How to Make a Perpetual Wood Block Calendar

Perpetual Calendar

New year, fresh start! With the new year coming, it's time to take stock of the last year and plan for the one ahead, and with that comes some organization. This perpetual block calendar is a fun pop of color to add to your desk and will keep you on track for the months ahead. You can customize with different colors and sizes, and it would make an excellent gift for an officemate as well. Our calendar contains the day of the week and the date, but you can even take it a step further and include a month as well. Set it up in your workspace and let it inspire you to tackle the new year.

Necessary Materials

First, you'll need to decide on the size that you'd like your calendar to be. This one is nice and compact, with 1 1/2-inch cubes, which makes it 3-inches long. When you're looking for the square wooden dowels as you gather materials, choose a large wooden dowel in the size that you'd like your cubes, and then a second wooden dowel that's half the width of the large one. As an example, our square dowels are 1 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch.

Supplies Needed

• Large size square wooden dowel
• Smaller square wooden dowel, half the width of the large dowel
• Saw
• Fine sandpaper
• Small alphabet stickers
• Large number stickers
• Tweezers
• Spray paint

Cut Your Dowels

Using your saw, measure and cut two cubes from the large dowel. You should cut them as long as the wood is wide; for instance, we cut our 1 1/2-inch dowel into 1 1/2-inch cubes.

From the smaller dowel, cut two rectangles, each double the length of the width of your large dowel. As an example, these rectangles are 3-inches long, which is twice the length of the 1 1/2-inch cubes.

Add Number Stickers

Using a large number of stickers, stick them firmly to the sides of your cubes. These will function as your date cubes. On one cube, place numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. On the second cube, place numbers 0, 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8. You won't place a number 9 anywhere, but the 6 will function as the 9 once you flip the cube upside down. Firmly press down on all numbers to ensure that they've adhered around all edges.

Add Letter Stickers

Using small alphabet stickers, stick them firmly to the sides of the rectangles. You'll need to include every day of the week, one per side, with one blank side. We recommend using tweezers to place the letters on the wooden rectangles; this makes it easier to ensure they're aligned well. Also, we recommend starting in the middle of the words and working your way to the outer letters so that it's easier to center them on the rectangles. Firmly press down on all letters to ensure that they've adhered around all edges.

Paint the Wood Block

In a well-ventilated area, spray paint the cubes and rectangles in your choice of colors. Add light coats until all sides are covered, and allow to dry fully. Once dry, use tweezers to carefully pull away the large numbers from the cubes, revealing the unpainted areas underneath.

Remove the Stickers

Continue removing all letter stickers until all of the words are revealed. Be careful with the smaller letters not to scratch the wood, as you use tweezers to remove the stickers.

Set It Up

Place your calendar on your desk and arrange it how you'd like. You can stack the days on the bottom or the top, depending on your preference. Each new day, flip the day and the date, and you'll stay right on track. One of the benefits of a perpetual calendar is that you can use it year after year. Have fun!