How to Make an Advent Calendar

Children will love to help make this Advent calendar - and enjoy the candy cane treat each pocket holds!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 10-foot Braided Trim In Holiday Colors
• Sequins (optional)
• 2 12-by-18 Pieces Of Red Felt
• 2-foot Gold Or Red Cords
• Dark Green Bath Towels
• Glue Guns
• Glue Sticks
• Straight Pins
• White Fabric Paints
• White Fur Fabric (optional)
• Straight Pins
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Paper Grocery Bags
• Rulers
• dowel rods , about 30 inches long and 3/8-inches in diameter
• thin, black felt-tip pens

1. Fold a dark green bath towel in half, making it about 27 inches wide and 25 inches tall.

2. Glue the edges of the towel together using a hot glue gun, stopping about 1.5 inches below the fold, which will be the top. This will form a pocket for the dowel.

3. Glue decorative braid around the edges of the front of the towel to form a frame. To get a square shape, place the top braid about 2 inches from the fold; the side and bottom braid should go to the edge of the towel.

4. Draw the shape of a small Christmas stocking onto a brown paper grocery bag and cut out the pattern. The stocking should be 3 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall.

5. Turn the pattern upside down on the felt and trace 25 stockings, using a thin black felt-tip pen.

6. Cut the felt stockings and use the fabric paint to number them from 1 to 25. Allow the paint to dry.

7. Arrange the stockings, in sequence, on the front side of the towel in five rows of five, staggering the rows from left to right if desired. Use straight pins to keep the stockings in place.

8. One at a time, apply glue on the back side of the felt along the outer edges of the stocking ' but not along the top edge ' and glue in place onto the towel.

9. Decorate the stockings with sequins, 3-D fabric glue, or pieces of white fur material to give each stocking a unique look. Be careful not to cover up the number!

10. Insert the dowel through the tunnel at the top of the towel.

11. Tie the cord to each end of the dowel to create a decorative loop for hanging.

12. Put one miniature candy cane into each Christmas stocking pocket.

13. Hang your new Advent Calendar on the wall for everyone to admire!

Tips & Warnings

• Iron the towel before starting your project to remove any creases.
• Paint the doweling red or gold to give your calendar an even more festive look.
• You can use fabric - about 25 inches wide and 30 inches deep - in place of the towel. Hem back each side about ½ inches.
• This calendar will easily roll-up after the holidays and be stored for use again next year.
• Children will love to help decorate the stockings.
• If you have more than one child, you may want to place a corresponding number of candy canes in each pocket.

[Maranatha80]

on 12/16/2008 Awesome idea!! Thanks for posting