How to Make a Perpetual Calendar

If you’re looking for calendar ideas for children to make, why not try a perpetual calendar? It serves the same purpose as a normal calendar, except it can be used every year, again and again, so you don’t have to make your own calendar on the last day of December year in, year out! 

The interactive nature of a perpetual monthly calendar helps teach kids about the days of the week and months of the year. Playing with the different combinations of numbers is also a great way to make a calendar for kids educational and fun at the same time. 

If you’re wondering how to make a calendar that lasts forever, read our tutorial to find out how to make your own calendar using household objects. 

Takes about 1.5 hours

1. First, make the calendar holder. Take an empty cube tissue box and carefully cut away the top and one side.
2. Then draw a diagonal line from the top left-hand corner down to the middle of the side section. Cut and remove the piece that looks like a triangle. Repeat on the other side of the box.
3. Next, cover the box with decorative paper. This can be a bit fiddly, so it’s probably best left to the grownups/expert present-wrappers, or save yourself a step by choosing one of Cushelle's pretty special-edition design tissue boxes.
4. Take a second tissue box and open it out flat. Place the cube template on the cardboard, draw around it and it cut out. Score the dotted lines, then fold and assemble the cube – apply some glue to the flaps and stick them in place. Repeat to make a second cube.
5. With the leftover card and using more flattened tissue boxes, cut out rectangular markers for the days of the week, and for the months of the year, each measuring about 6 x 12 cm in size. You should have 7 days of the week and 12 months of the year in total.
6. Decorate the day/month markers and sides of the cubes with colourful paper.
7. Write the numbers 1-6 on one of the cubes, and 0, 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 on the other using a white paint pen. When dry, place the cubes inside the holder. Then print the days of the week and months of the year on paper, cut out and stick to the markers, and pop behind the cubes.

Once you’ve finished your perpetual calendar, you can tidy up together, and then start learning about all those important dates throughout the year. Make a calendar for kids a game by seeing how quickly they can find the correct date and month for family members’ birthdays. Now you know how to make a calendar you’ll be able to teach all your friends too!