Note: Tutorial is demonstrated using Adobe Photoshop CS2 on a Mac.

Supplies:

• Photo paper
• White glue or glue stick
• Hole punch (I used ¼”)
• Ribbon for tags and for hanging calendar
• Lightweight chipboard or poster board for backing (thin enough to hole punch)
• Scissors
• Foam squares
• Optional: spray mount

 

Open the JPGs in the EHI_AJoyfulSeason_AdventCalendar folder and print each one of them out. I printed the base of the calendar out borderless on a letter size sheet of paper.

 

Take your base printout and mount it to a piece of thin chipboard or posterboard. You can choose to use spraymount or another type of adhesive. I used a glue stick. Cut the calendar out by trimming away the excess board.

 

Take a sheet of pockets, and loosely cut them out. Gently fold along the dotted lines.

 

Trim the bottom corners and the sides away. I left some extra space on the flaps when trimming to make it even easier to add glue the flaps.

 

Apply glue to all flaps. Glue down the pocket to the appropriate square on the calendar base. Cut out and assemble the rest of your pockets.

 

Cut out a tag.

 

Then punch a hole in the top and center of the tag.

 

Cut a length of ribbon and insert it into the punched hole in the tag. Pull the ends of the ribbon up, and holding the ribbon pieces together, tie a knot. Trim the ends of the ribbon to neaten. Insert the finished tag into the pocket. Cut out and assemble the rest of the tags.

As an alternative to tags, place photos and other surprises inside the pockets, such as money, candy or even a message on where to find a hidden present!

 

Take your envelope printout, and loosely cut out the envelopes. Gently fold the flaps along the dotted lines.

 

Trim away the excess white paper. If you’d like, you can leave an extra area on the flaps for easier gluing later.

 

Fold the inside flaps.

 

Apply glue to the side flaps.

 

Fold up the bottom flap over the glued side flaps and press. Cut out and assemble the rest of the envelopes.

 

Cut out the December title from the "Pockets2.jpg" sheet.

 

Apply sticky foam squares to the back of the title.

 

Turn over, and press down on the top of your calendar base.

 

Punch a hole on both sides of the top of the calendar header, equal distances from the top and side edges. Pull the ribbon ends through to the back...

 

...and tie loose knots. You are ready to hang your calendar!

 

Calendar by Erica Hite

Tutorial written by Erica Hite