How to Make a Fabric Christmas Countdown
Christmas countdown calendars or Advent calendars are a good way for kids to count the days until Santa comes to town. These calendars generate excitement for the kids as they move the bell from day to day and are also a nice holiday decoration for the home. Put your individual style into it and make your own fabric countdown calendar. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Felting needle
- Straight pins
- 1 spool red embroidery thread
- 17-inch-wide by 20-inch-long piece of green felt
- 4 - 2 ¼-inch-wide by 9 ½-inch-long strips red and green plaid felt
- 2 - 1-inch-wide by 2-inch-long strips red and green plaid felt
- Gold fabric paint pen
- Paint brush
- Ruler
- 36-inch-long thin red twisted fabric cord
- 48-inch-long thick red twisted fabric cord
- 3-inch squares colored fabric -- use red, white or green
- 4-inch piece of red felt
- 1 small jingle bell
- Fabric glue
Instructions
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1
Lay the piece of green felt on a flat surface. Place one piece of red-and-green plaid felt on the large piece of felt one inch from the top. Use a ruler to ensure the strip is in a straight line. Use straight pins to hold the strip in place.
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2
Place the other three pieces of red-and-green plaid felt ½ inch apart, one beneath the other. Secure the strips with straight pins.
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3
Thread the felting needle with red embroidery thread. Attach the strips of red felt to the large piece of green felt using the felting needle. Do not sew the tops of the strips.
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4
Use a ruler to measure 2 ¼-inch sections of each of the strips of red-and-green plaid felt until the four strips are divided into four sections each. Place a straight pin to mark each section.
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5
Use the felting needle with red embroidery thread to sew a vertical line in the fabric strips to create four pockets in each strip.
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6
Draw various pictures in the small 3-inch squares of felt and cut them out. Some picture suggestions are a Christmas tree, a star and a snowflake. Pick coordinating colors of felt like green or red or white.
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7
Use the gold fabric paint pen to draw numbers one through 24 on the fabric pockets. Skip a few numbers and glue the small fabric cut-outs from step six in the place of the number. For instance, place a snowflake where the number 10 would be painted.
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8
Cut the 4-inch piece of red felt in the shape of a bag -- like Santa's bag of toys. Use the felting needle and embroidery thread to sew the red felt bag onto the bottom right side of the large piece of green felt; leave the top of the bag open. Use the gold fabric pen to write the number 25 on the bag.
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9
In the space above the Santa bag use the gold fabric pen to write your family name, for example, "The Jones' Christmas Countdown."
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10
Tie the 36-inch-long red twisted fabric cord to the jingle bell. The bell is moved from pocket to pocket as each day of the month progresses toward Christmas day.
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11
Attach the two-inch by one-inch pieces of red-and-green plaid fabric along the top of the calendar two inches from each end. Sew the pieces to form a loop.
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12
Run one end of the 48-inch-thick red twisted fabric cord through the loops so it lies parallel to the calendar. Form a triangle with the free ends of the cord and tie them into a knot. The cord is the hanger for the calendar. Attach the cord with the jingle bell to this cord; it will hang down and is placed in a pocket.
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Tips & Warnings
Place a picture of the kids with Santa using fabric glue in between the family name and the Santa bag.
References
- Photo Credit Red Advent Calendar image by Sophia Winters from Fotolia.com
