any month. This flexibility is perfect for academic calendars (starting in August or September), fiscal year calendars, or calendars commemorating special events like weddings or new babies.
#3. How Do I Add Special Dates And Holidays To My Calendar?
Adding important dates to your calendar is simple with Mixbook's customization tools. You can mark birthdays, anniversaries, and other recurring events directly on the calendar grid. Mixbook automatically includes major holidays, but you can also add or remove holidays to suit your preferences.
#4. What Size Should I Choose For My Wall Calendar?
The best size depends on where you'll display your calendar and the types of photos you're using. The 12×12 inch square format works well for most photos and provides ample space for dates and notes. The 11×8.5 inch landscape format is more traditional and works especially well for panoramic photos.
#5. How Far In Advance Should I Order a Wall Calendar For Gift-Giving?
Order your calendar at least 2-3 weeks before you need it for gift-giving. During busy holiday seasons, consider ordering even earlier (3-4 weeks ahead) to ensure timely delivery. Mixbook offers expedited shipping options if you're in a hurry, but planning ensures you have time to review what you created without rushing.
Conclusion
Creating a custom wall calendar is a fun and rewarding project that transforms your favorite photos into a practical, year-round display.
With Mixbook's intuitive design tools and high-quality printing, you can easily craft a personalized calendar that showcases your most cherished memories. Whether you're making one for your home or as a thoughtful gift, the process is simple enough for anyone to master.
Start designing your custom wall calendar today and enjoy your favorite photos every month of the year!
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