Christmas Advent Calendar

This is one of those great ideas that maybe didn't turn out like I thought. I wanted to create an advent calendar that would include things we could do each day. I made the little boxes with my Cricut using Tags, Bags, and Boxes. I used glue dots to put the boxes together. After getting them all done, I wasn't really liking the paper. I really wanted to run out and buy some different, more shiny or glossy paper but for this year any way, I am sticking to what I've made.

My original idea was that I could stand them up into a shape of a tree. Then we would just take one off the top each day. Well, the boxes really seemed too flimsy for that. I thought about making some kind of magnet board but that seemed a bit too much.

I was basically stuck with boxes that I didn't like and no way to bring it all together. Gracie with all her wisdom, reminded me on the 30th that I'd better have this ready by tomorrow. So I put them all into my trifle bow, tied a ribbon, and it was ready.

I am hoping that the things we do each day will be fun. Maybe keep the holidays a little more fun and a little less stressed (well, for me anyway). Here are the ideas I put in the boxes. They are in no particular order. I put them in the boxes based on what day of the week it was and what the activity was.

Dance like crazy to music

Camp around the Christmas tree

Dress fancy for dinner

Wrap a present

Paint the snow

Make Christmas cookies

Play a game

Read a Christmas story

Read a Christmas story

Play a game

Go sledding

Read Christmas story from the Bible and leave out cookies for Santa

Drive around and look at Christmas lights

Watch Frosty the Snowman

Watch Christmas movie

Color Christmas pictures

Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows

Call grandparents and sing them a Christmas song

Make snowflakes and hang from ceiling

Paint toenails

Listen to Christmas music

Watch the Nativity

Go to the museum

Watch Christmas Devotional

Buy a gift for someone on the angel tree

Welcome Sign

I actually made 6 of these for Christmas gifts, ( last year..so behind!!) each in different colors and coordinating ribbon. I thought they turned out really cute. Don't you just LOVE the Cricut!!

I cut 6x6 boards, pre-drilled the holes for the tied ribbon ends. There is 6x6 paper in fun bright colors that I placed onto the board first, then added the Cricut cut flowers, fun brads, my stems, and ribbon, which completed the bouquet. Shadowed the "Welcome" letters and added my cute little fluttering friends.

Chirstmas Ornaments

These are the ornaments I made for my ornament exchange at work. I put the person's initial on one side and a snowflake on the other. I could not imagine doing this without the cricut. I just pretty much followed the instructions here and added some fine glitter and beads on the inside when I was done. Using the glass etching cream was very simple. My biggest obstacle was trying to smooth the vinyl on slightly rounded surface, even though I used scissors to cut lines for it to overlap a bit. Some sites said they were able to reuse the vinyl a couple times, but I could only use it once, mostly since it was not flat and and water got on the sticky part in some places when I rinsed it off.