Hey friends! I wanted to introduce you to a couple new faces today! Mallory and Savannah are here to share their first DIY project with you. We met them last year and really love their style. We’re so happy to have them here to share a couple projects with you each month!
Acrylic decor is everywhere right now, and since the new year is right around the corner, we thought it was only appropriate to share a really fun calendar tutorial. We were inspired by a lucite calendar we saw online that ran well over $1000, and excuse me, but that is not going to happen. This DIY version works like a dry erase board and can be made in about 2 hours from start to finish. Sounds like a win to me!
Supplies:
–36″ x 30″ acrylic sheet
–2-3/4″ brass-plated connecting bolt (4 pack)
-(4) 1/2″ washers
-(4) 1/2″ copper couplings
-gold spray paint
-black vinyl
-transfer paper and vinyl cutter (optional)
-drill and drill bits (1/4″ drill bit, 1/8″ drill bit, hex-drive bit)
Step One: Spray paint your mounting hardware. Allow to dry while you work on the rest of the project.
Step Two: Using a drill bit, set your drill in reverse* and place a piece of wood behind the acrylic for support. Drill holes in your acrylic sheet about 1″ in from the sides. This will be used for mounting the calendar to the wall.
*Drilling in reverse helps prevent cracking. You do not need speed for this step; drilling in reverse while applying pressure will create the hole. This step is way easier than it sounds, so don’t be afraid to go for it!
Step Three: Cut and apply the vinyl calendar. If you have access to a vinyl cutter, you can create your own calendar using the software that works with your cutter. For our project, we used the Silhouette Cameo with Silhouette Studio software. Download the Silhouette Studio files here:
Calendar top piece
Middle Piece (cut two)
Bottom piece
Note: If you do not have a vinyl cutter, you can easily create the boxes with black vinyl and a pair of scissors. If you choose to do it this way, simply cut 3.5″ strips (about 1/8″ wide) of vinyl to create the boxes for each date. You could also use scrapbook letters (like these) to do the days of the week across the top.
Step Four: Mount your new calendar! It’s time to hang it up. Using a drill bit slightly smaller than your bolt (we used 1/8″ bit since the bolt is 1/4″), pre-drill a hole in the wall. You can use a wall anchor if you’d like, but we didn’t need one.
Feed your bolt through the hole that you drilled into the acrylic sheet, then thread the coupling and washer on the bolt.
Using a hex-drive bit, slowly screw your bolt into the wall. Repeat on the other corners.
Now it’s time to schedule, organize and doodle! Dry erase markers come in so many colors, which makes it really fun! We love how it turned out, and it’s pretty easy to make. This would make a fantastic gift too!
We absolutely love how it turned out and get a ton of use out of it. We actually made two so we each have one our own houses in our offices. We think the plexiglass looks so clean and chic when you pair it with the gold hardware. Isn’t it fun? Can you think of somewhere in your home you could put one? Bet you can! 😉 –Mallory & Savannah
Credits // Author and Photography: Mallory Nikolaus and Savannah Kokaliares. Photos edited with Celeste from The Fresh Collection.
58 Comments
This turned out super cute!
Kristina does the Internets
This is so, so cute! Like see-through furniture, it has the effect of feeling like it doesn’t take up “space” in the room.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
I love the rug!!! So beautiful the mix between pink and transparent ^^
Check out my lat post before Christmas. Get inspiration, find ideas, and thoughts about this time of the year.
http://www.mgluxurynews.com/posts
Hugs!! M
Gorgeous! I think this would make just the perfect Christmas gift for myself this year 😉
OMG! I’ve been eyeing the $1000 version forever, and now I don’t have to stare at it in my online shopping cart and cry! It can be mine! Thank you!
too cool! love the space in general as well. especially the rug! xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com
This is amazing! Wish I had a space for something like this!!! Maybe one day 🙂
Amazing. Can’t wait to try this out. Thanks for sharing!!!
This look great! Can’t wait to try this out
I love how this looks! But I just got a calendar as a gift! Gaaaah want. Maybe I can make it for my bf’s new office 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration.
http://www.MarinaSays.com
What an amazing idea, I need to make this for my new work place!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Cool, the fact that it was an Acrylic Calendar makes it more interesting. I like the idea
Amazing idea. It turned out super trendy and cute. Thank you so much for sharing. I will be trying this out soon.
I just love it! What a great idea!!
http://www.carolinespassion.wordpress.com
I ADORE this. I’m definitely going to make one for my office. Thank you so much for sharing such a WICKED practical and helpful DIY!
Lucy xoxo
http://lucyannblog.blogspot.co.uk
I. LOVE. THIS!
I love this – thanks so much for sharing 😀 I just don’t know if I have the patience to cut vinyl pieces to my exacting standards! Love it though. x
This is such an awesome idea! I need one of these in my office!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I love that calendar!! Totally gonna try it.
Manique
http://www.poshmodeave.com/
Love the creativity! I definitely want to give this a go – where’s my nearest supply shop!?
– Holly x
http://iblogthefashion.blogspot.co.uk
This is one of the best DIY projects I’ve seen in some time. Thank you so much for sharing. I plan to make one for myself and a couple family members. Keep the awesome ideas coming!
I’m assuming the vinyl pieces go on the back in reverse, to minimize the risk of rubbing against the vinyl when writing and wiping the marker off?
Where did you get your desk? The legs look like some I have seen at ikea painted but the filing cabinet under the other side I cannot find. Thank you!
I’d love to make this for my dorm! Hoping someone sees my comment because I’m not too sure how I could hang it. I’m not allowed to drill holes in the wall, and I was hoping to put this over a cork board in my room. I’d love suggestions!!
Does the thickness of the acrylic matter? I am from UK and it is not as cheap to get the acrylic like your Home Depot
I LOVE this calendar. I just made it following the above instructions and purchasing the premade vinyl calendar off of Etsy. Just a side note for those Virgos out there – get a 2nd person to help you because as soon as the vinyl touches the acrylic, it’s on there! Best, also, to use dry erase markers to mark your rows for spacing and leveling purposes. Mine is a bit wonky and it may or may not drive me nuts. LOL!!!
I found same calendar at Hobby Lobby $49.99 …got it for 50% off!
Hobby Lobby is famous for ripping off blog DIYs, etsy artists etc, so I am not surprised at all. Glad you got a good deal, though.
So true! And ironically, sacred religious relics! Criminals!
Love this so much thank you for sharing! I am having issues downloading the calendar file and was curious if you might be able to help me? I have all the supplies and went to start cutting with my cricut but can not get the calendar files to download or open in design space
Hi Meghan! I just emailed them to you <3
Is someone able to email me the “bottom” file. I can’t seem to download it but I was able to get the top and middle sections. Thanks in advance!
Hi Yvette- The link is fixed now. Sorry about that!
I know this is an old post but if possible, can you email me the files for a cricut machine?? Thanks so much!
Hi Meaghan! These writers no longer write for our blog, but you can contact them here: http://instagram.com/classyclutter
I have a Cricut as well. Were you able to get the templates into Design Space?
Love love love, working on this now! My Silhouette is working overtime…this is by far my favorite project with it so far. One question, do you mind sharing how much space you left from the top of the acrylic to where the months start, and how much space is between the “daily” squares? I plan to tape off my acrylic to keep my lines straight so my OCD doesn’t go too nuts, but I need a starting point.
Where did you purchase the acrylic and what thickness did you use?
I love this so much! I want to attempt to do this, this weekend but I am having a hard time downloading the file!
Can you email me the downloads also. I am having a hard time downloading them. My niece wants to make this for her office.
Love this! I just bought the acrylic and was able to download the file for the top and middle, but the bottom part of the calendar says “page not found”. Can you please email? Thank you so much for this beautiful idea!
Is there any chance you have the templates in a different format? I have a Cricut and not a Silhouette.
Hi,
I have a Cricut Maker and I was wondering if you would be able to email me the files for the Acrylic Calendar. For some reason is not letting me open/download. Thank you!
Hi Sandra! Emailing them to you now 🙂
Hi Jacki,
Would you mind emailing them to me as well? I would appreciate it so much!
Thanks so much!
I’m sorry, but we don’t have the Cricut files. If you contact the authors of the post (they are not longer writing for us) they can help! @classclutter on Instagram 🙂
Love this calandar! Is there a svg or Cricut file available? Thank you!
Hi Ashley! They’re in the paragraph under step 3 🙂
Good afternoon! I love this calendar!! I have a Cricut machine and see that you’ve emailed files to others so they can use it with their Cricut. Would it be possible for me to get them as well? Thanks so much!
Hi Sarah! Could you let me know what happens when you click on the download file? I can email them to you if needed, but just wanted to double check.
hi!!!
I’ve seen this in pinterest and I absolutley love it and now that I finally have my own place I want to do it but I cant manage to open it once it is downloaded.
Any advice?????????
I have phptpshop and illustrator and I cant open the templates with neither or them
thanks all the way from argentina
Millie
Hi Millie! We used the program Silhouette Studio, so you’ll need to use that to open the files.
hi! again…
I downloaded silhouette studio, and I was able to open the files, but once I took the documents to my local graphic shop, they told me that they didn’t work with that program and that if I wanted them to cut it, I had to transfer the docs into an illustrator or PDF
any idea how to do it??
thank you very much
and sory for the inconvieniences!
M.
Hi! Sorry these writers no longer write for our blog, but feel free to reach out to them personally. I wish I could answer your question! xx
Hi. I’ve tried downloading the files and converting to .svg (I have a cricut), but it’s not allowing me to do that. Do you have them in another format? Or would you be able to email to me, please?
I would really love this as a circuit file!!! Can I also get it emailed to me please!!! An svg file is what works with the circuit.
Hi, I love this and want to make this for our family calendar but have a Cricut as well. Every time I try downloading the file it will not allow me to open so was hoping to get it as an svg file please!
Hi Lea! These writers no longer write for our blog, but you can contact them here: http://instagram.com/classyclutter