The Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge is perfect for anyone who has ever thought about making handmade calendars. Personally, I have always thought about making these as gifts for friends and family (and for myself!), but the idea of creating a page for every month of the year was a little overwhelming. Not anymore! With this cartridge, you can let your die cut machine do all the work, cutting out the names and days of the month and week, as well as making die cuts for the special occasions and holidays that happen throughout the year.
Quick side note: CLICK HERE for instructions on how to make the August layout on the left.
In addition to making calendars, this cartridge has many other uses. The creative features include two different fonts and coordinating shadows, which can be used as titles for scrapbook layouts and other projects.
Speaking of scrapbook layouts, this cartridge is also perfect for that use! Instead of making a calendar to keep track of all your activities for the month, you can use it to create layouts commemorating all the special events that happened throughout the year, complete with photos. The calendar grid cutout is also perfect for creating photo and journaling mosaic layouts.
With the holidays behind us, I am anxious to start playing with this cartridge. I have been spending some time browsing the Cricut message board for ideas and tips, and here's a couple recommendations that I picked up there...
What's the best way to bind the calendars?
If you have a Zutter Bind It All machine, it's perfect for putting together calendars. You can pick up a Bind It All in the $50-$60 range, but if you don't have one, you can also take your calendars to an office supply store. Most will bind them together for around $5.00 each.
Is there an easy way to reuse the calendars from year to year?
It's easy to make reusable calendars. First, make a calendar page for each month, except omit the numbers. Purchase a frame with glass based on the size of your calendar, and place the appropriate month in the frame. Make vinyl numbers that can be repositioned on the glass, and then "write" on the calendar (actually the glass) using dry erase markers to keep track of appointments and important dates. At the beginning of each new month, remove the numbers, wipe off the glass, and you're good to go for a new month! You could also do the same thing, but instead of using a frame, laminate the pages.
Well, I guess I will wrap this up right now (in other words, my four year old is losing patience with me!). Anyway, if you have the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge and have found time to make something with it, I would love to hear your ideas. Just leave a comment below...
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