DIY Advent-ure

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and the Christmas tree is up, we had some time for a DIY project.  This simple and fun Advent Calendar is a great project to do with the kids or on your own. The best part of this is you only need to make 12 days worth. We used chalk to write the days, so once you use one cone, you can wipe off and use it for another day later.  You could actually do 6 or 7 if you are really pinched for time. We went with pink and gold to give it a vintage feel. But, you can customize to match your color scheme.
All the items were purchased at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts.  Everything was on sale for 60% off and when you sign up for emails or texts, you will receive more coupons for discounts.

Supplies:  Paper Mache cones (we used 2 sizes), for the gifts

                 Wooden shapes ( we used ornaments), for the days
                 Acrylic paints (we used 3 colors, plus one sparkly paint to give the small cones a shimmer)
                 Chalk board paint
                 Chalk
                 Bakers twine and jute rope(we had in our craft stash)

1. Begin by painting  inside of the cones, let dry.  
2. Paint the outside, let dry and repeat. We put 2 coats, plus the shimmer coat.  
3. Paint the wooden shapes however you desire. Do not forget to paint the space with chalkboard paint for the numbers. ( we used pink matte acrylic paint on some of the numbers and the chalk wipes off just fine)
4. Once all is dry you can assemble.  Punch a small hole in the front and back of the cone and slip the small string through the holes to create a handle, add wooden shape and tie in a knot.  Please make sure you  punch the holes in the front and back so you can slide it on the rope for hanging.  We decided to make 2 rows just so we can hang it on our small shelves, but you could do one long one if you prefer.

We used 3M Command strips and hangers to attach to the shelves, so they are easy to remove when the count down is over.
December 1st cannot come soon enough!

Some small gift ideas:  a small ornament for the tree, nail polish, stickers, a note of kindness or a challenge to do a random act of kindness to someone, lip balm, craft supplies. coupon for a hot chocolate or ice cream, small wrapped chocolates or a candy cane, small jewelry or charms, small toys, buttons or pins, patches, keychain or power sticks.