DIY Kitchen Calendar: A Simple Printable and Personalized Design

Last year we made a DIY calendar for our kitchen that featured a favorite quote each month to give it a playful, inside-joke feel. This year we kept the same clean aesthetic — colorful text on a white background — but shifted the concept: instead of quotes, each month highlights a number that means something to us. Think Sesame Street meets personal memoir.

To avoid the slow pace of last year (we didn’t finish until February), we completed this project ahead of our big move. The goal was a quickly produced, polished calendar that looks custom even though it’s printed on standard 8.5 x 11″ cardstock. Cutting off the sides makes each page feel more finished and professional.

Concept: Numbers with Personal Significance

Each month’s number ties into a detail from our lives. For example: we have one baby girl, we’ll have lived in two houses once we move, and Sherry and I have each lived in three different New York City boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn) at various times. Some months mark anniversaries we’ll celebrate this year — like our fifth year living in Richmond (RVA) and seven years of knowing one another. The result is a calendar that’s both whimsical and meaningful.

Design and Production

The layout follows last year’s structure: a bold word or phrase on the top half and the monthly grid on the bottom. We designed the pages in Photoshop and used the free Matilde font for a friendly, modern look. Each page prints cleanly on standard cardstock, so you can assemble the set yourself without special paper or equipment.

If you want to personalize this calendar, we made the Photoshop .PSD file available so you can edit the text, swap numbers, or change colors. You’ll need Photoshop and the Matilde font installed in your fonts folder to edit the typography without the typeface changing. When you open the file you’ll only see December because that’s the visible layer; the other months are stored as hidden layers. Simply show the layer for the month you want to edit and then print each page in turn.

Alternative Options

If you don’t have Photoshop or prefer an easier route, you can recreate the look in Word or PowerPoint using large type and a simple table for the days. Or consider purchasing an affordable printable calendar from a seller on a marketplace if you want the homemade look without doing the design work yourself.

Hanging and Display

We hung our new calendar on the same 3M hook in the kitchen that’s become a little family tradition. That hook originally held a culinary-themed calendar that celebrated the completion of our kitchen renovation — a small way to keep old memories close while adding a fresh, personalized piece to daily life.

Do You Make Your Own Calendars?

We’re curious: do you make custom calendars, or do you buy the same theme every year? Some people receive the same themed gift for years, while others prefer photo calendars from print services or quirky-themed designs. And of course, many now rely on smartphones and digital calendars instead of paper. Whatever your preference, a printable DIY calendar is an easy, inexpensive way to add personality to your kitchen or office.