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Blocks of Time: DIY Perpetual Calendar

[additional-authors]
January 4, 2018
Photos by Jonathan Fong.

It’s a new year, which means it’s time to get a new calendar for my work desk. After all, some of us are old school and would rather not have to switch on our smartphones just to check the date.

This calendar made of wood blocks was inspired by an idea I found on the design blog holasara.com — run by my colleague at the Journal, Sara Budisantoso — and I customized it so you’d have as few supplies to purchase as possible.

Just print out the free template HERE, cut out the months and dates, and glue them to three wood blocks according to the template. You will have a perpetual calendar that is good all year long — and for years to come.

What you’ll need:
Three 2-inch wood blocks
Printout of template
1 1/2-inch circle punch or scissors
Glue or glue stick

1.

1. Start with three 2-inch blocks, which you can find at crafts stores like Michaels. You also can find them on Amazon or other online retailers that sell arts and crafts supplies.

2.

2. Download the template, which features the necessary months and numbers for the six sides of the three blocks. Print out the three pages, one for each block. They are drawn to scale.

3.

3. Cut out each of the months and numbers with a 1 1/2-inch circle punch. Using a paper punch makes it easy, but if you don’t have one, you can cut them out with scissors. You can leave them in a square shape if you prefer.

4.

4. Glue each month and number to the blocks according to the template. The months will be on one block, with two months per side, and the other two blocks make up the dates 1 through 31.

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