Holiday Shoebox: Christmas Tree Advent Calendar, Calendar Menorah

But it wasn’t just an advent calendar Christmas tree that we had in the Shoebox today. Dina Melucci of West Orange, N.J., sent in photos of her calendar menorah, which she puts on her refrigerator. Dina first stamped and embossed designs onto a menorah that she had cut from cardboard. She put a magnet on the back. The candles can be stamped onto magnet-backed paper or printed onto the paper then cut out and placed on the menorah. Dina placed everything directly onto a metal sheet that had come in a kit, and then placed it all on the refrigerator.

Felt Advent Calendar
Project by Lisa McKew.

Materials:

red felt 17-1/2" x 23" rectangle
4 red felt 2" x 3-1/2" rectangles
3" x 3" green felt scrap
2" x 2" brown felt scrap
12"x 14"green fabric
3" x 3" yellow/gold fabric or felt scrap
iron-on fabric adhesive (fusible web)
about 2 yards 1-1/4" wide fabric ribbon
about 2 yards 3/4" wide red hook/stiff side of hook-and-loop tape
25 red hook-and-loop 1/2" circles
glitter glue: gold, green
craft glue
25 assorted painted wood figures, about 1-1/2"
19" of 3/8" wooden dowel rod
2 wooden dowel rod end caps
1 yard 3/8" wide red grosgrain ribbon
paper drawing/pattern of a tree, star, trunk, and tree stand
gold acrylic paint
sewing machine
thread
scissors

Steps:

1. Cut red felt pieces to size and set aside. Cut two 17-inch pieces and two 21-3/4-inch pieces of the decorative 1-1/4-inch-wide ribbon.

2. Sew one of the 17-inch strips across top of the large felt piece, leaving approximately a 1-1/4-inch border of red felt showing.

3. Sew the second 17-inch piece of ribbon along the bottom edge of the felt, leaving approximately a 3/8-inch border of red felt showing. Sew the two 21-3/4-inch pieces along sides of felt, leaving approximately a 3/8-inch border of red felt showing on each side.

Figure B

4. Cut two pieces of the hook/stiff side of some red hook-and-loop tape to 19-1/4 inches long. Cut one more piece to 13-3/4 inches long. Stitch these to the left, right, and bottom of felt, approximately next to decorative ribbon you just sewed on (figure B).

Figure C

5. Fold a red felt rectangle in half over the top of the large red felt piece, allowing enough room for the wooden dowel to slip through. Place flush with right edge of large red rectangle and stitch all layers together. Stitch in a rectangle, approximately 1/8 inch in from edges (figure C). Repeat for remaining three small rectangles, spacing them evenly across top.

Figure D

6. Iron the fusible web onto the back of the green fabric and the green, yellow, and brown felt pieces. Pin your patterns to appropriate fabric pieces and cut out (figure D).

7. Iron tree to center of red felt. Iron on the star, tree trunk, and tree stand.

8. Outline tree with green glitter glue. Outline star with gold glitter glue. Allow to dry completely.

Figure E

9. Using craft glue, apply the loop (soft) side of the hook-and-loop circles to the backs of each wooden figure to make "ornaments" (figure E).

Figure F

10. Apply the hook (stiff) side of each circle to the tree, spacing them as if they were decorations (figure F). Allow to dry completely.

11. Paint wooden dowel and dowel end caps with gold paint. Allow to dry completely.

12. Thread dowel through the four loops at the top of the advent calendar and glue the ends on the dowels. Allow to dry completely.

13. Tie red grosgrain ribbon in bows at each end of dowel for hanging. You may have to put a dab of glue on to keep them from slipping and to keep bow from coming untied.

Figure G

14. Attach the "ornaments" to the sides and bottom of hook tape. Starting on December 1, move an ornament from the side to the tree (figure G). By December 25, you’ll have a completely decorated tree!

Tips:

You can make this completely no-sew by using iron-on fabric adhesive or craft glue to adhere everything.

The self-stick hook-and-loop tape isn't strong enough without adding some extra glue. Also, don't sew through the self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape. It will gum up your needle, making sewing very difficult.

My children have enjoyed this Christmas tradition for as long as they can remember. If you have more than one child, they can take turns "decorating" the tree each day.