Most Asked About Item Of The Halloween Season (by my kids, of course!)

A couple years ago, a few girlfriends and I saw the Pottery Barn Kids Advent Calendar. We knew we wanted one, but didn't want to pay for it! I also know that I wanted it to match the colors I use for Halloween. So, we decided to make our own. This is mine...

Properly plumped and ready for my little goblins to drool over.

This is how it looks before being properly stuffed!

I start early finding items for my calendar. Some stores, like Michael's and JoAnne's get their Halloween dollar section in early - beginning in August! I also start hearing about it from my kids in August. This year I told them if I heard one more thing about the Halloween Advent Calendar, there would be no Halloween Advent Calendar at our house this year. It didn't work. They still talk about it, but who can blame them? Look how cute it is!!!

Here are some of the pocket stuffers.

You notice the t-shirt? I know it won't fit in a pocket, but I buy my kids Hallooween t-shirts every year for around $5 each. (They make nice pajamas after October.) I put a little piece of card stock I have cut into the shape of a t-shirt. They pull it out the first day, and get their shirts.

I used to think I had to keep everything in the wrappers, but now, I unwrap things if the packaging is too large, and just stick the stuff in. Looks cuter that way anyway.

The individual pockets are SO DARLING! I have to show you just a few of my favorites up close and personal.

Cute - right? I used some felt stickers, and some heavy dimensional paper stickers. At first, I thought I would stick to just the felt stickers, but there were SO MANY darling high quality paper stickers, that I just couldn't resist, and started using them as well. I even ended up covering up a few of the numbers with the cute little characters.

Here are the pockets all full:



This can cost as much to fill every year as you want. You can do candy only, or you can go a little nuts - like me. The kids are only young once - right?

I will post directions soon!

Happy Haunting ;)

I am linking up!

Easter Advent Calendar

I was in Hobby Lobby the other day... where else? :) When I saw these darling felt stickers. I knew I need to figure out how to do something with them, so I decided to make an Easter Advent Calendar for my kids.

I have made them advent calendars for other holidays before, but I wanted to do something different with this one. It is a service advent calendar. Each pocket has a little wooden animal inside, and we had a family night to assign tasks to each animal, so when we pull it out of the pocket, we know what we are going to do that day. I made it 12 days long, so it starts two Mondays before Easter, and ends on Good Friday.

This is my favorite pocket! I love the cute little chicks! This did not come in a set. I bought the chicks, attached the trim, rolled a piece of felt, and attached it and the chicks with fabric glue.

The pockets with the pictures of my kids, are for days we do service for that child, like make their bed, or write them a nice note, or both!

I glued the pics of my kids in there with fabric glue. The pics were printed from my pc, and the glue made the ink run on the picture of my daughter, so if you are going to do this, just be careful.

"Cleo the caterpillar likes to pick up trash around the neighborhood. Lets pick up trash with Cleo."

"Buffy the bunny likes to bake cookies for the neighbors."

If you are going to do this project, you will need:

1) 3 individual sheets of felt, cut into fourths.
2) Backing of your choice - I used a thick white canvas type, but you could use felt or anything.
3) Felt stickers and/or shapes
4) Ribbons - I just used what I had around the house.
5) Fabric glue
6) Sewing machine and thread (optional)
7) Wooden characters, or whatever you want in the pockets

Instructions:

1) Lay out backing, shapes, and stickers in the pattern you desire.
2) Cut backing to the size you want, and finish edge weather by sewing or with glue. If you are using felt, you can leave it raw.
3)Attach ribbons to pockets, and turn edges over the sides for a finished look. You can do this by sewing or with glue.
4) Attach pockets to back, and ribbons to the top, either with glue, or sewing.
5) Attach stickers to pockets. You attach stickers after attaching the pockets, because if you are sewing the pockets on, you may have to sew over the stickers. It will look better if you don't.
6) Decide what you are putting in the pockets, and have fun!

Just a note: You can hang with tacks, or by making a fold, sewing or gluing the edge, and sticking a dowel or curtain rod inside.