How to Create a DIY Classroom Calendar

Does anyone remember the Everyday Math Calendars? I use to love doing those in my classroom with my students, even in the upper elementary grades. But as our time became more packed with Common Core, it just seemed that got packed into the closet and just wasn’t possible. However, it didn’t stop me from still displaying a calendar for my students. I love having a calendar, because it’s a great way to keep students up-to-date with current events, and it’s a reference tool.

Have you ever looked at the ones in the teacher’s store or in the catalogs in the mail? They aren’t exactly cheap, and well…I am. And since I’m crafty, I like to make my own calendars. That’s why I thought I would share how to make one yourself. It’s really easy!

How to make a DIY Classroom Calendar

The Materials

First, you will need to gather some materials. You will need the following materials:

• Poster board
• Scissors
• X-ACTO knife (if you don’t have one, use your scissors carefully)
• Small paper clips (about 35)
• Glue
• Black permanent marker
• Ruler or meter stick

Now that you have gathered everything, let’s get started!

The Steps

1.)  Using the ruler (or the meter stick) and your black permanent marker, you are going to measure out the columns and rows on your poster board. You will have seven columns (one for each day of the week) and five rows (one for each week of the month). Each will be three inches in length and in width. You will also have, across the top, a smaller strip for the days of the week headings that will be 1.25 inches. I would also recommend creating another row above that heading for the month header. I would make that column about three inches in height. I didn’t do it in my picture below, but I wish I had. See the image below to help you visualize what I’m describing.

2.)  Next, I created headings with my computer. You can do this in Word or some other similar program. I had created them ahead of time and laminated them. I glued them down and along the top. It’s not necessary to do this step at this time.

3.)  Third, I took the X-ACTO knife and cut a small slit along the top of each box. The slit doesn’t need to be perfectly straight. In fact, if you look close enough, you’ll see some of mine are not. You’ll also see they aren’t exactly aligned. That’s up to you, how aligned you want to do them. You can use a ruler and a pencil to create straight lines, if you’d like.

4.)  After creating slits in each box, then I grabbed the paper clips and inserted a paper clip into each slit.

5.)  Once I had paper clips in each slit, then I was able to add my date cards. These can be ones you have created on your computer in a program similar to Word or one that you have purchased online or in the past through a vendor. The cards just slide up between the paper clip and the poster board. Most cards are made around 2.5″ by 2.5″ in size.

The Finished Product

(This is my growth mindset calendar set, but it still illustrates the point):

That’s it! Easy peasy!

I hope you found this simple to make and maybe even a little fun to do. Definitely inexpensive!

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