How to bind a calendar at home
Two holes and two binder rings make a calendar that flips like a shop-bought one; ribbon, a clip or a copy shop’s coil binding all work too.
The simplest strong binding is two binder rings through two holes at the top of the stack: the months flip over the top and the calendar hangs from a nail on either ring or on a ribbon through both. Everything you need is a single-hole punch and two rings about an inch (25 mm) across. The other methods below trade a little sturdiness for a different look or for no tools at all.
Seven ways to bind and hang a calendar
| Method | You need | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Binder rings | Hole punch, two 1 in (25 mm) rings | Wall calendars that flip over the top; easy to remove a month |
| Ribbon or twine | Hole punch, ribbon | Gifts; tie the ribbon into a loop to hang it |
| Binder clip | One large binder clip | A stack hung on a nail through the clip’s handle; no holes |
| Clipboard | A clipboard | Kitchens and workshops; swap the month on top |
| Staples | Stapler | Thin paper and few pages, with a punched hanging hole |
| Coil or comb binding | A copy shop | A finished look and heavy card stock; ask for binding along the top edge and a hanging hook |
| Magnet clip | A magnetic clip | A fridge; a single month or a one-page year |
Where to punch the holes
Every page from the maker has a 0.42 inch (10.6 mm) margin, so holes punched with their centers about a quarter of an inch (6 mm) from the top edge stay clear of the calendar. A standard single-hole punch makes holes about a quarter of an inch across.
- Stack the pages in order with the cover, if there is one, on top and all edges aligned.
- Mark the first page. For two holes, measure in about a quarter of the page width from each side; on a portrait Letter page that is about 2 inches (5 cm) from each side. Add a third mark in the middle of the top edge if you want a hanging hole between the rings.
- Punch a few pages at a time, using the first page as a template, so the holes line up.
- Thread the rings or ribbon and check the months flip over the top without catching.
Which edge to bind
A wall calendar is bound at the top so each month flips up and over. For a portrait page that is a short edge; for a landscape page it is a long edge. A desk or binder calendar in landscape can be bound on the left like a book instead, but then every page should be printed single-sided or with “flip on long edge”, so the backs are not upside down.
On a photo calendar from the maker, the photo and its month are on the same page, so the calendar hangs with one page showing and is half the height of a shop-bought calendar that opens to show a picture above the month.
Making it last
Heavier paper is the biggest improvement: 65 to 80 lb cover (176 to 216 g/m²) stays flat on a wall and holds rings without tearing. A strip of clear tape across the top margin, on both sides, reinforces the holes before you punch them. For a year that will be handled every day, such as a family calendar, ask a copy shop to laminate a one-page year, or use a clipboard and reprint each month. See paper for calendars for weights.