'Tis the Season!
I LOVE Christmas. The sights, sounds, and smells. The cozy feeling of settling in front of a fire with a warm mug of tea, (hot chocolate with Baileys...) The business of downtown streets with shoppers looking for that perfect gift. I know, I know, who really likes the business... but I must admit I do. I don't particularly love the traffic that goes along with it, but thethe hustle and bustle on the sides walks I do enjoy. I love getting cozied up in sweaters, scarves, and boots. It's a lovely time of year.
I also love the anticipation. The waiting. The enjoying of every day leading up to the BIG one. So what follows is a DIY Re-fillable Advent Calendar.
Supplies Needed:
24 wooden clothes pins
1 - 1 x 6 x 4ft plank of wood
Wood Glue
Sandpaper
Number Stamps - (I used ones I had made out of corks. You can find the post for that here: DIY Stamps)
Red & White Paint
Sparkles, Glitter, Ribbons, etc
Instructions:
Step 1 - Paint all your clothespins. I pinned them onto an old box so I could do the sides and everything all in one go. Don't worry about the backs you'll be gluing them down later. I did a mix of all red, white with sparkles, and plain wood with little snowflake punch outs.
Step 2 - Paint your board & let that dry completely dry (a few hours depending on the type of paint) I used some leftover house paint which actually dried super fast. I needed two coats to get a nice matte finish.
Step 3 - Finish off your board by added your number stamps and possibly some distressing with sandpaper if you like that look. With a 4 ft board I spaced my numbers a little less than 2 inches apart to get a nice even spacing. It's worth it to measure and mark this off to get it even. Otherwise you'll end up with a wonky looking board
Step 4 - Glue on your pins. Plain old wood glue works like a charm here. Make sure your pins paint is completely dry before gluing. And again, marking off your spacing will help keeps things looking neat.
Step 5 - Fill with treats of your choice. Chocolates, small gifts, notes, letters, or even spell out the advent story in 24 days to read aloud each day (Find a link for that story here: Advent Story)
Merry Christmas!!
