Calendars don't have to start in January!

January heralds the start of the new year and is usually the time for us to buy calendars, but that is no longer the only window of opportunity that we have to get ourselves a nice new calendar to hang on the wall.  With companies such as Vistaprint, we are able to create beautiful bespoke calendars, which can begin at any month of the year!

Vistaprint gave me the opportunity to make my own wall calendar, with months going from April 2014 through to the end of March 2015.   Starting calendars on different months is a great idea if you moving house and want a new calendar to display or if you decorate and want one to match the new colour scheme. Having them start on a particular month to coincide with a birthday makes a great gift idea - and one that will last for a whole year. Or make one to run along the school year from September or the financial year from April.  It would be a lovely present for someone off to university in September to make a calendar starting from then filled with photos of family and home to hang in their uni lodgings.

The website offers hundreds of different design choices with the option to include your own photographs. For children there are some fun Nickelodeon templates, while other designs include block colours, geometric patterns, floral print, landscapes, cartoons and nature.  With themes that would suit various industries to backgrounds that are perfect for families, there is a design for all tastes.

Once you have chosen a design you can personalise the calendar by uploading favourite photos which can be added to each page using a chosen layout featuring up to six images per page.  Events can be added to the date grid to remind you of special occasions.  Text can also be added to make a title and captions.

You get to preview the calendar before you order it and a pop up box alerts you to anything you may have missed.

Prices currently start at £6.66 for a single calendar order (which excludes VAT and postage) a saving of 50% off the regular price. Glossy paper comes as standard on the calendar but you can currently upgrade to a premium, thicker paper for just £1.24.  At the checkout, Vistaprint show images of other products you might like using the photos you used, but you can easily skip these offers and head straight for your cart.

Checkout is easy and the charges are shown clearly along with any discounts that have been applied. Payment is by major credit card or Paypal and is secure.  Various postage alternatives are offered.

My calendar arrived securely packaged within a week.  It is printed exactly to my specifications and the thick paper upgrade has a lovely finish.  It will look fabulous on my wall and is a super way to display favourite photographs all year round.

Vistaprint also make a huge range of items for business and home including photo products, invitations, business cards, signs and banners.  Check out the full range at vistaprint.co.uk.

Photo Books from Vistaprint

Vistaprint is Europe's largest online personalised gifting company, selling a huge range of products for both home and business use.  I was given the opportunity to make a photo book for myself, so I could try out their service and review the end result.  

I love photo books.  They are such a creative way to organise favourite images into a beautifully bound book which will last forever.  They are also an ideal gift for loved ones.  Whether you are using old family photos or your latest digital captures,Vistaprint allows you to preserve your pictures using different backgrounds, layouts and added text.  

Vistaprint photo books are available in small, medium, large and extra large formats and come with leather, canvas or photographic hard covers.  Pages come as standard or can be upgraded to glossy finish.  Prices start at just £11.99.

The website is really easy to use.  I used the online editor version where you can work online, selecting photos from your computer to edit and create photo books of up to 70 pages.  There is also a download editor with advanced editing options giving more freedom, with special effects, masks and filters which creates books of up to 120 pages.

It is easy to place images on the page and make the book look how you want it to.  You can rearrange them and add text and change the backgrounds until you are happy to save your creation.  Alternatively you can auto-fill and let the editor make your book in a single click.  Ordering is easy.  You can upgrade to glossy paper, different cover finishes and a lay flat option.

Your finished photo book is a completely bespoke, personalised and individual creation that makes such a thoughtful gift.  With Mother's Day approaching, why not make your mum a book filled with her favourite family photos.  It would be a treasured gift that would last forever.

There are various postage and delivery options and the book arrives well packaged to your door.  I was delighted with the end result.  The A4 size, photo covered, glossy paged book is gorgeous.  The Chic Black background that I chose as a theme looks really effective against the photos.  I was very impressed with the whole experience.  Everyone who has seen the book has commented on how nice it is and how lovely the thick and glossy paper is - well worth the upgrade!

The total cost of my 21 x 28 cm photo book with the glossy paper and a photographic cover was £23.73, which is a very competitive price for such a lovely , bespoke photo book.

For more information and to order your own personalised photo books or other gifts visit  www.vistaprint.co.uk