Getting Crafty: An Advent Calendar

 #1 I really do love making crafts.  (I'm just not good at making time for it and gathering the necessary materials.)
#2 If you want to follow a real DIY blog with fun projects for your home you should check out my sis-in-law's stuff at www.therusticboxwood.com.  Also, my friend Kim did a cool project with some vintage lamps recently (www.kimberlylanephotography.com).
#3 If you want a "use what you happen to have at home to make a Christmas countdown calender so you don't have to answer the 'How many days til Christmas?' question a thousand times over" craft then this may be the one for you!

I present...the Fun Felt Jesse Tree!!!




Now, a few years ago I printed an Advent Devotional off Ann Voskamp's blog and it had these ornaments to go along with the reading each day. 
 (That's also where I learned about the Jesse Tree.) I cut the ornaments out and laminated them (with packing tape :) ) and the kids have hung them on the tree in years past.  I searched her site and I don't think you can print these anymore but I see that she does have the devotional book for sale, and I found some other printables here through a Google search.  

Anyway, here's what I did:

1.  Cut a piece of cardboard to the size of your liking.
2.  Cut a piece of fabric just a little bit bigger on all sides.

3. Hot glue the fabric around the board (or duct tape will work :) ).
4. Cut a piece of green felt almost the same size as the board.

5. Fold it in half and cut out your Christmas tree...I freehanded it but it might be handy to outline it first, because as Crockett says, "Cutting is hardy hard." :)
 6.  Cut out 27 small felt circles.  (I cheated here because I already had these from a Martha Stewart project I attempted a million years ago.  They're about 1 1/2 in. in diameter.)  I thought red might be cuter.
7.  Hot glue your ornaments onto the felt circles.
 



8.  Now paint numbers (or use a sharpie) on your tree like this:

 (I placed all my ornaments on the tree first so I could see how it needed to line up.)

 9. Time to hang it up!  I used packing tape and taped my board onto a picture I already had hanging...we'll see if it holds. :)



10.  Let the countdown begin!  The kids (or you) can easily stick the circles onto the board each day...just like the felt boards from the Sunday School of yesteryear. :)

...And remember what it's all about:

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.   
Matthew 1:21 

 Merry Christmas from the Smith's!!!

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