Create a calendar layout with Tailwind CSS

Today we are going to create a calendar layout using Tailwind CSS. To be specific, we will create a one month calendar layout.

Originally posted on: https://lexingtonthemes.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-calendar-layout-with-tailwind-css/

Why a calendar layout?

A calendar layout is a design pattern where content is organized into a calendar-like format. It’s an effective way to display time-based information and events. Here’s why it’s useful:

Visual Organization: Calendars provide a familiar and intuitive way to organize and view time-based data.
Quick Overview: Users can quickly scan and understand the distribution of events or tasks over time.
Context: It provides temporal context, allowing users to see relationships between dates and events.
Flexibility: Calendar layouts can be adapted for various time scales (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).
Interactivity: They can serve as an interactive interface for selecting dates or viewing event details.

Use Cases

Calendar layouts have a wide range of applications across various industries and scenarios:

Event Management:

Displaying upcoming events, conferences, or workshops
Showing availability for bookings (e.g., hotel rooms, appointments)

Project Management:

Visualizing project timelines and milestones
Displaying task deadlines and assignments

Education

Showing class schedules and academic calendars
Displaying assignment due dates and exam schedule

Personal Planning

Creating digital planners or to-do lists
Tracking habits or routines over time

Content Publishing

Organizing blog post schedules
Displaying content release dates for media (e.g., TV shows, podcasts)

HR and Leave Management:

Showing employee schedules or shifts
Tracking vacation days and time off

Finance:

Displaying payment due dates
Showing financial reporting periods

Healthcare:

Managing patient appointments
Tracking medication schedules

Sports and Fitness:

Displaying game or match schedules
Showing workout or training plans

E-commerce:

Displaying product launch dates
Showing shipping and delivery schedules

Let’s get started writing the markup

The wrapper for the calendar

On this layout, we won’t need a big wrapper, so we will use a simple div with a class of `max-w-sm because are only showing one mont at a time.

max-w-sm: This class sets the maximum width of the wrapper to be the same as the screen width.
w-full: This class sets the width of the wrapper to be the full width of its parent container.
mx-auto: This class sets the horizontal margin of the wrapper to be auto, which means it will automatically adjust its width to fit its content.

<div class="w-full max-w-sm mx-auto">
  <!-- Calendar content goes here -->
</div>

The calendar header

On the calendar header, we will display the weekdays.

grid: This class sets the calendar header to be a grid container.
grid-cols-7: This class sets the number of columns in the calendar header to be 7.
text-center: This class sets the text alignment of the calendar header to be centered.

<div class="text-center grid grid-cols-7">
  <div>M</div>
  <div>T</div>
  <div>W</div>
  <div>T</div>
  <div>F</div>
  <div>S</div>
  <div>S</div>
</div>

The calendar body, the days of the week

On the calendar body, we will display the days of the week and here we will use a grid to create the layout. Something to note is that the days of the past previous and next month will be also shown here together with the current month.

Common classes shared by the days of the week

mx-auto: This class sets the horizontal margin of the wrapper to be auto, which means it will automatically adjust its width to fit its content.
flex: This class sets the flex layout for the container.
size-10: This class sets the size of the container to be 10 times the default size.
w-full: This class sets the width of the container to be the full width of its parent container.
items-center: This class sets the items to be centered.
justify-center: This class sets the content to be centered.
datetime="#_": This attribute sets the date and time for the element. Is good for accessibility purposes.

The days for the previous and next month

The days of the previous and next month will need to be seen less than the current month, so we won’t make them as visible as the days of the current month.

Classes for the days of the current month

text-base-500: This class sets the text color to be gray.
hover:text-blue-600: This class sets the text color to be blue when the user hovers over the element.

<button
  type="button"
  class="flex items-center justify-center w-full mx-auto size-10 text-base-500 hover:text-blue-600"
>
  <time datetime="#_">29</time>
</button>

The days for the current month

The days of the current month will need to be visible, so we will make them more visible than the days of the previous month.

Classes for the days of the current month

text-black: This class sets the text color to be black.
hover:text-blue-600: This class sets the text color to be blue when the user hovers over the element.

<button
  type="button"
  class="flex items-center justify-center w-full mx-auto text-black size-10 hover:text-blue-600"
>
  <time datetime="#_">1</time>
</button>

The buttons to switch between months

The buttons do not have any js logic, so we will not cover them in this tutorial.

The wrapper

flex: This class sets the flex layout for the container.
items-center: This class sets the items to be centered.
gap-1: This class sets the gap between the buttons to be 1 unit.

Classes for the buttons

On the buttons, we are using n SVG Arrow but you could also use text, that’s up to you.

flex-none: This class sets the flex layout for the container.
hover:border-blue-500: This class sets the border color to be blue when the user hovers over the element.
items-center: This class sets the items to be centered.
rounded-full: This class sets the border radius to be full.
hover:bg-blue-600: This class sets the background color to be blue when the user hovers over the element.
hover:text-white: This class sets the text color to be white when the user hovers over the element.
border: This class sets the border for the container.
justify-center: This class sets the content to be centered.
p-1.5: This class sets the padding to be 1.5 units.
text-base-500: This class sets the text color to be gray.

<div class="flex items-center gap-1">
  <button
    type="button"
    class="flex flex-none hover:border-blue-500 items-center rounded-full hover:bg-blue-600 hover:text-white border justify-center p-1.5 text-base-500"
  >
    <!-- svg or text -->
  </button>
  <button
    type="button"
    class="flex flex-none hover:border-blue-500 items-center rounded-full hover:bg-blue-600 hover:text-white border justify-center p-1.5 text-base-500"
  >
    <!-- svg or text -->
  </button>
</div>

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have a good day!

/Michael Andreuzza

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Create a calendar layout with Tailwind CSS