Advent Calendars For the Grand Kids

Every year I would have Advent Calendars on my list to make for Collin and Carli, our grand kids.  Along with about 10 possible knitting projects to make.  I always feel like I need to make hand made gifts to carry on the memory theme to their generation.  That not all gifts come in an Amazon.com box.

Well, I had a couple of rain days where I decided it had to happen before Thanksgiving so they could take it home with them after they stayed for that week.  Setting a time limit helps me finish projects.

I found some tree branches in the yard and painted them silver and then lightly dusting of spray snow.

When I was shopping at Walmart a few weeks ago, I picked up a few fishing items and some small toys to add to the calendar gifts.  My grand kids love to fish, so a box of bobbers, hooks and some lures were perfect.  

But I realized that I needed to get someplace where the prices were even cheaper since I had to get 50 gifts=25 each grand child.

A trip to the Dollar Store along with some candy and I was ready to wrap.  Collin's gifts were wrapped with the brown Kraft paper.  

Carli's gifts were wrapped using small patterned bags purchased a year ago at Hobby Lobby, along with some white ones.

 I used cute checked thin ribbon for hers and brown twine for Collin.  While listening to my music, I wrapped and wrapped until all of the little gifts were done.

I was going to just write the numbers on each package when I received a great blot post from someone I read often.  She too, had done an Advent Calendar for her children but she is more artist and talented than myself.  She had Christmas drawings on the tags and they were free downloads.

 Only problem was that they printed out the circle around each number, but I had to cut them out-all 50 of them!!!

When I went on Pinterest, I loved seeing other options that clever people made, the only thing I noticed was that all the gifts hanging or clipped were the same size.  How is that???  My branch of wrapped little gifts looked a little cluttered but in the end, I liked it.

Carli and Collin arrived for Thanksgiving and love, loved the tree branches.  I would find them several times over at the packages, looking at the cute holiday pictures and touching the presents, and talking to each other about what "day" they wanted most to open.

Since the kids are getting older, I knew my time was coming to an end when they actually would find it a fun thing to receive.  So I am feeling pretty good that making these calendars is now on my Mission Accomplished list.  And I still have 3 weeks to keep knitting and knitting away at the scarves, Kindle cozy and even to make a stuffed hedgehog.  Maybe I will finish them, maybe not.

Come back soon, my Holiday Fresh Holiday Wreath Making Class is this week, two full classes.  I should have lots of fun photos.  And I am making a photo op wall to take pictures on-made up of large paper flowers in white and gold.  Will show photos next time.

Paula

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