Perpetual Calendar for Wall Mounting

A perpetual calendar is one that can be reused year after year. This Instructable shows how to make perpetual wall calendars that have a sheet for each month. They have a range of 65 years, and are set by moving a window along a track to put a marker under a column that has the year of interest. Some wall calendars are marked up with appointment dates during the year and cannot be reused. However, many with beautiful pictures are discarded at the end of the year without any marks on them. Some of them have not been used at all. This is an unnecessary waste which can be eliminated by using the concepts in this Instructable. The following are three areas where perpetual wall calendars could be very useful.

1. Calendars with family photos. Maybe you do not want to use the same calendar forever, but only one year is not long enough. Also, after having it up for a while, you may want to put it away and then bring back the memories by putting it up again in the future.

2. Calendars sold in gift shops with beautiful scenery. A conventional calendar that is not sold is worthless the next year. To eliminate waste and provide choice, a shop could have a conventional calendar and a perpetual calendar with the same scenery.

3. Calendars given away by businesses and organizations for promotional purposes. A few years ago, I was a member of an organization that produced a calendar for seniors that included valuable contact information and also some tips for healthy living. The information was valid for many years, but the calendar was valid for only one year.

This Instructable shows how to make the narrow-track perpetual wall calendar in the above images, how to make one that has a wide track (where the day-of-the-month table is the track), and how to make an existing calendar perpetual. Using my concepts to make a perpetual calendar requires about twice as much paper, and would cost one and one half to two times as much as a conventional calendar. Based on sheets of 8.5 by 11-inch paper, a conventional calendar requires two sheets of 60 lb. cardstock to make the front and back covers and 12 sheets of 20 lb. paper for the month sheets. This is equivalent to 18 sheets of 20 lb. paper. My narrow-track design requires an additional six sheets of 60 lb. cardstock to make the tracks and the windows, so the total is equivalent to 36 sheets of 20 lb. paper. The extra for the wide track design is all 20 lb. paper. The tracks require four sheets and the windows six sheets for a total equivalent of 28 sheets of 20 lb. paper. Only three years of use results in a significant saving of paper for either design. In addition to saving paper, a perpetual calendar eliminates the inconvenience of annual replacement.

The pdf files include calendar sheets, tracks and windows. There are also photos of bronze statues in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada to enable you to print and assemble a complete calendar. You will probably want to use your own photos. There is a moveable window on each month sheet. During my design process, I considered having one window that is moved aside when the month is changed. I was unable to develop something that was easy to make, and which adequately pressed against the sheets.

The first image shows a calendar sheet that has dates printed on it along with the window set to April 2020. On this sheet, the days that are dates to remember are shaded and explanatory notes are added below the name of the month. Printing dates on a family photo calendar enhances its usefulness. The second image shows a plain calendar sheet for April with the track and window removed. Each month sheet has a 13-column day-of-the-month table that is unique to the particular month and a seven-column year table. The window, which has a day-of-week table with the letters SMTWTFS, selects seven columns of the day-of-the-month table for display. The day-of-the-month tables are arranged so that the year tables are the same for the months March to December. As noted below, the year tables for January and February are slightly different to accommodate leap years.

The day-of-the-month table for January is arranged so that the window is in the far-right position when the first of January is on Sunday. Thus, the top row on the January sheet has six blanks followed by the numbers 1 to 7. The second row has the numbers 2 to 14, the third row the numbers 9 to 21, etc. When the first of January is on Sunday in a common year, the first of April is on Saturday. Therefore, the top row of the sheet for April has 12 blanks followed by the number 1. The next row has five blanks followed by the numbers 1 to 8, etc.

To understand how the year tables are made, imagine that the columns are labeled Saturday to Sunday from left to right. For all months, common years are in the column corresponding to the day of the week that January 1 falls on. For January and February, leap years are also in the column corresponding to the day of the week that January 1 falls on. For March to December, leap years are in the column corresponding to the day of the week after the day of the week that January 1 falls on.

The day-of-the-month tables could have been made so that they are all like January. In this case, the year tables would be different for each month, and adding a year that is not in the year table would not be as simple as following the rules in the preceding paragraph.

This wall calendar with a sheet for each month is an extension of my perpetual desk calendar, which is described in my Instructable “Perpetual Calendar Breakthrough”. Since there is a sheet for each month, this calendar does not have a month table. In my searches of perpetual calendars that have been patented, manufactured or described in articles, I have not found any multi-sheet calendars that do not require reference to a conventional calendar to set. The year table is located above the day-of-the-week and day-of-the-month tables, instead of below them as in my desk calendar. My book “Practical Perpetual Calendars – Innovative, Convenient and Green” by James R. Saltvold describes the designs of my desk, wall and other perpetual calendars in detail. You can view a pdf copy of my book free of charge at https://archive.org/search.php?query=saltvold . My website, www.jamessaltvold.com , has a few designs that I have developed since my book was published in 2017.

The following pdf files provide details of my perpetual wall calendar. Except as noted, all sheets are intended for printing on 20 lb. paper.

“FILE #1 Narrow-Track Calendar Month Sheets” This file has a month sheet with a year table and a day-of-the-month table for each month for use with the narrow-track design.

“FILE #2 Photos for Feb to Dec” These photos, which I took of bronze statues in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, can be used with either the narrow-track or the wide-track design. You will probably want to use your own photos. A photo is printed on the back of each month sheet for January to November. The back of the December sheet has instructions on how to use the calendar and an image of the cover of my book. You may want something different.

“FILE #3 Cover Photo and Last Page” The cover photo is seen when the calendar is folded for storage. The last page is inside the back cover. Print these two sheets on 60 lb. cardstock. My cover has a photo of downtown Red Deer. My last page has descriptions of the photos for each month. Unless you use my photos, you will want something different.

“FILE #4 January Photo and Back Cover” The January photo is printed on the back side of the cover photo and the back cover is printed on the back side of the last page. Unless you use my other photos, you will want something different for January. My back cover has a table of dates for Easter Sunday and other Canadian holidays. Again, you may want something different.

“FILE #5 Narrow-Track Windows and Tracks” The sheet has two windows and two tracks, so you will need to print six of these. Use 60 lb. cardstock.

“FILE #6 Wide-Track Calendar Month Sheets” These sheets have the same tables as the sheets in FILE #1. The two files differ in that the lines on the sheet for locating the tracks are different. The wide-track design uses the photos in FILE #2 for the back sides of these pages and FILE #3 and FILE #4 for the front and back covers.

“FILE #7 Wide-Track Calendar Tracks” These sheets have the tracks for the wide track design. There are four sheets with three different tracks on each sheet. Use 20 lb. paper, unlike the tracks in the narrow-track design which use 60 lb. cardstock

“FILE #8 Wide-Track Windows” The sheet has two windows, so you will need to print six of these. Use 20 lb. paper, unlike the windows in the narrow-track design which use 60 lb. cardstock.

“FILE #9 Using Excel for Month Sheets” This file has some information on how I used Excel to create my month sheets. It also has a figure that shows how the month sheets can have important dates, such as birthdays and anniversaries printed on them. For more on using Excel, see the pdf “Using Excel for Graphics” in my Instructable “Perpetual Calendar Breakthrough”. You do not need to refer to either of these pdfs unless you want to make modifications to my sheets, or use Excel for creating jpeg and pdf copies of areas of spreadsheets.

There are a large number of files to facilitate printing. There is no need to selectively print sheets from a file. FILE #1 and FILE #2 are a pair for the narrow-track design, with one file for one side of each page and the other file for the back of each page. FILE #6 and FILE #2 are a similar pair for the wide-track design. FILE #3 and FILE #4 are a pair for both designs.

The choices in the above photo are:

1. Coil binding -Most print shops can do this binding, which is a good choice for a calendar.

2. Plastic comb binding – Most print shops can do this binding. It is more suited to a book or manual than a calendar. If used for a calendar, the sheets which have not been turned up will be hanging from the binding. Over a period of years, there is a slight possibility that the weight of the sheets could pull this binding open. Avoid this binding if you can obtain coil or wire-O.

3. Wire-O binding – Other names are double-loop, double-o, duo-wire, and twin-loop. This is my preferred binding, but not all print shops offer this option.

4. Cable ties – This is an option if you are doing the work yourself. Usually, the ends of a cable tie are joined so that the spring clip in the head grips notches on one side of the tie, and the tie cannot be loosened or taken apart. However, the ends can be joined so that the spring clip rubs against the other side of the tie, which is smooth. When this is done, the tie can be tightened, loosened and taken apart. The holding force is much less, but is adequate to hold calendar sheets. As shown in the photo, the tails of the tie are taped down to the back cover so the loop made by the tie is held at a right angle to the back cover.

5. Loose-leaf rings – An advantage that loose-leaf rings offer over the other binding methods is that they are easily opened. This could be important if you design your calendar so that the photos are not printed on the back sides of the calendar sheets, and you have the option of changing photos. Loose-leaf rings are not as pleasing in appearance as the other bindings. An option to loose-leaf rings is to use string.

I have designed this calendar with 8.5 by 11-inch sheets so that it can be printed on a home printer. Another option is to print two of my sheets on one sheet of 11 by 17-inch paper. If this is done, the calendar can be simply stapled in the middle, which is the way that most conventional calendars are bound.

The above image indicates the quantities of 20 lb. paper and 60 lb. cardstock required to make the different parts of the four calendar types. The types “Add Narrow Track to Existing” and “Add Wide Track to Existing” are for making an existing calendar perpetual.

Tools:

Straight edge 12 inches long

Sharp utility knife - Scissors can be used instead of a utility knife, but cutting slits with scissors is difficult.

Cutting mat - In place of a cutting mat, I used a piece of scrap drywall. While writing this Instructable, I tried using a magazine and that worked well.

Printer – You can do your own printing or have a print shop do it. The heaviest paper for this project is 60 lb. cardstock, which many home printers can handle.

One-hole paper punch.

Three-hole paper punch – You will need this if you choose cable tie or loose-leaf binding.

Side-cutting pliers, wire cutter, or tin snips – You will need this if you choose cable tie binding.

A conventional wall calendar (optional) – You can figure out how the pages should be printed on each side and how the calendar should be assembled without this. However, having a sample calendar makes the work easier.

Supplies:

20 lb. paper – Standard quality can be used. If you want better quality, a product you might consider purchasing is Hammermill HAM 104604, which is 24 lb. premium laser print paper for color printing.

60 lb cardstock –Standard quality can be used. If you want better quality, a product you might consider purchasing is Hammermill HAM 122549 60 lb. Color Copy Digital Cover Paper, which is 8.5 by 11 inch 60 lb. glossy cardstock.

Binding of your choosing – If you select cable ties, I recommend Commercial Electric 4‑inch UV black. These ties are also available in a neutral color, but without UV protection, they will yellow with time. If you select loose-leaf rings, I suggest 1.0 inch diameter, which is the smallest size that is widely available in stationery stores.

0.5 to 0.75 inch wide tape – This is required if you select cable ties. Scotch® Matte Finish Magic™ Tape can be used. Double-sided tape, which is available at craft stores, is better because it can hold the cable tie tails in place and also hold cardstock to cover the tails.

White glue or 0.5 to 0.75 inch wide double-sided tape – This is required for attaching the tracks to the calendar sheets on new calendars. When adding either a narrow or a wide track to an existing calendar, glue or double-sided tape is required to attach the calendar sheets with windows to the sheets in the existing calendar. The easiest tape to use has the top side covered with a strip that you peel off and discard after you have pressed the bottom side down. This tape can be difficult to find and you may have to use the widely available tape that is on a dispenser with both sticky surfaces exposed. An alternative to double-sided tape is double-sided pads.

An old calendar made from 8.5 by 11 inch sheets or 11 by 17 inch sheets – This is required if you want to make an existing calendar perpetual.

All of the above images in this Instructable show a narrow track perpetual calendar. This design has a cardstock window on a narrow cardstock track on each month sheet.

a) Download and print FILE #1 on 20 lb. paper (or 24 lb. paper if you chose the better quality). This file has the 12 calendar sheets with the year and day-of-the-month tables on them. Before printing the whole file, I suggest printing the first sheet to check for quality and to have a test sheet when you print FILE #2.

b) If you are using my photos, download and print FILE #2 on the back sides of the sheets that you printed FILE #1 on. The sheets in FILE #1 and FILE #2 are in the same order in both files. Before printing the whole file, I suggest printing on the back side of the test sheet you created above to verify that the FILE #1 sheets are loaded in the right direction in the printer. If you are not using my photos, you will have to create a substitute for FILE #2. Note that the file you create will have the photos for February to December followed by notes for the back side of the month sheet for December. You may want to use some ideas from my last sheet in FILE #2.

c) If you are using my photos, download and print FILE #3 on 60 lb. cardstock. This file has the front cover and the inside of the back cover. If you are not using my photos, none of this file is of value to you, and you will have to create a substitute for FILE #3. Note that if you are using cable ties for binding, avoid having any printing on the first 1.5 inches along the edge of the inside of the back cover where the ties are so that the tails can be covered. See h) below.

d) If you are using my photos and back cover, download and print FILE #4 on the back sides of the sheets you printed in c) above. Follow the same procedure as in b) to ensure that you have the FILE #3 sheets loaded in the correct direction in the printer. If you are not using my photos, the first sheet in FILE #4 is of no value to you, but you may want to use some ideas from the second sheet.

e) Download and print six copies of FILE #5 on 60 lb. cardstock. Follow the instructions on the sheets for cutting out the tracks and windows. Note that the slits in the windows that hold them on the track are short and difficult to cut with scissors. After cutting out the pieces and the slits, slide each window onto a track.

f) Attach one track with a window on it to each calendar sheet. About 0.5 to 1 inch on each end needs to be glued or taped. Double-sided tape is convenient for this.

g) Arrange all the sheets in the correct order and bind them together. If you are using cable ties or loose-leaf rings, the sheets will have to be punched with a three-hole paper punch. For the other binding methods, use the appropriate punch.

h) Special instructions for cable ties: See the notes for choice #4 under Step 2. The first inch of the smooth side of the tie listed under “Supplies” is rough and has to be cut off. (Other makes may not have this rough end.) Cut so that the end is pointed for easy threading into the spring clip. Use a side-cutting pliers, wire cutter or tin snips for cutting. Make the loop between 0.5 and 0.75 inches in diameter so there is about an inch of tail. Tape each tail down and cover with some cardstock. I suggest a strip 1.5 inches wide by 11 inches long to cover all the tails, but you can cover them individually. For best holding, use double-sided tape along with some white glue.

i) Punch holes for hanging the calendar. Two holes are required because the moving windows make the weight of the calendar off center. I suggest locating the holes where they would be if a three-hole punch were used with the center punch missing. This produces holes that are 8.5 inches apart. A one-hole punch can be used to punch the holes after you have located them. An alternative is to use a standard two-hole punch, which would produce holes 2.75 inches apart.

In the wide-track calendar, the day-of-the-month table is the track. The window has a slit cut on each side, and the track is threaded through the slits. The above image shows the track shaded, but FILE #7 has white tracks. Many of the steps to make this calendar are the same as for the narrow-track calendar. The similarities and differences are descried below.

a) Download and print FILE #6 instead of FILE #1. Note that FILE #6 has day-of-the-month tables which are covered by the track when it is glued to the sheets. This table is here so that the same sheets can be used in Step 7 to make an existing calendar perpetual.

b) Same as for narrow-track.

c) Same as for narrow-track.

d) Same as for narrow-track.

e) Download and print six copies of FILE #8 on 20 lb. paper Follow the instructions on the sheets for cutting the slits in the windows. Download and print FILE #7 on 20 lb. paper. This file has the wide tracks, with three tracks per sheet. Follow the instructions on the sheets. After cutting out the tracks, slide each window onto a track.

f) Same as for narrow-track.

g) Same as for narrow-track.

h) Same as for narrow-track.

i) Same as for narrow-track.

To make an existing calendar perpetual, you need 12 month sheets with narrow-track windows mounted on them.

a) Download and print FILE #1 on 20 lb. paper (or 24 lb. paper if you chose the better quality). This file has the 12 calendar sheets with the year and day-of-the-month tables.

b) Download and print six copies of FILE #5 on 60 lb. cardstock. Follow the instructions on the sheets for cutting out the tracks and windows. Note that the slits in the windows that hold them on the track are short and difficult to cut with scissors. After cutting out the pieces and the slits, slide each window onto a track.

c) Attach one track with a window on it to each calendar sheet that you printed in step a). About 0.5 to 1 inch on each end needs to be glued or taped. Double-sided tape is convenient for this.

d) Attach the calendar sheets with windows to the sheets in the existing calendar. The ideal is to use 0.5 inch double-sided tape on all four edges. White glue can be used instead. You definitely need to glue or tape along the full length of the left and right edges. Along the top and bottom, an inch of glue or tape every two inches may be adequate.

This image shows an existing calendar that I made into a perpetual calendar with a wide track. I have used this calendar for about five years. The image also shows the cutting instructions for each month sheet and each window. To make an existing calendar perpetual with a wide track, you need 12 month sheets with wide track windows mounted on them.

a) Download and print FILE #6 on 20 lb. paper (or 24 lb. paper if you prefer better quality). As shown above, cut from end to end on each sheet above and below the day-of-the-month table. (The cuts go to the ends of the day-of-the-month tables and not to the edges of the sheet.) This step makes the day-of-the-month table on the sheet into a track.

b) Download and print six copies of FILE #8 on 20 lb. paper Follow the instructions on the sheet for cutting the slits at the sides of the window. As shown above, cut across the middle of each window so it can be slipped over the day-of-the-month table on the calendar sheet.

c) Slip each window over a calendar sheet. The flaps do not have to be joined together after the windows are slipped over.

d) Attach the calendar sheets with windows to the sheets in the existing calendar. The ideal is to use 0.5 inch double-sided tape on all four edges. White glue can be used instead. You definitely need to glue or tape along the full length of the left and right edges. Along the top and bottom, an inch of glue or tape every two inches may be adequate.