upcycling a wall calendar into a monthly planner

**I originally posted this entry over on the Crafty Christmas Club back in October 2010.  I've made a few changes here.**

At the end of each year, I get a slew of wall calendars from charities.  And every year, I ask them to take me off their mailing list to save paper and funds.  There's already a chalkboard wall in my kitchen that I use for my calendar so these unsolicited ones usually end up in the recycling bin.  What I really needed at the end of 2011 was a book version to keep track of appointments for my new business.  So, when I received the wall type from the Nature Conservancy, I decided to convert it into a hardcover monthly planner.  Here's how I did it:  

Materials:

Wall calendar

Scissors

Glue stick

Corrugated cardboard

Water activated paper packaging tape

Clear packaging tape

1) Start by cutting up a wall calendar into individual pages.

2) Fold each page in half so that the calendar part is on the inside and the picture is on the outside.  Stack them in chronological order.  

3) Glue the back right side of each page to the back left side of the next one.  When you're done you should have something that looks like this:

4) Now it's time to start the cover.  Cut three pieces of cardboard: one for the spine that is 0.5" x 8.75" and two for the covers (each 5.5" x 8.75").  Fold paper packaging tape over the edges to finish them as shown below.... OR... hop over to this awesome Instructables tutorial for an even better version of book binding that will make a more finished looking product.  

5) Put the three pieces of the cover together to form a triangle (see photo below).  While they're in this position, use a strip of clear packaging tape to connect them.  I centered the strip on the spine and pressed it down on either side.  It's important to do this step in this position to make sure the book opens and closes properly.   

6) Open the covers so that the side with the clear packaging tape is facing down.  Put a strip of paper packaging tape down the center of the spine to connect it again to the covers.  Before activating it with water, I made two creases in the tape where the covers would bend.  You can see the creases on either side of the spine in the photo below.

7) Time to add the pages that were put together earlier.  Glue the back left side of the January page to the front cover.  Open and close the book a few times to see where the back page should sit.  Once you've found a good spot, glue the back right side of the December page to the back cover.

8) I used an extra page that was left over from the wall calendar to pretty up the cover a bit.  Just make sure you glue it on while the book is closed.  

And done!  Mine is now filling up with dog walking appointments and dinner plans instead of languishing in the recycling bin.


P.S. I submitted this entry to the Patchwork Living Blogging Bee.  Bee sure to hop over there for other great ideas! (Oh now, that was just an uncalled for pun...)

hangover homesteading

I was not very productive on Sunday.  Not unless you consider watching five back-to-back episodes of Lost productive.  Dinner with friends on Saturday night snowballed into a few more drinks than I had intended.  An extra glass of wine always looks like a good idea until the next morning.

Late in the afternoon, I peeled myself off the couch and puttered around the kitchen looking for something to redeem myself with.  Lo and behold, I found two wrinkly jalapenos in the corner of the produce drawer that were begging for a little attention.  Instead of relegating them to the compost bin, I pulled up some quick instructions on how to pickle the little guys.  

Less than 10 minutes later, I popped the jar in the fridge and started planning an excellent night of falafel sandwiches.  

you're welcome, pancreas

Did you hear the terrible news about bacon earlier this week?  Or was I the only one quietly sobbing over my breakfast?  Well, misery loves company, so let me be the first to tell you that a daily dose of bacon has now been linked with a 19% increase in a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer.  Now we're both sad.

Turns out the study isn't new.  Similar information was released in an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute way back in 2005.  And it actually finds a correlation between higher risk of pancreatic cancer and a daily dose of any processed meat.  Thankfully, most of us aren't in the habit of eating bacon or sausage every day.  But cold cuts, that's a different story.  Those innocuous looking deli meats were a lunch staple in my household.  Were.  Meet my impeccably timed Christmas gift from Beau.  It's a meat slicer.

Last weekend, long before I'd openly wept into a bowl of oatmeal, my husband and I spent an afternoon turning a $12 turkey into about $45 worth of groceries.  Every shred of dark meat was ground, the bones were boiled for stock, and the breast was slathered in herbs and roasted.

When they emerged from the oven, they were the first pieces of meat to go through my new slicer.  Inaugural sandwich meat.  That's a noble calling, in my opinion.

After a quick five minutes of concentrating on not cutting off my thumb, we had a platter full of delicious, homemade cold cuts, free from nitrates, added sugar and bucketfuls of salt.  

Isn't it beautiful?  This is a new tradition that will keep my pancreas and mouth happy for a long time.


P.S. Welcome to anyone hopping over from the Homestead Barn Hop and the Patchwork Living Blogging Bee!  Do you guys and girls make your own cold cuts, too?

the things i made

Is it too late to still be talking about Christmas?  I'm still getting over my crafting fatigue and this is the first I've felt like broaching the subject.  I haven't been able to look at my sewing machine in the past three weeks without whimpering a bit.  But it was all worth it!  This year I had an almost entirely handmade Christmas.  A few items I blogged about over at the Crafty Christmas Club (links to those entries are below).

A patchwork tote for my mother-in-law

Sailor's knot bracelets for some of my favorite ladies

A restaurant review journal for my sister-in-law

A rocket ship tent for my nephew

 Also completed:
     - Three pairs of men's PJ pants
     - Christmas themed photo album 
     - Man's toiletry case (using this tutorial) 
     - Beer coozies (pictures and tutorial to come)
     - Another tote bag with a felt applique 

Though starting a small business has drained my resources, I desperately wanted to have a normal-ish Christmas.  Instead of shopping my wallet dry, I spent almost two months making things for my friends and family.  I think my hard work paid off in spite of the paper cuts, pin pricks, and that one little temper tantrum.  The presents might have been smaller than usual this year but while I made each one, I spent the entire time thinking about the person I was making it for.  I think that's what Christmas is really all about anyway.       

who cut the cheese?

Taking down the Christmas tree is always depressing.  A whole year before another one takes its place.  To cheer ourselves up after sweeping out the pine needles, we opened one of the presents I bought for Beau: a cheese making kit!

First up: gouda

Two gallons of whole milk heating up

 Poor little Miss Muffet.  Curds and whey are not appetizing.

 Finally found a use for those old textbooks.

And when those inevitably toppled, we switched to unused exercise equipment

In a few months, we'll have our first two pounds of home made cheese.  I plan on making crackers to go with them.  What type goes well with gouda?