This time of year many of us feel behind on almost everything: unfinished projects, overflowing inboxes, last-minute gift wrapping, cleaning, and sometimes even basic self-care. Yet somehow, we are ahead in one area: creating our homemade family calendar.
For the past five years we’ve put together a simple, colorful calendar using Photoshop. Several readers have asked whether this year’s edition is ready—so I’m happy to report: it’s finished and available. We like sharing the customizable template each year, since a personalized calendar makes a quick, thoughtful gift if you need one at the last minute.
Our printable calendar rarely replaces our everyday, detail-heavy family planner (Sherry’s desktop organizer covers that), but it serves as a warm, smile-inducing overview that we can glance at to check dates or count down to events. Each year we add a few personal touches: inside jokes in 2010, family statistics in 2011, Clara photos in 2012, and a hybrid of those ideas in 2013. This year we followed that same spirit while updating the design and format.
This edition revisits last year’s popular pairing of Instagram-style photos with Clara’s funny quotes, but we redesigned the layout and switched to a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Designing around a standard page size removes the need to trim edges and gives more room for the date grid, improving both form and function.
The larger format also allowed us to increase the photo area to a 4 x 4″ square, which matches common printing sizes offered by many photo services. If you prefer higher-quality prints over home-printed photos, you can order real 4 x 4″ prints and attach them to each page. We ordered our prints and, while we wait for them to arrive, we’ve left gray placeholder boxes in the downloadable files.
As usual, we’re sharing downloadable templates so you can personalize the calendar with your own photos and captions. I simplified the files this year so they’re easier to work with—fewer layers and less fiddling required. There are two convenient options:
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- If you work with Photoshop, you can download the editable PSD. It includes editable text areas for quotes and captions. You may want to install the two fonts used in the design for best results: Adamas and Multicolore.
- If you prefer a simpler approach, you can download the blank PDF, which leaves the quote area empty so you can hand-write captions or notes after printing.
Both versions accommodate adding your own photos: either insert images digitally into the PSD file or print 4 x 4″ photos and attach them to the printed pages. That flexibility lets you choose whether to print everything at home or use professional prints for sharper color and detail.
Below we included the photos and quotes we used for each month this year. Going through Clara’s memorable lines again made us wish the year had more months—she certainly provides plenty of quotable moments. And an expanded calendar might also give me more opportunities to squeeze in a shower.
What are your plans for next year’s calendar? Do you return to the same source each year, or try something new? Do you prefer a functional planner with lots of writable space, or a decorative wall calendar that’s mostly for quick reference and pretty photos? Some people rely entirely on digital calendars synced across devices, while others still enjoy a physical calendar on the wall. Maybe you fall somewhere in between. We’re curious how you organize dates and memories—there are more calendar choices than you might expect.