A Christmas Advent Calendar for non-crafty types

Note from the grumpy author: Winter illnesses love me, and in the last three weeks have loved me so much that I’ve experienced nearly every possible symptom under the (wintery) sun. Most notable is the exhaustion, not least because everyone in our household is suffering from the same throat-tickling cough all hours of the day and the night, and I am done. Done. Hopefully we’ll be out of it in time for me to think about Christmas, but in the meantime, I leave you with a post from last year, when I discovered anew the joys of Advent.

Once upon a time, I was an avid painter and drawer, then life happened and the creative well ran dry. For me, it coincided with adulthood, work, and having less free time and other activities to focus on. I do get the itch from time to time to pick up a brush or a pen, but I struggle to just pick up and go, I tend to need a project or theme, an occasion or a specific request. Then I can flourish.

Not crafts though. I’ve tried my hand at a few things: scrapbooking, cross-stitch, paper craft, stamping, but I gave up almost before I got started. Too many options, too much money to spend to make it half-decent, too bitty on the whole to appeal to me.

Still for many years I’ve wanted to own a proper advent calendar but although I’ve seen some amazing ones on sale, I’ve…

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In which I discover Washi tape

 

My ongoing project for organising the house has officially started. I was forced (forced!) to go buy some stationery. It was all terribly exciting until I discovered that my local stationery shop had run out of storage boxes but for one brown cardboard one. Granted, the fuchsia background and white dots on the inside were pretty enough but that brown was offending my sensibilities.

Badgerman suggested I could decorate it myself, at which point I snorted rather unattractively and raised my eyebrows in a ‘do you even know me’ manner. The very next second I had a brain wave about a product I’d been hearing loads about but had dismissed early on as ‘I’m not a Pinterest soccer mom’ and ‘another fancy newfangled weirdness for craft addicts’ that would die out as quickly as it had trended. I’m talking about Washi tape.

Little did I know I would fall in love with the stuff.

For those who don’t know, it’s a kind of thin decorative masking tape used by craft people to do… well, crafty stuff I know nothing about. Hobbycraft call it ’embellishment tape’. I’m told it’s Japanese and reusable, biodegradable and tree free, and made out of highly renewable resources. And also kind of a weird thing? That is, until you discover that it can be useful and then . Now I understand a bit better why washi tape sales have exploded in the world of craft-loving middle-class Alison Hendricks lookalikes: yes it’s really pretty but it is also practical; it is removable, it leaves no trace behind, it is not expensive (depending on where you buy it) and there is So Much Choice.

Useful things I’m going to do with Washi tape that aren’t just wacky internet craft person things:

– Label Everything: all you need is a bit of Washi tape and a permanent marker, and there you go!

– Prettify ugly things, like that shocking brown box. I’ve only started but don’t you think it is instantly improved?

 

And yes, I made my very first batch of all-purpose cleaning product! It’s 500 ml water, 125 ml white vinegar and a few drops of lavender essential oil. You would think the smell of vinegar would be overpowering but the essential oil counteracts that very well. I’m now using it for everything. And look, pretty label!

Where can I buy Washi tape?

It is becoming more widely available nowadays, so that even Wilkinson’s has a couple of rolls. That’s not much choice, but I’ve been able to start my collection, and you get a couple of rolls (16 metres) for just under £2. Not bad really.

If you want to visit an actual UK shop, Hobbycraft and Paperchase also stock it. Otherwise you can go online and there is a great range both at washitapes.co.uk, wishywashi and cutetape.

A Beginner’s collection

It Looks Interesting But What More Can You Do With It?

For ideas on what to do with Washi tape, well, there’s always good old Pinterest, although I draw the line at decorating pumpkins with the stuff. See what I mean about ‘wacky internet craft-types’ doing weird craft things?

A Christmas Advent Calendar for non-crafty types

Once upon a time, I was an avid painter and drawer, then life happened and the creative well ran dry. For me, it coincided with adulthood, work, and having less free time and other activities to focus on. I do get the itch from time to time to pick up a brush or a pen, but I struggle to just pick up and go, I tend to need a project or theme, an occasion or a specific request. Then I can flourish.

Not crafts though. I’ve tried my hand at a few things: scrapbooking, cross-stitch, paper craft, stamping, but I gave up almost before I got started. Too many options, too much money to spend to make it half-decent, too bitty on the whole to appeal to me.

Still for many years I’ve wanted to own a proper advent calendar but although I’ve seen some amazing ones on sale, I’ve balked at the thought of spending £15 or more on something that comes out one month out of twelve and that I have to fill with sweets and chocolate myself. This year though, Little Girl is over two years old and I just KNOW she’s going to love Christmas and the run up to it, and I figured I should sort something out. I bought an emergency chocolate calendar from Lidl but I also tried to think of something I could make that would be 1. cheap 2. simple to make 3. still have the wow factor. And I found it!

So I give you my Fridge Magnet Advent Calendar, for wannabe craft people who really can’t be bothered!

The supplies you need are:

• 25 small matchboxes (60p for 10 from Wilkos)
• a glue stick
• Festive paper (wrapping paper is perfectly acceptable but you can get fancy craft paper if you prefer)
• Number stickers
• a magnetic strip
• a ruler and pencil
• a big container (for the unused matches!)

The tricky bit of this particular craft is to cut the paper into the right measurements so it covers the top of the matchbox. I know, it’s a HUGE challenge. The rest of it, even a toddler could do with minimal input, which is what my toddler did.

So…

Step 1

Empty the contents of the matchboxes into a container or pretty jar, to be kept for future use in the event of a power cut, zombie apocalypse or for a cheap and cheerful Christmas present for your friends (don’t say I don’t give you fabulous ideas for getting rid of any old rubbish)

Step 2

Cut your festive paper in rectangles that will cover one side of the box

Step 3

Put some glue all over the top of the matchbox

Step 4

Press your piece of paper on top

Step 5

Place your stickers on the boxes

Step 6

Cut the magnetic tape into small strips, remove the plastic adhesive and stick at the back of the boxes

Step 7

Arrange on your fridge/any other metallic surface. Done!

This year’s pretty basic but I can see great potential for both the girls to make their own, choose the colour theme, stickers, etc each year.

One warning I ought to give, is that you probably should do the prep work of cutting the paper whilst your toddler is busy elsewhere, or do it all in one go, rather than as you go along. Otherwise, you will have to deal with wails of ‘Me do it!’ after every. single. box.