Our Birthday Garden
Instruction
Bring the Flower Garden indoors with this Birthday Calendar that shows each months designated flowers. With this calendar, you can customize it by adding birthdadys to each month with the included hooks and tags. Best of all, each tag can be written on so that more birthdays can be added as time moves on and more family members are introduced.
Size of the calendar: 18.75"x4.35"
Size of the name tags: 1.36"x1.16"
This file was created from an idea of my wifes. She wanted something that would show each months related flowers. After some back and forth discussion, we decided to do up a birthday calendar for the garden lovers out there.
The flowers were generated using AIMake Line Art and then cleaned up and cropped to get the look I needed.
This was done on the P2 but can be done on any machine that can handle the size. If using a different machine (or material) than what I used, you will most likely need to adjust your settings to accomodate.
Should you decide to reduce the size, please keep in mind that the holes are set to accomodate the included “C” hooks and so you will need to keep the holes the same size or change the “C” hooks to accomodate your new holes.
The name tags are able to be written on with a permanent fine point marker if you spray them with a light coat of poly to prevent the ink from bleeding into the wood. You can also use a regular ball point pen (which I did) but do keep in mind that you may need to scratch the pen on a piece of paper to get the ink to flow again after evry few names.
The included files are set up with 3 colors:
Red Lines are for cutting
Black Lines are for engraving
Yellow Lines are ignored and used for marks or notes on the file.
You will cut/engrave two different materials.
The first is the ¼" Birch which is the calendar, the 3 standoffs, and the tags.
Once you cut these pieces out using settings 1 and 2 above, then you will cut out the “C” hooks from 1/8" Birch.
Note: Cut out as many tags as you will want and cut out 1 “C” hook for each month followed by 1 for each tag to ensure you have enough.
Once you have cut out your parts, sand them using 200 grit sandpaper to remove any overburn.
Lay your calendar face down and take one of the short standoffs. Put a strip of glue along one side of the standoff and then place it along the left edge of the calendar about 1/8" in from the edge. Do the same with the other short standoff on the right side.
Take the longer standoff and glue in the center between holes 6 and 7.
Once they are dry, take a string and loop it through the two holes from the front. Tie them together in the back and then pull the string to create a hanger for your calendar. When you hang your calendar, if it appears to be too long, shorten your hanging string by tying a knot in the center a few inches down.
The “C” hooks go through the holes on either side of the Tags. Once you have names on them, hook a “C” hook onto a tag and then hook it to the calendar. To add another name below, add another “C” hook and then the new tag below it. You can add as many names to each month as you want.
A few notes about the tags:
While you can engrave the names on, I do recommend writing them on to give it a more personal touch, or, in the case of doing this for a customer, letting them write the names on. I did a similar calendar for a customer once and was, for many months, asked to engrave new names onto the blank ones I gave to keep the look the same. While I am all about customer service, and I did do this for this customer, I learned that from then on, I offered the tags as a write on capable item with option to engrave up to 30 names at time of purchase only. Additional engraves would be extra and future engraves would be extra as well with a minimum purchase of … and stated pricing.
I like to put a date beside the name to show the day of the month a person was born on. This gives the calendar a more complete look in my opinion but the preference is, of course, yours.
You may want to increase the size of the tags to accomodate longer names or larger letters. If you do so, keep in mind that these are set to give space on either side to keep the tags from hitting the months beside them. There is a little room for expansion, but not much. You may be able to increase the size by about ¼" total. you can increase the size length wise without any issues, though.
You can make this from any material, including acrylic. However, keep in mind that, I used ¼" wood for the top. 1/8" may be good enough but the engraved flowers, particularly those with heavy engraved centers like the Aster and Marigold, may be too thin on 1/8" wood.
If you decide to stain your calendar, I recommend a light stain so as not to obiliterate the flower designs with the darker stains. Be sure to put the stain on evenly and then coat it with poly after.
Being a garden lover, I made this to give to my Mother In Law for Mothers Day. Who would you give this to if you made it for someone.