photo by freakapotimus

We’re six weeks into the new year, and you’ve probably replaced your outdated calendar with a new one. If you didn’t throw your old one away, there are plenty of ways to reuse it. I save mine to do crafts with my kids. My 5-year-old hangs her favorite calendar pictures on her closet door. I help her practice writing her numbers in the squares, and we have even used them to play ticktacktoe.

I’ve discovered I’m not alone. Readers share what they do with their old calendars.

PAPER CRAFTS: Laminate the pictures to make place mats. Use it for craft paper, decoupage, scrapbooking or other crafts. Fold to make small gift boxes. The calendar page can be the bottom, and use the picture for the top. Cut up pictures to make puzzles for kids. Origami. Wrapping small gifts. Fold the picture in half with the picture on the outside, insert a blank paper inside and write your wishes to use as a greeting card. — Shortcake, Canada

WALL ART: I have cut the picture to a smaller size and put it in a frame with a matte. Some of the pictures are so pretty and look great as home decor. — jskell911, Connecticut

HOLD YOUR PLACE: Cut and laminate/contact paper them and make bookmarks. — Bonnie, Oregon

REWARDS: I let my students pick pictures out of them as rewards for doing what they should. This works really well if the calendar has lots of kitten and puppy pictures or sports-car pictures. — ilovechocolate, Georgia

GIFT ADD ONS: I have made envelopes out of them to send cards in (www.ivyjoy.com/printcards/envelope.html). I have also cut them up to make gift tags. I save them every year because they are so useful. — Marie, New York

LEARNING TOOL: I used them with my students as story starters, or to write descriptive essays about the people or the scenes. I cut up the numbers to teach counting. I’ve also used the numbers as a way of drawing for chores, turns, etc. (Whoever got No. 1 got the first turn.) Some are good to cut up for scrapbooking or cardmaking. — forHisglory, via forums

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: I hold onto calendars that I really like. I can use my old one again in 2017 (www.handyfacts.com/calendar.html). — Stacey, Pennsylvania

PRESCHOOL FUN: I used my old calendar to make lacing cards for my daughter. I laminated mine and used a hole punch to make a design around the calendar pictures. I taped yarn to the back side. You could glue the calendar cut out to thin cardboard or poster board to make it more sturdy. — Sirena E., South Carolina

SCHOOL DECORATION: My daughter took some of the pictures to hang in her locker. She slips calendar and magazine pictures into the sleeve cover of her binder, too. She’s 13, and she and her friends love decorating their lockers on birthdays, so she saves wrapping paper, calendar pictures, cards and bows. — Candace R., New Mexico

MAGNETS: Cut 1/2-inch to 1-inch circles (can use a punch) of parts of the pictures you like and glue them in the bottle caps. Fill the caps with clear casting resin and let dry overnight. Add a magnet to the back. You can make earrings, key chains and pendants. Here’s an example of what they look like: www.sonyastyle.com/sections/Decorate/Bottlecap_Magnets — Linda, e-mail

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