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Our Free Annual Calendar Template Is Finally Here For You

It was December 30th when it struck me: “Cripes, we don’t have our 2013 calendar ready.” So I spent a couple of hours on New Year’s Eve morning and a couple more the next evening cranking out our fourth homemade calendar – and as always we’re sharing the file so you guys can download it too (and sub in your own pics and quotes to personalize it for yourself) just like we’ve done last year, the year before, and the year before that.

Calendar Beauty Shot

I’ll be honest, over the years these calendars have proven more decorative than functional. At this point they may just be considered a tradition. It started back in 2010 and for the past three years it has been a variation on a similar formula: long skinny layout + brightly colored text. Back in 2010 we used funny phrases/ inside jokes, in 2011 we tied each month’s number to a personal fact, and in 2012 we went a bit bolder and included photos for the first time (borrowing a favorite black & white snapshot from that month the previous year).

Calendar Past Years

This year’s formula sort of became a culmination of all of the past years – funny phrases + something personal + b&w photos.

CalendarFormula3

I’m probably biased, but this calendar is my favorite so far. It makes me so all sappy about how much I adore our little lady. Cue the collective aww. But seriously, the quotes from her (which we cherrypicked from the Clara Conversations that Sherry’s documents over on Young House Life) remind me just how hilarious she is. And although the Instagram pic along with each quote wasn’t taken at the same moment as it was spoken, together I think they paint a pretty great picture of our chatty girl. For example, there’s this one where Sherry said “Helmets keep the head safe” and then Clara screamed “Helmets keep the head face!”

Calendar July Big

As in past years, I’ve also created a stripped down version of our calendar for you to download. You’ll need Photoshop to edit it by adding your own text and pictures (dude, it’s free right here for anyone who wants it – Update: whoops turns out its not, see the comments for more info). And you can download the scripty “The Only Exception” font here (also for free). You won’t need the other font (“Homestead”) since that’s already set as each month (which won’t need to be altered) but here’s where I got it if you want it for another project (it requires a donation to download).

As for how to edit the document, each layer is a month (so showing one layer and adding your pic, altering the quote, and then printing just that layer before showing and editing the next one is the way to go). If you’re not quite the Photoshop master yet, there are some great tutorials online and a few books on the subject at the library/bookstore.

Calendar December Big

Here’s all twelve months at a glance.

Calendar Grid Of All

And since I know not all of the Clara quotes are readable at that size, here’s a quick rundown for ya – starting with January:

  • “Mommy’s awake! Now I can scream!”
  • “He has pretty hair like a lady.” (Originally said about Scar from The Lion King)
  • “It’s Cinderinda!” (What she calls Cinderella)
  • “I’m a little teapot, short and shout. Here is my cupcake, here is my shout.”
  • “Don’t be shy. Be friendly!”
  • “I smell like strawberries!” (Her response when we said she smelled like she had a dirty diaper)
  • “Helmets keep the head face!”
  • “Baa baa, black sheep, have you any chickens?”
  • “We have to go to Home Depot to change your diaper.” (Said to one of her dolls)
  • “I don’t have a beard. I just have a little chin.”
  • “Daddy’s workin’. Don’t bobber him.”
  • “Her name will be Santa Claus and she will bring me toys.” (Said while pretending to have a little sister)

Oh yeah, and we just print each page on some cardstock paper using our home printer (we have an HP Photosmart C4780). Then it just needs a little trim with the scissors and a hole punch at the top and it’s ready to hang.

Calendar Hanging

So what about you guys? What’s your go-to calendar this year? Do you keep a decorative calendar in one place and a functional one elsewhere? Or are you entirely digital with your date-keeping?

Comments

  3. Jenn says

    OMG! Adorable. I used your template last year and made calendars for my daughter’s grandparents as a quick and easy Christmas gift for them that they absolutely loved. Of course they were expecting it again this year so I ended up creating my own. Thanks for sharing this one. I’ll save it for next year! All the best.

    Reply

  4. Kara says

    Thank you thank you thank you. I’ve been waiting anxiously to see what you’d come up with this year! Last years is still stuck on December hanging in my kitchen!

    Reply

  8. Sarah J. says

    LOVE your 2013 calendar!!!! Love the Fonts, the Pics and the sweet Quotes! Clara has a great sense of humor! My son is 8 now and I wish I had kept a better record of his silly quotes :( I have to admit, I was inspired to make our own personal calendar last year after seeing yours. I color coded different dates for Birthday & Anniversaries – it was sooo helpful!
    GOD BLESS YOU GUYS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

    Reply

  9. Sarah says

    So awesome! I love the bright, colorful design of the calendar!

    Wish I had access to Photoshop when I was making the invitations and other paper stuff for my wedding last year! It’s so much easier and faster than Microsoft Publisher for making logos and whatnot.

    Reply

  10. Kara says

    I guess I’m a little confused.

    It looks like some of the quotes text is part of the layer (and the rest of it just isn’t there at all), and so unalterable. Should I just write over top of it?

    Reply

  12. Karen Q. says

    So adorable and fun! Love it! The Clara quotes are hi-larious and I’m totally digging the fonts and layouts.
    Happy 2013!

    Reply

  13. Michelle @ Lifewithacrazypup says

    Super cute calendar! We started buying a golden retreiver one a couple years ago — I’m sure we could make our own. But for some reason since we’ve been doing it for so many years… it’s just a thing. We go out looking for the “right” one. Funny how traditions start!

    Reply

  15. Chelsea says

    Ah, love it! I just downloaded and put a bunch of pictures of my husband and I (no dog or kid or anyone, so it’s just our mugs, ha) with lyrics from songs played at our wedding. Thanks so much for setting this up! Hope FL is treating you both well.

    Reply

  16. Emily says

    Hello!

    First of all, I love the calendar. I love all the ones that you have done, but this might be my favorite.

    Secondly (and holy crap did I go back and forth on this a hundred times and wondered if I was just being weird or would I actually say this to my friends in person if I saw it and yes I would so here I go), I don’t know the situation (as in, maybe Cutie Clara was biking in the driveway or something), but helmets are helpful mostly because they cover the head and face. Worn the way she has it on leaves a great majority of her exposed if she were to fall. The entire front part of her skull is unprotected. Again, I don’t know the details or anything and I realize that someone is right there with her, I just cringe every time I see a kiddo with a helmet like that. It can be so dangerous. And I am a worrier.

    Reply

  18. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    Ooo I might have to try this since we still don’t have a January calendar yet. Our 2012 is still hanging out in December and it confuses me every time. I keep trying to reference it and it just doesn’t work that way.

    Reply

  20. Cassondra says

    That’s my favourite calendar of yours yet! I’m sure it’ll make you smile every day when you see it :). My favourite Clara sayings by far are “don’t be shy. be friendly.” and “now I can scream!”

    Reply

  24. Netty says

    I started a couple of years ago to give photo calendars for christmas to my great aunt and my mum. Since last year, my boyfriend’s parents and grandmother get one too. They all love it.

    Our calendar usually includes pictures of last year’s travels, so our families can see what we’ve been up to. I don’t print it myself but have it printed through one of these photo book online services.

    Reply

  25. Jessica says

    What a cute calendar! You chose perfect photos. I tthought of you and your funny Clara quotes last night as I eavesdropped on my kids (7 and 4) in the bath. They were cracking each other up with their rendition of rock paper scissors – ” knife, carrot, celery.” They finally figured out it wouldn’t realy work because they all look the same.

    Reply

  26. Leslie says

    Very cute!
    I am addicted to dafont.com. It takes me hours to find the right font for my projects!
    BTW I got your book for Christmas and I LOVE it.
    (I will admit my husband was a bit nervous when he saw it-lol)
    We already made a version of the lack headboard and it looks fantastic. Love the site, love the book. You guys are great!!!

    Reply

  27. Lindsey says

    Each year I host a Facebook contest with my friends to find the weirdest, funniest, most absurd calendar. People get VERY into it and vote on the finalists, and the winning calendar gets hung in my office.

    Over the years the contest has brought me “Extreme Ironing,” “Magnificent Specimens: The World Beard and Mustache Championship Finalists,” and this year’s “Guinea Pig Games,” with rescue critters acting out Olympic sports and cheeky British sayings. Can’t wait to see what next year brings…

    Reply

  28. Krissy says

    My sisters make a calendar each year on snapfish; each month is a collage of pictures of us and their kids. It’s very cute. And we have a Blue Heeler calendar because they are so pretty and we love Murphy.

    Reply

  29. Amanda Bolan says

    A piece of advice: If you want to download from losttype you don’t have to donate – you can simply put “0” in the donation box. Not that we don’t support them, we use them all the time, and one time may donate $20 and the next $0, it just fluctuates. I totally encourage supporting if you can, they put out some really amazing type.

    Reply

  30. Lara Morris says

    Great calendar! I love your blog. Still taking my daughter’s weekly photos in her white onesie. I get so many good comments on the project. Thanks!!

    Reply

  32. Noel M says

    I am definitely not supposed to be “surfing” online during work, but even when crazy busy I need a little YHL break during certain days. Thank you for giving me the needed laugh today, and for potentially getting busted as I cracked up out loud!

    Reply

  33. Kasey Befeler says

    I LOVE this one! Thanks for sharing the Photoshop files. My go-to calendar is your 2010 calendar (which I redid for 2013 with the year added in a matching color turned sideways up the top right side in the white space). I write important dates on the back of each month and hang the whole thing (binderclipped together) on the side of our fridge. Next to the fridge we have a huge memo door where we write daily events, but this small version is where I keep track of those birthdays/anniversaries/appointments (via the back) to refer to next year, or next month, or whenever. I love how small and classy it is! You guys are good at everything, btw!!!

    Reply

  37. Bethany says

    Thanks for posting! I’m a Photoshop novice but was able to fumble my way through it. Great use of time at work on a slow Friday afternoon!

    Reply

  38. monica says

    This is too cute!

    This year’s calender is one of my favorite projects you guys have ever done. So personal, funny, and I love the design! It’s such a great idea to write this kinda stuff down–I’ll be doing so with my own kiddos!

    –m

    Reply

  40. Wendy says

    We’re simple and either print off a generic calendar from calendarlabs.com or create one on a white board.

    Perhaps next year when Susanna is more than 27 days old at the start of the year we’ll do something more. There’s certainly no lacking of photos!

    Reply

  43. harlie says

    For the past 3 or 4 years, we’ve been using the Mega-Grid calendar. It’s not the most decorative, but it’s got a clean, simple layout and has tons of room for us to write out events, meetings and other occasions. We’d be totally lost without it! Also, I tend to use decorative paper tape to mark special events (like long vacations or birthdays).

    They make larger versions (Monster Grid and Mammoth Grid), but those feel insanely huge.

    Reply

  45. Penny Neef says

    Can’t make a promise that I read all the comments above, although I did scan through. When I hit your download button, it downloaded straight into Gimp – which is free. Give it a try

    Reply

  46. Ethne @ Wom-Mom says

    Oh, this is your cutest yet. We always put the girls’ quotes in our Christmas letter, so I save ’em too, and aren’t they funny? Goin’ to home depot to change the diaper, that is classic. Classic Petersik.

    Reply

  49. Susan says

    Wow. Best calendar yet!!!! I thought, wow, I’ve been reading you guys for 4 calendars!! I am very impressed and love all the layering and faux washi tape look. And I love the fonts, thanks for sharing. This has been my favorite post in a while. With the holiday break and all the book biznass, it’s been fun to see some creative stuff back on here!

    Reply

  50. Jennifer says

    John, you are rocking the graphic design. So bright, happy, trendy and well-designed! Seriously. I’m so impressed.

    -Jennifer (I’m the one who brought the wood block from my husband for you to sign in Dallas and met you guys again this past week in Austin)

    Reply

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