Washi Tape and Sticky Note DIY Calendar

This simple DIY calendar is made with washi tape and sticky notes. It’s easy to make and is such a cute way to organize your family’s schedule.

I’m Keri from One Mama’s Daily Drama. I always use the back to school season as an excuse to get organized. It’s almost like a second new year. With two parents, two teens, and a dog, juggling our family’s schedule takes some creativity. My love of pretty pastels and washi tape inspired this DIY calendar, and you can make it in any color combo.

DIY calendar made from washi tape and sticky notes on a dry erase board

I’ve tried a lot of different options for keeping up with work, school, and appointments. When you throw in housekeeping and meal planning, it’s quite a juggling act. One thing I’ve learned is that the only way to keep up with everything is to write it all down in one place.

I used a dry erase marker board for a while, but honestly, I didn’t like it. The markers were messy and they either dried out or stuck to the board, so I was constantly cleaning it. I decided it was time to repurpose it into something that’s a kind of hybrid version of my paper calendars. Best of all, it’s really flexible and I can rearrange our schedule or rewrite several days if I need to.

How to Make a DIY Calendar

My dry erase board is 24×36-inches. If you don’t have a dry erase board, this would also work with a large picture frame with plastic, such as a poster frame.

What you need:

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Supplies Needed:

Large dry erase marker board
Washi tape
Sticky notes
Printable planning pages
Magnets, optional

Instructions:

1. Clean the dry erase board.

If you’re using a brand new marker board, you can probably skip this step. I used an old dry erase board, so it had a lot of random ghost marks on it. I used Windex (actually, a generic store brand glass cleaner) and a few paper towels to get it really clean.

a hand wiping down a white marker board with a paper towel to clean it

2. Plan your DIY calendar layout.

In addition to my washi tape calendar, I wanted to include a few other printable planner pages that help me stay organized every day. For this blog post, I used the undated monthly calendar and cleaning routine from my shop, Keri Houchin Design. You can also find several free printables here on Kenarry.

A white dry-erase board and a printed calendar

The current month is the main calendar, but I wanted to have the next month handy so I can jot things down as they come up. Once I decided where my printed pages would go, I use the sticky notes to eyeball how big my washi tape calendar needed to be.

collage of DIY calendar photos showing different angles

3. Make the horizontal washi tape rows.

Start at the bottom left corner of the dry erase board. Use your sticky notes as a guide and tape off the bottom row.

box of washi tape sitting on a blank white dry erase board beside 2 sticky note pads

one line of pink washi tape stuck to a dry erase board above 2 sticky notes

Move the sticky notes up above the first row of tape, then add a second row above them.

2 rows of washi tape on a dry erase board with a sticky note between them

Repeat the process, moving the sticky note blocks up the board until you have six rows.

dry erase board with 6 rows of washi tape

4. Make the vertical washi tape columns.

Use the same technique to create the columns. Start on the left side and add pieces of washi tape, spaced by the sticky notes, until there are seven columns across.

blue vertical tape crossing the pink horizontal tape on a dry erase board

5. Add the days of the week and the month.

Use smaller pieces of washi tape to label the days of the week on the calendar. I tore the strips of tape, then stuck them to a piece of paper to write the days before sticking them to the dry erase board.

green washi tape strips with the days of the week at the top of the calendar

Then do the same thing with the month. You’ll only need to replace this piece of tape every month. Alternatively, you could write the month on a piece of paper.

6. Add the sticky note days.

For each day of the month, add a sticky note with the date written in the corner. As you have events or activities scheduled, write them in on the calendar note.

a yellow sticky note square on each day on the calendar

washi tape calendar filled with yellow sticky notes

At the end of the month, you can recycle the paper squares and refill the boxes for the next month.

7. Display the calendar where you’ll see it daily.

Finally, hang the calendar up in your kitchen, lean it against the wall in your kids’ study area, or put it somewhere the whole family will see it and use it.