Cookie Sheet Perpetual Calendar

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)


<>I decided to take a little break today and make something fun.

The links on Scrapperschallenge inspired me to make a cookie sheet calendar holder of my own. This is a re-usable frame made from a cookie sheet and paper crafting supplies. Since I print my calendar out monthly and often hand two of three months up at a time in the kitchen, I wanted it to be flexible with magnetic clips to hold my calendar papers. Other people just make new monthly title cards and leave blank boxes on the white calendar section and move the date numbers around (the numbers are mounted on magnets) to make each month accurate.

I wanted to just hang my computer created planner calendar up. So I needed another kind of option. Here is my version. (Ignore blurred personal event details on photo)

And here is how I did it.

First find an old cookie sheet. Mine was an older one with lots of 'character' and staining. I loved the rustic aspect but that is just me. If you want a fresh one, you can buy a big one at the discount stores for under $5 . I wanted it decorated in blue to match my kitchen.

Here are my supplies:

Assorted blue fairly thin weight scrapbooking papers
Mod Podge- flat finish
foam brush
ribbon for hanger (12 inches)
Coordinating sticker letters for the days of the week header
blue inks
word sayings-coordinating- for the header
silk flowers and brads
two heavy duty clip magnets to hold my calendar papers
One blue paper clip and a brad and a silk flower for memo at top of calendar (see on ribbon)


First make sure your pan is as clean and dry as you can get it. Then you Mod Podge adhesive into the interior of the pan with a foam brush.


Add your first layer of paper at top. I corner-rounded my two top paper corners to fit better in the baking sheet. I pressed it firmly into place and worked out any bubbles. Then I let it dry and I inked it with blue ink to distress it. Note: When all the paper layers are on, you will add a topcoat to protect it.


I then added more Mod Podge adhesive to the lower section of the pan and added my next two layers of torn coordinating blue paper. Again press out any bubbles and make sure you have plenty of adhesive. I use a foam brush to apply it evenly in thin coats. I inked those papers again when dry. Be sure it the whole thing is dry before inking or you will gum up that inkpad!


Since my calendar frame will have to be horizontal instead of vertical, I made a header for my days of the week along the long side of the cookie pan using the blue numbers paper below. Then I added the day of the week stickers to the header. You just need the S, M, T, W, H, F, and another S sticker letters for this. H is the other letter abreviation for thursday if you don't have two T's. Be sure to start your week with either sunday or monday --whichever your family prefers. For work calendars, some people prefer to start with monday.

I also inked with a second darker navy blue along the stickers to make them distressed looking too. I may also go back and add some brown ink distressting later to tie in with the rustic pan.

This is the point at which you add another top coat of Mod Podge to protect the papers and stickers and inking. Do not add lumpy embellishments until you have let the Mod Podge protective coat dry. Use glue dots or e6000 glue to add lumpy embellishments.


Next I added some of my fun paper to the top of my boring --but strong--1.5x1.5 inch metal magnetic clips.

Again I used Mod Podge to adhere it and to give it a protective top coat.

Let dry and decorate as you like . I inked them and added a silk flower and brad. I needed two clips --one for each side of my calendar to hold my sheets of paper.

As you can see above I decided that the days of the week needed more LUMPYNESS and dimension. I added plastic and metal lettering to echo each day of the week designation letter.

Hanger: Lastly I needed a way to hang it so I added two clamp clips (blue of course) to the pan top and threaded a ribbon through them. Later I will ask hubby to help me poke holes in the metal sheet with his Awl. You could also use a Crop a Dile.

One more useful touch I thought of at the last minute was to add a simple blue paper clip with a flower on it to the ribbon area. I wanted a "SEE THIS!" kind of urgent memos and notes clip for memos between family members. We often look at the calendar so this should catch our attention if a note is front and center at top. You can attache a slik flower to a clip with a brad if you curl the brad legs around the paperclip underneath the flower. (I use these homemade pretty paperclips on scrapbook pages too!) Below you can see the backside of the flower clip.


Enjoy!!
Rockester