Crafty Calendar

I promised to write more about the magnetic December calendar that I made for my Dad to use as he counts down the days to Christmas and New Years. I've already had one request from a blog reader for more about this project. So, here goes.

 

 

I started by purchasing the Melissa and Doug children's magnetic calendar. It has lots of magnets made with layered cardboard and labeled with "See the dentist" and "Play in the park," as well as holidays and events like "Easter" and "My birthday."

I took a sandpaper block and removed the printing from the cardboard and then painted the tops using Grumbacher Red acrylic paint that I buy at the Ben Franklin on Main Street in Pigeon, Michigan. These tube paints are good stuff. I suppose the bottled craft paints would work too and I may try them on the next round.

I painted the red acrylic on the second board that comes with the set. This board doesn't have lines and squares. It would be used as the "parking lot" for all of the excess magnets. I decided to paint it red and grid it with white art tape for the days of the month.   


I put two coats of paint on the board. And then the red paint came off as I was taping the lines. It seems like the surface is plastic, not metal. So I scratched with an old credit card and got the paint off. I had painted the wood frame red already. Ed took out the rivets that hold in nylon webbing. He had to use a Vise grips since it was the only tool that he could find that grabbed the rivets.

Then I threaded a black and white check ribbon through the holes to use as a hanger, although I'm guessing Dad might prop the calendar up on a shelf in his living room.

Next I added tissue ribbon lines (Tim Holtz brand, from Michael's scrapbook section). The ribbon is like Japanese Washi tape and has a music motif.  I loved the look of the calendar at this point and was so glad that the paint had come off. Some of the tissue tape tried to let loose. I glued it down with Tacky glue and a toothpick.

I used a purple inkpad to darken the sides of the magnets. Purple is my grandson Max's favorite color and I think it goes very well with red, so I used it.

I had two sets of glitter alphabet stickers -- one red and one green -- and I used these stickers for the "December" and for the days of the month on the magnets. I sent the magnets to Dad in an Altoids tin that I painted white inside (two coats, Grumbacher's Titanium White). I couldn't get all 31 days in one tin, so Dad will receive the rest of the magnets in another mailing. 

I'm experimenting with Altoids tins for another project and may try to rough up the surface of the tin using steel wool before I paint them. It seems like the white paint comes off if you only do one coat. I tied an organdy ribbon around the Altoids tin. It looked very festive and special and I know that he liked it. 

So, that is the saga of the crafty calendar. I got the idea from a Somerset publication where another artist made a twenty-five day Advent calendar using a cookie sheet and magnets. My repurposed calendar is a far cry from the original inspiration but I'm glad that I struggled with all of the ins and outs of making something special, by hand, for my Dad.

Copyright 2012
Wanda Hayes Eichler