Take control of time with a 3D calendar

Whether it’s for meetings, birthdays, medical appointments or to simply count down until your next holiday, most of us look at a calendar several times a day. Having one on our desk is essential, so why not make it yourself? 

With your Brother printer and a simple downloadable template from the Brother Creative Center, you can easily create a 3D cube calendar – a fun and sustainable project that blends creativity, design, and engineering, and can be used for years to come.

If you enjoy arts and crafts, particularly paper design, this article will guide you through creating your own 3D calendar cube. It includes a printable template, a list of necessary materials, and helpful tips to achieve the perfect result.

Materials needed:

• Smooth white card - as thick as possible. It is recommended to use one of at least 220gsm to give rigidity to the pieces
• Glue – ideally a glue that is invisible once dry or a glue stick to avoid over-saturating the paper
• Sharp scissors or cutter for precise and clean cuts
• Ruler and pencil - to help you mark the folds
• Tweezers or clips - to hold the pieces while they dry
• Brother colour printer - we recommend the DCP-J1310DW 
• Calendar cube template from Brother Creative Centre 

Steps:

1. Download the Calendar cube template from the Brother Creative Centre. This template has been created by designer Rob Ives, an expert in 3D paper designs. 
2. Print the template out on your card, using the Brother Mobile Connect app, or your computer, and cut out the different pieces.
3. Fold and glue each piece based on the instructions included in the downloaded template. It is best to use as little glue as possible to avoid the paper/card becoming too wet and difficult to handle and dry.
4. You can use the walk-through video (below) to create the calendar step-by-step.

Tip: Before gluing any of the pieces, it is best to test if all the folds fit together in the correct position and shape.

Once you have created the calendar cubes, make sure to give them enough time to dry so that they can be handled regularly i.e. changing the days/months etc.

There are plenty of customisations or decorative details that can be added to the cubes: colours, stickers, paints etc. We recommend adding these before gluing the cubes together and following up with a clear spray or painted varnish to protect your project from wear and tear.

Enjoy counting, or counting down, the days to your next creative project!

Find more versions of calendars, and many other craft projects such as a globe, or a vase of flowers - all made of paper, at the Brother Creative Center.