Thursday, January 10, 2013

Advent Calendar

I know I said I wouldn't write any more posts until I got 3 comments on the previous post and that there is only one comment on the previous post, but.... someone told me they tried to post a comment but couldn't for some reason and another person did post, only the topic was about how wonderful my blog was and how I should check out their blog about hemorrhoids.... so I guess in a way that makes three comments so I'm going to go back on my January first post deal, just this once.....  and get back to my catchup.

This year we only sent two presents to New Zealand - one for each of my small nieces.  I wanted to make an advent calendar for my oldest niece, but for some stupid reason felt the need to do something a little different than your standard hang on the wall pocket one.  In the end I adapted a cardboard house pattern that I found on this site: Cart Before the Horse and made (with the help of my children) 24 different houses of different sizes out of 48 different kinds of fabric.  The kids then made a town map for them to sit on and we wrapped small presents and stuck one inside each house to be opened on each day in the lead up to Christmas.  
After we had completed it I realised it wasn't exactly the most practical advent calendar for a toddler, or the most practical present to try and send overseas,  but it was fun to make and I really enjoyed being able to do it with the kids.  
A word of advice though... if you want to do something like this start it in October... not a week or so before it needs to be in the post!

8 comments:

  1. Comment #1
    I love this advent calendar! What a clever idea, but I do wonder how you managed to send it without crushing all those pretty little houses.
    Well done, Jo, for actually making something (not like me, with my Pinterest board chock-full of ideas that are never acted upon). I'm sure your niece loved it.

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  2. Birgit11:07 am

    It´s just lovely and obviously it didn´t break on the way to your niece! What a great idea.

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  3. That is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously fun! And that's your third comment, so keep writing, woman! (I love your blog too.)

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  4. Wish I'd had one like this growing up!! I hear Abi absolutely loved it too!!

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  5. Oh the excitement of Abi (and i must say Fi) on skype showing me the Christmas town!! I cannot believe you made all of that so amazing!!

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  6. Wow! That requires a lot of patience. Nice idea to hide a present inside each house.

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  7. I'm impressed, this turned out beautiful.

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  8. You are such a cool aunty! First the cloth book and now an advent calendar!!! It's gorgeous and she can keep playing with it well after Christmas.

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