Clay Christmas Countdown

Christmas is a time of joy, isn’t it?  Getting our houses ready for the holiday season is much fun, and it certainly builds the anticipation of the coming Christmas Day.  That’s why I made this fun Christmas Countdown for our family.  It’s sort of doubles as an Advent calendar, as we start counting down to Christmas on December 1st.  The kiddos also have the “traditional” chocolate advent calendar, as well as a fun one {LEGO} to open each night.  But the one hanging on the wall has some fun facts about Christmas, and I want to share with you how to put together this easy Christmas Countdown.

Supplies:

*Mini Cookie Cutters

*Air Dry Clay

*Glitter spray paint

*Hot glue

*16×20 canvas

*Christmas ribbon

*Mini clothespins

*Mod podge, paint brush

*Number stickers

*Stars, or other fun shape, cut out of cardstock

Directions:

1.  Roll out the air dry clay on a clean work surface.  Using the mini cookie cutters, cut out 25 shapes.  I did 5 of each shape, so I could later make a pattern on the countdown.  Allow these to dry overnight.  Putting them on a cookie sheet works well.

2.  Lightly coat your canvas with the glitter spray paint and allow to dry thoroughly.

3.  When the clay shapes are dry, lightly coat them with the glitter spray paint.  When they are dry, put a thin layer of mod podge on the center of each one.  Place the number stickers on the shape, and mod podge a light layer over the stickers.  Allow these to dry thoroughly.

4.  While these are all drying, that’s a great time to Google some fun Christmas facts and write them on your cut out shapes.  I used a star, cut out with my Cricut, for this.

5.  Cut the ribbon to the width of your canvas.  Mine are cut to 20 inches, allowing for some overhang to glue on the back of the canvas.  Add a dab of hot glue to the end of each ribbon, and secure it to the side of the canvas.  Continue this until you have five rows of ribbon.

5.  Hot glue the clay shape to the center of the star {or whatever shape you chose}.  Allow these to dry.  Then, attach the star to the ribbon with the mini clothespins.

6.  Starting December 1, one of the kids is going to pull off the star, turn it over, and read the fact.  Then, he or she will reattach it with the “fact side” out, and this will begin our countdown.

How do you start off the Christmas holiday?  I hope this easy Christmas Countdown will bring some JOY into your home this Christmas season.