So much of what we do this time of year revolves around making life look good. We can take a beautiful family photo for you to send out to family & friends and we can spruce up your home in time for holiday guests to arrive. (We may be sipping on hot cocoa & humming Mariah Carey tunes in between.) While all these things are wonderful & bring joy to your lives and ours, the best part of this season is remembering the beautiful story of our Savior's birth.
The days preceding Christmas used to be marked off with chalk on Christian's doors starting on December 1st. The first printed advent calendar came along in the early 1900's by German born Gerhard Lang. He remembered his mother attaching candy to a piece of cardboard and using them to count down the days to Christmas. His excitement and appreciation for this memory inspired him to share it with others when he later opened his own print shop.
We partnered with the talented stylist/crafter/baker/jill-of-all-trades Malinda Kay Nichols who created her own special advent calendar perfect for counting down days in your own home or wrapping it up and gifting to others to start their own tradition. Either way, this is a fun yet simple DIY that will add meaning & even more joy to your Christmas season!
Fleece Star Advent Calendar
Supplies:
Approximately 1 yard of fleece or felt
Needle and thread
A small amount of batting
Small paint brush
Fabric Glue
Glitter
Ornaments hooks
Paper with daily readings
Twine or string to tie readings up
1. Cut out 24 stars, front and back, for a total of 48 stars. We used 8 large stars, 9 medium stars, and 7 small stars for ours.
2. Cut out small rectangles to use as the pocket for each day’s reading and stitch onto the “back” of each star.
3. Hand sew or machine stitch the front to the back, leaving a small opening to stuff the batting, and then completely sew the star shut.
4. Using a small paint brush, paint a number on the front side of each star. A stencil comes in handy for this.
5. Sprinkle glitter over the glue and knock off the excess.
6. Push an ornament hook through the top of each star for hanging.
7. Roll each piece of paper and securing with the string; tuck into the pocket on the back of each star
If you're fortunate enough to have a talented friend who does calligraphy, like Amy Stone, have them write your daily verses for an extra dab of creativity. We love Amy's beautiful penmanship and we featured her work here!
Thank you Malinda & Amy for collaborating with us on this special project! We hope this season is filled with blessings for you & yours!
Spark & Arrow
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