May Is In The Air (2021 Wallpapers Edition)

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Cosima has been an editor at SmashingMag since 2013. Whenever she’s not writing articles for the weekly Smashing Newsletter, she’s probably working on a … More about Cosima ↬

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Do you need a little inspiration boost? Well, then our new collection of wallpapers is for you. Designed with love by the community for the community, the wallpapers are available with and without a calendar for May 2021.

We always try our best to challenge your creativity and get you out of your comfort zone. In all these years we’ve been running it, our monthly wallpapers challenge has turned out to be the perfect occasion to do just that: to put your creative skills to the test, try out a new technique you haven’t tried before, tell a story that matters to you, or indulge in a little project just for fun. And, well, the submissions that reach us every month always make for a unique collection of community artworks, adorning desktops and phone screens and, who knows, maybe even sparking new ideas.

It wasn’t any different this time around. Created with love by designers and artists from across the globe, the wallpapers in this collection all come in versions with and without a calendar for May 2021. For some extra variety, we also compiled a little best-of with designs from our archives at the end of this post. Thank you to everyone who took on the challenge and shared their wallpapers with us — you’re smashing! Happy May!

  • You can click on every image to see a larger preview,
  • We respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience through their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.

Submit your wallpaper

! Did you know that you could get featured in our next wallpapers post, too? We are always looking for creative talent! Join in! →

From Nope To Hope

“Hope helps us define what we want in our futures and is part of the self-narrative about our lives we all have running inside our minds. Whether we think about it or not, hope is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone hopes for something. It’s an inherent part of being a human being.” - Designed by Hitesh Puri from Delhi, India.

From Nope To Hope

Night Falls In Cairo

“Night falls in Cairo and it is the perfect moment to walk through its streets and its pyramids.” - Designed by Veronica Valenzuela from Spain.

Night Falls In Cairo

Working From Home

“After more than a year of working remotely, we have developed a lasting connection between our decorated home offices, our outdoor spaces, and our beloved pets. Our diverse environments play a role in our newfound identities as we learn to navigate a remote world.” - Designed by Mad Fish Digital from Portland, OR.

Working From Home

The Off-Hours Guardian

“In May, we are marking Labour Day, the international holiday celebrating workers’ achievements and urging fair pay and better working conditions. But for many, this day will be a reminder of countless hours of overtime, stress, and strain caused by tight deadlines, lack of workers’ rights for freelancers, and a paycheck that covers just the basics. Our thoughts are with all of you who will spend International Workers’ Day at their jobs, with freelancers fighting for their rights, and with anyone who feels difficulty maintaining their work-life balance.” - Designed by PopArt Studio from Serbia.

The Off-Hours Guardian

That’s Cracking

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

That’s Cracking

Love Japanese Food

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

Love Japanese Food

American French Fries

Designed by Ricardo Gimenes from Sweden.

American French Fries

Oldies But Goodies

Some bold, others delicate, some minimalist, others witty — the May wallpapers which reached us in the past few years are as diverse as the artists who created them. Here are some of our favorites from the past. Which one is yours? (Please note that these designs come from our archives and, thus, don’t include a calendar.)

Today, Yesterday, Or Tomorrow

“During the last few months we have experienced significant and profound changes in our lifestyle and work habits due to the pandemic. One of the most signifcant changes is how we relate to time. Our day to day blurs as we try to make the best of this situation while hoping for a better tomorrow. While working on my daily lettering practice, I lost track of time and thought what day is it today? From there, I wondered if it was today, yesterday, or tomorrow. The rest followed as I kept thinking how time and routine or the new routine of being home blurs the days for each of us.” - Designed by Alma Hoffmann from the United States.

Today, Yesterday, Or Tomorrow

Sweet Lily Of The Valley

“The ‘lily of the valley’ came earlier this year. In France, we celebrate the month of May with this plant.” — Designed by Philippe Brouard from France.

Sweet lily-of-the-valley

Spring Gracefulness

“We don’t usually count the breaths we take, but observing nature in May, we can’t count our breaths being taken away.” — Designed by Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia.

Abstract illustration of a swan.

Spring Is In The Air

“Spring is the most inspiring time of the year, so I’ve decided to create this wallpaper to celebrate this beautiful season.” - Designed by Hristina Hristova from Bulgaria.

Spring Is In The Air

Enjoy May!

“Springtime, especially Maytime is my favorite time of the year. And I like popsicles — so it’s obvious isn’t it?” — Designed by Steffen Weiß from Germany.

The wallpaper reads ‘Enjoy May’. The word May is made up of popsicles.

Poppies Paradise

Designed by Nathalie Ouederni from France.

Poppies Paradise

May The Force Be With You

“Yoda is my favorite Star Wars character and ‘may’ has funny double meaning.” — Designed by Antun Hirsman from Croatia.

May The Force Be With You

Birds Of May

“A little-known ‘holiday’ on May 4th known as ‘Bird Day’. It is the first holiday in the United States celebrating birds. Hurray for birds!” — Designed by Clarity Creative Group from Orlando, FL.

Illustration of four flying birds.

April Showers Bring Magnolia Flowers

“April and May are usually when everything starts to bloom, especially the magnolia trees. I live in an area where there are many and when the wind blows, the petals make it look like snow is falling.” - Designed by Sarah Masucci from the United States.

Drawing of Magnolia petals dancing in the air.

Cool As An Octopus

“A fear I need to conquer inspired this wallpaper design. I never really liked the ocean because of how much we don’t know about it or anything that lives in it. However, I have decided to try and focus on the beautiful parts of this great unknown by choosing an octopus.” - Designed by Alexandra Covaleski from the United States.

Cool As An Octopus

Mental Health Awareness Day

Designed by Kay Karremans from Belgium.

Cartoon illustration of a brain.

Leaves Of Grass

“For many, the month of May is the preferred month of the year. Nature blossoms, birds sing, and leaves of grass sprout all around us. Coincidentally, this is the month at the end of which the poet Walt Whitman was born. As he said in his famous poetry collection: ‘Spontaneous me, Nature, The loving day, the mounting sun, the friend I am happy with, The arm of my friend hanging idly over my shoulder.’ Sounds like a perfect setting to fly a kite — so, let’s get to it!” - Designed by PopArt Studio from Novi Sad, Serbia.

Leaves Of Grass

Asparagus Say Hi!

“In my part of the world, May marks the start of seasonal produce, starting with asparagus. I know spring is finally here and summer is around the corner when locally-grown asparagus shows up at the grocery store.” — Designed by Elaine Chen from Toronto, Canada.

Asparagus Say Hi!

Celestial Longitude Of 45°

“Lixia is the 7th solar term according to the traditional East Asian calendars, which divide a year into 24 solar terms. It signifies the beginning of summer in East Asian cultures. Usually begins around May 5 and ends around May 21.” — Designed by Hong, Zi-Cing from Taiwan.

Celestial Longitude Of 45°

Stone Dahlias

Designed by Rachel Hines from the United States.

Stone Dahlias

Hope Shakes The Branches

“The promise of the return of spring feels normal in our new strange and abnormal world.” - Designed by Jeffrey Berg from the United States.

Hope Shakes The Branches

Make A Wish

Designed by Julia Versinina from Chicago, USA.

Make A Wish

Old vs. New

Designed by Wannes De Roy from Belgium.

Old vs. New

Be On Your Bike!

“May is National Bike Month! So, instead of hopping in your car, grab your bike and go. Our whole family loves that we live in our bike-friendly community. So, bike to work, to school, to the store, or to the park — sometimes it is faster. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is great exercise!” — Designed by Karen Frolo from the United States.

Be On Your Bike!
preview * without calendar: 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440 ### Mondriaan Designed by Siemon Donvil from Belgium.
Mondriaan

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