Happy New Year--A Calendar Idea For You!

Every year I teach a couple of art classes after school where the students create gifts for giving. I try to have them create projects based on common giftable items such as jewelry, mugs, homemade games, and calendars. This year's calendar took the origami quilt idea and used the same samurai helmet motifs around a year-at-a-glance calendar.

My students busily created their projects in a day-long workshop, but these calendars were saved for last, just in case they couldn't finish them in class, they could take them home and do them on their own. So here's how to make them:

Origami Calendar

Supplies Needed:

• 12 pieces of 6" square origami paper (6 prints and 6 solids)
• A (size) year at a glance calendar (ours was from: www.yourmomhatesthis.com)
• Glue stick
• One 12" x 12" piece of paper for the background (we used scrapbook paper)
• One 12" x 12" sheet protector (the size used in scrapbooking)

Directions:

1. Use the origami paper to make 12 samurai hats. If you need directions for this, go to the links in my Origami Quilts post (about halfway down the post).

2. If the little flaps of your finished samurai helmets aren't laying flat, use the glue stick to tack them down. This isn't necessary, but it looks neater if the flaps are flat.

3. Glue the calendar to the center of the 12" x 12" background using the glue stick.

4. Arrange the samurai hats around the calendar in a pleasing pattern. Use the image for reference, if desired. Glue the samurai helmets to the background using the glue stick.

5. Slide the finished calendar into the sheet protector with the ring holes of the sheet protector at the top of the calendar, so that you can hang it up. This calendar can also be placed in a 12" x 12" frame for a more finished and permanent display (12" square frames can be found at craft stores for a few dollars).

Enjoy! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!