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Category: Winter Crafts

Rusty Tin Bells and Spool Advent Calendar

Spool_Advent_Calendar
This advent calendar does double duty as a charming garland for your tree and a treasure hunt for your kids. Wrap around your branches for some rustic charm or string across your mantle or window for some advent fun! Switch out floral wire for the embroidery thread if you want a shape-able garland.

Things you need:
24 wooden spools
1 red bead garland
1 bag of 3/4-inch rusty tin bells
Yellow embroidery thread
Embroidery needle
Paper
Scissors
Craft glue
Pen (or printer)
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Things to do:
1. Cut an eleven-foot piece of embroidery thread and thread onto the needle. String one bell all the way to the end and tie off with a loop for hanging.
2. String 10 beads onto the thread.
3. String three bells, adjusting them so that they bunch together. String two red beads and then a spool followed by two more red beads. Repeat this pattern until you have used up all 24 spools.
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4. Add three more bells and then ten beads to complete the garland. Tie off with a final bell and a loop as you did at the beginning.
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5. Cut the paper into 4-inch long strips that are as wide as the center of your spool (the flat part). Number each 1-24 (you can also do this on a printer) and add a clue to the back of each such as Look under your pillow” to guide your kids to their daily tread!
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6. Glue the plain end of the paper across the flat part of each spool. Once the glue has dried, roll up and secure, number side out, with a very small dot of glue.

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Felt Square Advent Calendar

Felt_Square_Advent_Calendar
Advent calendars are often the highlight of December (other than Christmas day of course) for kids and it’s fun to go beyond the traditional candy behind a door variety. This year, slip treats and prizes into the pockets of this soft felt calendar that hangs easily on the wall or on the back of a door.

Things you need:
1/2 yard or 6 sheets of beige felt
3 sheets each of pink, mauve, green and red felt
Sewing machine and notions
Coordinating thread
Wooden Hanger
Pins
Number stamps and ink
Or
Embroidery thread and needle

Things to do:
1. Cut the cream felt into a 13 x 36 inch strip or sew 5 rectangles of the cream felt together to form a similarly size strip. Save remaining felt for squares.
2. Cut the remaining cream felt and the other colors into 24- 4 x 4 inch and 24 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 inch squares making sure you have a mix of colors for each size.
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3. If you are embroidering the numbers, you’ll want to do that now on the smaller squares. If you are stamping you can either stamp now or once the project has been sewn.
4. Center the smaller squares onto the larger ones, changing the color combination with each square. Pin into place securely and stitch around all sides about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the inner square.
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5. Leaving 5 inches free at the top, arrange your stitched squares, three at a time, across the larger piece of felt, spacing evenly. Pin in place and sew down, stitching right over the previous stitches on three sides, creating a pocket.
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6. Fold the excess felt at the top over the bar of the hanger and pin in place. Stitch across to secure. This is a little tricky because you have to have the hanger on the left side and the bulk of the felt moving through the hole in your machine but as long as you’ve pinned the flat well you’ll be fine.
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7. Hang and fill the pockets with treats!

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