It’s a new year! If you’re looking for a unique way to share your memories, to remember your family’s special dates, or if your list of resolutions includes getting more organized, then look no further than a custom wall calendar. They’re not only helpful, but they’re also decorative. Start the year off right by creating a photo wall calendar you can use and enjoy all year long. When it comes to creating custom wall calendars, the key is personalization—that way, the calendar you create is as unique as the person who designed it.
Perfect for your own home or office and equally cherished as creative photo gifts, photo calendars are high quality with your favorite photos printed in vibrant, rich colors and a smooth matte finish. What’s more, they’re incredibly simple to design using our online tools. If you’re ready to create a custom wall calendar but aren’t sure where to start, simply follow the six easy steps below.
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How to Make A Wall Calendar Online
Just like photo books and canvas prints, it couldn’t be easier to transform your favorite photos into a personalized calendar. There are endless options for personalization. Use Shutterfly’s online calendar maker to easily design your own calendar style and layouts that incorporate your favorite photos. You can create a wall calendar for nearly any theme, whether you’ll be using it at home, in the office, or sending it as a gift. Below, follow these six easy steps to creating your own custom printed wall calendars: 
1. Choose Your Theme and Layout
From colorful to classic, whimsical to watercolor and everything in between, there are so many design styles to choose from when making your photo wall calendars. If you’re a fan of the rustic farmhouse style, there’s a calendar to match. If your style is more clean and classic, don’t worry, we’ve got a layout that you’ll love, too. From elegant script layouts to paw-some designs just for your four-legged friends, choose from dozens of pre-designed layouts that will help tell a story and bring your best photos to life. With each style, you can include unique backgrounds, page layouts, add-ons, and embellishments to go with the theme.
2. Choose Your Size And Month
Wall calendars are available in two custom sizes—8×11 and 12×12. If you’re looking for something smaller, you may want to consider a desk calendar or an easel calendar. Next, choose the month you want your calendar to start. This is such a great feature! You no longer have to “waste” months if you’re not creating your calendar at the beginning of the year. Now you can start your 12 months in any month you choose.
3. Upload Your Photos
Whether your photos exist on your phone, on your computer, or on social media, it’s easy to upload all of your photos with just a couple of clicks. Simply link your social media accounts to your Shutterfly account and utilize the photos you’ve uploaded on your social media accounts to your custom wall calendars. Once your photos are uploaded, you’ll be able to drag and drop them right into the calendar template you choose.
4. Choose Your Background
If you’re not happy with your calendar’s background, simply change it! With just a click, you can choose from any number of background designs and colors—or no background at all—until you find the perfect one. Each theme has several backgrounds built-in, but you also have easy access to thousands of additional backgrounds to create the perfect look.
5. Choose Your Embellishments
Each theme has its own unique set of embellishments—from illustrated stickers that match the theme to stickers for important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. You can add visual interest to your photos with ribbons, flourishes, and decorative frames.
6. Add Extras And Customize
Once you’ve got your calendar designed exactly how you want it, add it to your cart and you’ll have an option to add extras. If your calendar is a photo gift, you may want to add a stylish gift sleeve to present it in. Or, add a sheet of over 200 planning stickers to help track important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, travel dates, and more. 
Wall Calendar Sizes
When creating your photo wall calendars, there are a couple of sizes available to you. Which calendar size you choose is largely a matter of preference, but here are a couple of things to consider:
12×12
Large custom wall calendars are 12×12, meaning they’re an impressive 24 inches tall when hanging on the wall. This makes an eye-catching display for your photos and provides plenty of room for you to write notes on the calendar portion. Consider your hanging options and be sure you’ve got the wall space to accommodate a calendar of this size.
8×11
If you’re limited on wall space, 8×11 calendars are just the answer. Still, a notable 17-inch tall wall display when hung up, it will beautifully showcase your photos and remind you of all your important dates. If you plan to design a calendar with horizontal full-page photos, this is an option for you, since it will beautifully fill the space from top to bottom.
How To Personalize Your Calendar
Whether your calendar will be part of your home decor or you’re creating a calendar to give as a photo gift, it’ll always be more meaningful if you personalize it. With over 50 professionally-designed themes and endless options to customize them, you can create a calendar that’s as individual as you are. 
Consider using special occasions or meaningful themes to customize your calendar. Check out some of our personalized calendar printing ideas below to get started.
Travel
If you’re the type who loves to travel, then you’ll enjoy reliving those adventures all year round with a wall calendar full of your favorite vacation photos. Or, if you dream of traveling to faraway places, why not create a calendar with photos of the places you’d like to see yourself someday? Calendars packed with your family vacation photos make thoughtful custom gifts for every person that went on the trip.
New Baby
From the first day home to those first wobbly steps and every day in between, babies are always giving us reasons to take their photographs. Why not commemorate those precious moments by putting them into a custom wall calendar that you can enjoy all year long? Check out family calendar ideas for more inspiration.
Wedding
What better place to mark special dates—like your anniversary—than in a wall calendar of all your favorite photos from the big day? Design it by placing your photos in chronological order from getting ready, to walking down the aisle, to the kiss, to the reception as a fun way to tell your wedding story.
Pets
What’s better than a picture of your furriest friend? A year’s worth of photos of your furriest friend, that’s what! Personalized wall calendars with snapshots of your dogs or cats are some of the most popular calendars you can make. They make amazing gifts for the pet-obsessed friend on your list.
Love Story
Do you have a great love story to tell? Create a calendar that’s dedicated to the love of your life and all the great memories you’ve created together. Pair it with a canvas print of your favorite photo of the two of you together. You’ll have a memorable gift for the New Year, Valentine’s Day, or your anniversary.
Recipes
Do you have a family heirloom recipe that you always make for certain occasions? From your uncle’s chili recipe you break out at the first sign of winter, to Grandma’s birthday cake recipe, to Mom’s famous Christmas cookies—compile them all into a calendar cookbook with a different recipe for each month. Your family will love receiving these as gifts, too!
Year In Review
So much can change in a year! It’s fun to look back and see what’s new, and one way to do that is with a calendar that chronicles the previous year. Include photos from meaningful dates, important events, and memorable moments. You’ll love looking back on those memories while you create a year full of new ones.
Business
When it comes to your business, a personal touch is what sets you apart from the competition. If you’re looking for holiday gifts, office decor, gifts for your staff, or simply something that’s more than just business cards, why not create 12-months of marketing with a calendar that’s themed around your company?
Final Thoughts on Personalized Wall Calendars
When designing your calendar, remember it’ll always be more meaningful when you personalize it. Think of it the same way you would if you were putting together a custom photo book. Choose photos that tell your story, include special dates, and stick to a theme. This goes for desk calendars and easels too. Now that you see how easy it is, get started creating your own custom wall calendar to beautify your space and warm the heart of everyone on your gift list.
