How To: New Uses for Old Calendars

Reader Contribution by Staff
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Even in the age of technology, colorful calendars with photographs or drawings are still being published, sold and hung in various places as a reference. When the year is over, calendars are taken down and thrown in the garbage, put in a recycle bin for the trash collector, or saved for its pictures. Over time I have saved many different herb calendars ranging from the years 1998 to 2004. I have been saving them for the recipes, craft ideas, gardening information and beautiful photographs or drawings inside them.

 
Reuse your old herbal calendars to make colorful envelopes and stationery.
Photo by Desiree Bell
 

While browsing through a magazine I came across an article on how to make envelopes out of calendar pictures.

Make Envelopes Out of Calendar Pictures

1. Take an envelope of any size, carefully unglue the edges and open it up to a flat position.

2. Place the opened envelope on a calendar picture where it would look best as a finished envelope. Trace and cut out on the lines, fold and crease to make the calendar envelope.

3. Close the bottom part of the envelope using double stick runner tape. Put a tape strip on each side of the closure flap and leave the extra paper strip on the tape until you use the envelope.

4. To make matching note paper cut out some of the designs or pictures from the scraps and glue them on blank stationery that fits in the envelope.

Customize your stationery with your favorite herb and flower pictures.
Photo by Desiree Bell
 

On the March page of an herb calendar I have from the year 1999, published by Hartman’s Herb Farm, there is a picture of Saint John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), along with a few recipes. Here is one of the recipes.

Saint John’s Wort Lavender Cream Recipe

• 3 tablespoons beeswax granules
• 6 tablespoons almond oil
• 20 drops Saint John’s wort extract
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 8 tablespoon glycerin
• 10 drops lavender oil
• 2 capsules vitamin E

1. Melt the beeswax in a double broiler.

2. Add the almond oil, Saint John’s wort extract and coconut oil; blend well.

3. Add the glycerin, lavender oil and vitamin E (squeezed from the capsule). Blend well.

4. Pour mixture into glass jars. Cover jars when mixture is cool.

5. Rub cream on hands and feet.
  
Saint John’s wort is a hardy perennial herb that grows in full sun. It grows 1 to 3 feet and blooms from June thru August. Medicinally, it can be used externally for bruises.


Desiree Bell is inspired by botanicals and natural materials. She is a vegetarian who has a certificate in herbal studies and a certificate from Australasian College of Health Sciences in Aromatherapy. When she isn’t in her suburban garden, hiking or crafting, she is teaching pre-k with an emphasis on nature and gardening. For more ideas on Simple Living With Nature you can visit her blogs atBeyond a Garden.

  • Published on Mar 1, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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