This time of year we often feel behind on everything—projects, emails, gift wrapping, cleaning, even basic self-care—but somehow we’re ahead in one area: creating our homemade family calendar.
For the past five years we’ve put together a simple, colorful calendar in Photoshop. Readers like Lauren and Alexandra have already asked whether the new version is ready, since we share the customizable template for anyone who needs a last-minute gift. I’m happy to say it’s finished.
Our calendar isn’t meant to replace our running family schedule—that’s what Sherry’s desktop planner is for—but it serves as a warm, smile-inducing monthly overview you can glance at to check dates or count down to events. Each year we add personal touches: inside jokes in 2010, family stats in 2011, Clara photos in 2012, and a hybrid of those elements in 2013.
This year we kept the idea of pairing photos with Clara’s funny quotes, which we first loved in 2013, but introduced a fresh design. For the first time the calendar is built to print on a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet so there’s no trimming required and there’s more room for the dates themselves.
The larger format allowed us to use bigger photos—4 x 4 inches—which is a standard print size at many photo services. If you prefer professional prints over your home printer, you can order 4 x 4 prints and attach them directly to each page. We ordered our prints from a photo service and left gray placeholder boxes in the files until the prints arrive.
As always, we’re sharing the template so you can download and personalize it with your own photos and captions. This year I simplified the files to make them easier to edit—fewer layers and less fuss—so you have two options:
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- If you can edit PSD files, download the Photoshop version. It includes editable text in the quote area. You may need to install the two fonts used if you want the same look.
- If Photoshop isn’t your thing, download the PDF version. The quote area is left blank so you can write your own captions by hand after printing.
In both versions you’ll add your own photo either digitally or by attaching a printed 4 x 4 inch photo, which is what we plan to do.
Below is a look at the quotes and photos we chose for each month this year. It makes us wish for more months so we could include even more of Clara’s quotable moments—and so I’d have more time to squeeze in a shower.
What are your calendar plans for the upcoming year? Do you rely on the same source each year? Do you prefer a functional planner with lots of space to write, or a decorative wall calendar for quick date checks? Are you fully digital with everything on your phone, or somewhere in between? It turns out there are a lot of questions to ask about calendars.