Creating a family calendar allows you to cherish special moments from the past, all while looking forward to what’s ahead. With a calendar that’s unique to your family, you’ll be reminded of birthdays, anniversaries, events, and vacations. To offer you inspiration, we’re sharing 12 simple family calendar ideas that will guide your project from start to finish.
With a few favorite photos, you’ll enjoy making your own calendar—for your home, office, or to give as a gift. Create a custom calendar the whole family will love.
Reasons to Create Your Family Calendar
Custom calendars add a beautiful personal touch to your decor. They can also make thoughtful gifts for loved ones like parents, godparents, grandparents, and cousins.
Consider special occasions as a theme for your calendar. Check out some ideas below.
Graduations: Celebrate a successful path through high school, college, graduate school, trade school, or medical school. Incorporate photos from the entire journey, including candids from sports, theater, musical endeavors, and clubs.
Family Trips: A camping excursion or the exploration of a new city often provides breathtaking landscapes, happy family moments, and funny candids. Compile your collection of vacation photos to create a calendar that will help you relive special memories throughout the year.
Anniversaries: Gather your favorite photos of you and your significant other. From dates on the town to outdoor adventures, add a mix of images to capture the full spectrum of your love.
New Baby: Adding a new member to your family is an incredibly special time. Design a calendar with photos from their first days, including shots with family members like grandparents and siblings.
Birthdays: Whether it’s a 5th or 50th birthday, design a personalized calendar to commemorate the beautiful gift of life. Remember to include a range of photos—from the early years to recent adventures and achievements.
Thanksgiving: What’s a better time to show gratitude for our families than Thanksgiving? Design a photo calendar that’s full of everything you’re thankful for, like special trips with family and the beautiful outdoors.
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa: Give a meaningful gift during the holiday season with a custom photo calendar that’s designed for the whole family. Make it comprehensive by including important dates and photos of grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
New Year’s: Everyone needs a fresh calendar for the new year ahead. Choose a style that fits your personality best, whether that’s a wall calendar or an easel calendar.
Valentine’s Day: Make your loved one feel extra special this year. Create a calendar that’s dedicated to your love and all of the adventures that go along with it—whether that’s raising kids or playing frisbee with the dogs.
Retirement: After years of hard work and dedication, retirement is worth celebrating in a big way. Make a calendar that commemorates all of the retiree’s hard work, fun, and commitment.
Weddings: Stunning wedding photos make for breathtaking calendars. Choose your favorites—from shots that capture your unique bond to photos with your family members breaking it down on the dance floor.
Honeymoon: Whether you spend your time at an all-inclusive resort, campsite, or quaint bed and breakfast, you’ll want to remember those special moments for years to come. For a custom wall calendar or desk calendar, be sure to include candids from your excursions like enjoying breakfast at a coffee shop or hiking through the woods.
Where to Display Your Calendar
Family calendars can fit the style and mood of any room. Place yours in a spot where family members will be frequently reminded of special dates and events.
You can display your calendar:
- In your office or place of work
- On your desk at home
- In the living room or family room
- In the kitchen
- On the refrigerator
- In the bedroom
- Any other place where it’ll be noticed
Personalizing Your Family Calendar
When you personalize your family calendar, it brings extra meaning to every month of the year. With a blend of photos, you’ll be constantly reminded of special memories and moments. Keep the following tips in mind to design a personalized calendar that will keep everyone smiling.
Design Tip #1: Consider the month. If it’s February, include photos of family members expressing love for one another in celebration of Valentine’s Day. If it’s October, add in Halloween photos. If it’s December, include shots of the snowman you built together or the funny photo from last year’s holiday party.
Design Tip #2: Choose joyous photos. Whether the kids are laughing together or you’re smiling at your daughter, including the happiest photos in your calendar design will brighten your days all year long. Consider adding your child’s artwork to your calendar for extra meaning.
Design Tip #3: Include special dates. Calendars help remind us of important dates throughout the year. Make sure to include:
- Anniversaries (of grandparents, parents, siblings, etc.)
- Special events (i.e., the first day of school, graduation, weddings)
- Birthdays
- Holidays (i.e., Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Martin Luther King Day, Thanksgiving)
- Remembrance days (i.e., When grandma passed, Your first date together)
If you decide to create a wall calendar, add photos of the special person for their date. For example, place a photo of Rachel on her birthday or a wedding photo on your anniversary.
Design Tip #4: Add landscapes. From rolling mountains to pristine lakes, incorporate photos of your favorite places on your custom calendar. Family cottages, vacation spots, and nature parks make for stunning monthly backdrops that offer plenty of meaning.
Design Tip #5: Create themed pages. Similar to photo books, you can bring unity to a page by choosing a theme. For January, consider a festive New Year’s scheme. For July, include red, white, and blue. For October, incorporate black and orange colors along with photos of past Halloween celebrations. The more cohesive each page, the more professional your calendar will look.
Final Thoughts On Family Calendars
Your family calendar is a beautiful piece of home decor, but also a keepsake. The pages and photos can be kept for years to come. Get started with designing your own calendar to brighten your home and the lives of everyone you love.
