Wood Block Perpetual Calendar Teacher Gift Idea

As the school year comes to a close, I have been looking for fun handmade teacher gift ideas. This year, one of my children has a young, hip first-year teacher, so I wanted to create something special for her that would fit her personal style. I came up with this colorful wood block perpetual DIY calendar with metallic gold accents. It’s modern and fun and something I hope she will use in her classroom for years to come.

I even created a punny card to go with the gift and have included a free printable version you can download.

Supplies needed to make your own wood DIY calendar: 

• Unfinished Wood Block Calendar
• Acrylic Craft Paint
• Paint Brush
• Brushed Stainless Adhesive Gold Foil
• Transfer Tape
• Blank Kraft Card and Envelope Set
• Number/Month Silhouette Cut File (Download HERE)
• Free Printable Card (Download HERE)

Begin by painting both cubes and all three of the rectangular month blocks. I painted each side a different fun color.

Next, open the cut file in Silhouette Studio.

1. Change the cut settings to blade 4, speed 5 and thickness 20. These are the settings I used, but you may need to experiment with your particular machine and blade sharpness.
2. Apply a piece of the adhesive foil to the cutting mat and insert it into Silhouette machine.
3. Cut out numbers and letters.
4. Weed excess material, leaving only the letters on the foil backing. Press transfer tape over letters, lifting them from the backing. Apply the months to the small blocks.

There’s a certain order that the numbers have to be applied to the two cubes in order for the calendar to be functional. Place the numbers 0 and 5 on the top and bottom of the first cube. Then place the numbers 1,2,3 and 4 around the sides of the first block. Place the numbers 0 and 8 on the second block. Then place the numbers 1,2,6 and 7 around the sides of the second block. This diagram illustrates the correct number placement:

I left the outer shell of my calendar raw wood and added brushed gold accents on a diagonal along each side.

I’m kind of loving how this DIY calendar turned out. It’s fresh and modern and so fun with all of the bright colors.

The gold foil is really shiny and glitzy in real life, but it was hard to capture in photos. I love the bling it adds to this DIY calendar project.

A big thank you to teachers everywhere!

Jennifer

Jennifer is a wife and mother of three. She blogs at TheCraftPatchBlog.com, where she shares craft tutorials, DIY projects, recipes and loads of creative inspiration for home and family. When she’s not blogging or crafting, Jennifer loves to shop at thrift stores, play kickball with her family and adventure in the great state of Idaho.