Monday, October 6, 2008

Advent Calendar

I know that it seems funny to be talking about Christmas already, but it will be here before we know it. Plus, with Baby due on 12/30, who knows what I will be able to get done as it gets closer. The good thing is I have some presents done already. :o)

Here is the start to our family's advent calendar. I have been meaning to make one of these for over a year now. The inspiration for this project came from a blog I saw a loooong time ago. I wish I could remember the name of it. She had a picture of a Japanese craft magazine on her blog and it had something like this on it, but in drab colored linen.


The calendar itself is about 33" square and the pockets are about 4" square. I used the fusable adhesive for the numbers and ironed them right on.

I am planning to hide a different surprise in each pocket to represent a holiday activity for each day.

I made the decorated Christmas tree and the Polar Express jingle bells. I have a whole list of brainstorming ideas for other little objects to go inside the pockets. Food for bringing donations to the local soup kitchen and food shelter, the Grinch for when we watch it on TV and a bunch of others....

Do you have any ideas out there?
If I can do about 2 a week, it will be finished by Christmas.
Also did a little stocking for our man, Baxter. Now to make them for the rest of the family. I wanted to do knitted ones, but sewing does go a heck of a lot faster.
Fabric purchased at Quilter's Dream http://www.quiltersdream.com/. I just fell in love with those cute little trees.

2 comments:

livnletlrn said...

needle felted orange -- make pomanders and/or simmer orange peel on stove w/ water, cinnamon, cloves

beaded snowflake -- make paper snowflakes to decorate windows

b'day candle -- light a candle w/ some sort of holiday fragrance

mini books (more than one!) made of felt -- read special xmas stories

needle felted xmas light bulb -- walk/ride around one evening to look at decorations

a saw made of craft foam/sheet felt/needle felted -- the day you're going to cut down your tree (or maybe just some branches of greens from the woods to tie together w/ wire and ribbon for door decoration)

needle felted bird -- make pine cone feeders to hang outside for the birds as a gift to them

Story said...

wow...quite lovel! I always made our advent calendar like this....I took a wide piece of felted ribbon and I spray painted walnuts that we cut in half (not easy!)...put a little bead under the walnut and glue it to the ribbon. So...when, finished it was a lovely walnut chain. When the advent calendar had been cut off each day...the bead was made into a lovely necklace. We have them all saved. It's a nice keepsake. You impress me with what you can get done.