Collapsable Desktop Calendar Card – now even easier.

30/10/2012 by UKMA 5 Comments

I say this a lot, but part of the reason I do things to death is that I learn something new with every make, and often improvements occur to me that I slap my head ans thing “Why didn’t I think of that first??”
So, I gave very detailed instructions for the collapsible calendar stand the other day, and then, while tidying up my desk, I cam across the first little tear off I made, that was as yet unused on a card.  And a 4 x 6 card blank.  And the entire thing became crystal clear in my head in an instant.  So this is what I did:

Note: I know loads of people make easel cards for this purpose, with  little tear off calendars, but my version has a smaller desktop footprint so it takes up less space.

1.  Take two 4 x 6 card blanks.  Trim one side of one card blank down to 1 inch.  Leave the other side as it comes. Save the piece you trim off.

2. My card blank is actually a smidge over 4inches – not sure if this is intentional or accidental but trim the piece you cut off, if need be, to 3 inches. Score lengthwise  at 1 1/2 inches (not seen in the photo) then score each side at 1/4 inch, like so:

3. Crease as shown:

4. Add a 1/2 inch strip on one side, folding the ends to the inside.

5. Add a thin strip of double-sided tape to both the tiny wings, on the outside, like so:

6. Decorate your card front (the piece that has the 1 inch side) and your calendar (the full card):

I added the little arrow post-it style tabs – these could be the smallest Post-It notes if you prefer, but I thought these were cute.

7.  Add the “stand” to the calendar by peeling off the tape backing and sticking the stand to the card opening. Make sure the side with the strip of card is as so:

To assemble for delivery, slip the 1 inch flap under the  strip so the front of the card lays over the calendar. You can add your greeting to the back of the card front.

The card now has a front, with the back of the card actually being the calendar! The front detaches so the calendar can be used alone.

Collapse the stand so the card folds flat. And slip it in to the envelope.

You can add a slip of paper you printed explaining to slip off the card front to stand the calendar up, if you think it won’t be obvious to the recipient!

I thought the little arrows might be useful for adding notes pointing to important days, like so:

So, obviously you could alter this by using a different size card blank to begin with.  My other tear-off set (the roundy ones) will still fit this size card, although they will take up the majority of the front.

The most basic core measurements are that the stand be 3 inches wide by as tall as the card, with 1/4 inch wings, and that one card needs to have one side trimmed to 1 inch.  The rest of it doesn’t matter, it should work for any rectangular card, except a very thin one or square one.

The bus driver and the escort are def. getting one of these at Christmas!  I might figure out a way to add one of the bookmarks to the front as well, as a little extra.  But that is a project for another day – today, I am spending the day with DD, doing girly fun things!