A time honored tradition in my home was an advent calendar used to count down the days until Christmas. The specific one in my house had 25 boxes with little gift ornaments. Each day my brother and I would open up the little box with a surprise ornament in it and hang it on the tree. It was something I looked forward to everyday. But an advent calendar isn’t limited to Christmas; it really can be used for different holidays such as solstice, Hanukkah, etc.
So in keeping with childhood memories for me, I searched for ways to incorporate this craft for kids during the holidays. eHow.com actually had a really cute one, which I thought I’d share……
For this craft you’ll need a large piece of cardboard, scissors, popsicle (craft) sticks, acrylic paints, paint brushes, brads, glue (hot or liquid white will due), a variety of small boxes, and of course, items to decorate the boxes with: ribbon, rope, etc.
Step1
Gather all materials and find a large surface to assemble the calendar. Make sure it is next to an outlet if you are using a hot glue gun. The number of small boxes you need will depend on the number of days you are counting down to your holiday event!
Step2
Lay out your cardboard and arrange boxes into a wreath (ring) shape on it. Remember to place them far enough apart that you will be able to easily remove their lids. Trace a circle around the outside of all the boxes. Trace another circle around the inside of all the boxes. Clear the boxes off the cardboard. You should be left with the outline of a wreath (ring). Cut out this shape with scissors or a craft knife. It is your base.
Step3
Glue the popsicle sticks to the back of the cardboard ring. These will give it extra stability when the boxes are filled with treats. Let the glue dry before going on to next step.
Step4
This is the fun part! Paint the calendar base (cardboard ring) and boxes as desired. Use seasonal colors, images, and don’t forget to number the boxes!
Step5
Glue your boxes onto the painted cardboard ring. Keep in mind to place each far enough apart for the lids to come off easily. If you are using brads, now is the time to poke a hole (with scissors) through the box bases and cardboard base to insert the brads. This helps the boxes stay put if the glue fails. Let the glue dry before moving on to the next step.
Step6
Decide where to put your calendar. It can go on any surface as it is, or you can add a festive ribbon or rope and hang it from your wall.
I hope you and your child/children enjoy creating this holiday craft. Spending time with family is what the holidays are all about. Why not make some great memories in the process!
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This entry was posted on Saturday, December 6th, 2008 at 10:35 pm and is filed under Holidays. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
