Countdown Calendar & FREE Template!

With the festive season in full swing, jingle bells in the air and the craziness of holiday activities do you find yourself needing a reminder of how many days are left until Christmas?

With my to-do list, I sure do… hahaha, so I created this fun calendar helping me count down the days until the 25th December. My children are already negotiating who gets to change the tags each day, especially as they get to grab a piece of candy for doing so (bribery can be a good motivator… oops did I really say that?) I love that it is fun and funky enough to sit on my mantel with our other Christmas decor.

Here is the result: a super cute Countdown Calendar made with the uber cute and thoroughly festive Wish Season collection.

Countdown Calendar by Kim Watson 

Using the ‘Snowed In’ patterned paper and a PDF template I created, I cut out and folded first the box, then the drawer and the backing board. By folding a little step in the backing board it acts as a ledge, stopping the count down tags from slipping off.

The front of the drawer is decorated with ephemera. Behind it, adhered to the top of the box, is a selection of little trees and a deer charm, all found in the Wish Season collection. Together they create a sweet little wintery scene.

The little drawer keeps your 25 Countdown Tags all neat and tidy when you aren’t using them.

Countdown Tags by Kim Watson 

The ease at which you can put these tags together will surprise you. Start by cutting a mixture of tag bases 2.25″x 3.75″ and decorate, it’s as easy as that!!

Supplies you will need to complete the tags:

• 6×6 paper pad
• Countdown tag pack
• Ephemera pack
• Various puffy stickers
• Silver foil
• Buttons
• Mini attacher

BONUS: I have created a downloadable template with full instructions for you to make a Countdown Calendar of your own!! ENJOY!

::Download link::

Hope you all have a fun and hopefully not too crazy week preparing for the Christmas festivities. Remember if you use the template please upload your projects to our Facebook page or hashtag #fancypantsdesigns on Instagram to allow us and our fans to leave you some crafty love! Glad you stopped by!

Fancy Pants Designs collection used:  Wish Season

Handmade tree Ornaments #4- Cornflour Clay Ornaments

As I mentioned the other day...I decided to make all my tree ornaments this year because my color theme & Christmas decor is so totally different from anything else I have done before & wonder of all wonders I actually got myself organised enough to take photos of my creative process.

Here is no. 4: (Scandinavian style)

#4 handmade cornflour clay ornaments!

Supplies:

• Cornflour
• White School glue
• Mixture of letter stamps
• Motif stamps or wood veneer
• Straw to make a threading hole
• Cookie cutters
• Decorative twine for hanging

• Measure out glue & cornflour using the ratio 2:1
• Mix well together in an old dish. It will be super sticky.
• Once mixed, tip out and knead well with extra cornflour to coat your hands.
• Roll out to desired thickness. 
• You have to work quickly not to obtain well defined imprints.
• Push doily or doily stamp into clay, making a sharp impression.
• Using cookies cutters, cut into a variety of shapes.
• Use a drinking straw to make a threading hole at the top of the shape.
• Using letter stamps & motifs decorate shapes.
• Allow to air try for 24 hours.
• Take glass sand paper smooth off any rough edges, thread with twine & hang.

So glad you stopped by!

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to you all!

Handmade tree Ornaments #3- Cork Reindeer.

As I mentioned the other day...I decided to make all my tree ornaments this year because my color theme & Christmas decor is so totally different from anything else I have done before & wonder of all wonders I actually got myself organised enough to take photos of my creative process.

Here is no. 3: (Scandinavian style)

#3 cork reindeer!

Supplies:

• A selection of wine bottle corks
• Twigs
• Gold ribbon
• Toothpicks
• Hot glue
• Sparkly dot for the nose
• Sharp scissors
• Gold twine
• Stapler

• Snip the twigs into x4 pieces to be used as legs
• Snip the twigs into x2 antler shapes
• Cut some of the corks in half to be used as heads
• Using a tooth pick, secure the head to the body
• Push twig legs into the underside of the body cork
• Using hot glue, push the antlers & tail into the correct positions
• Tie gold ribbon around the reindeers neck
• Stick the nose onto the head
• Tie a gold twine loop for hanging & staple to the back of the head
• Slip them onto your twig tree adding a sophisticated pop of black.
  Remember to visit tomorrow for another tutorial.
  
  
  So glad you stopped by!

  Merry Christmas to you all!

Handmade tree Ornaments #2- Straw diamonds.

Welcome back from my next Christmas ornament tutorial.

As I mentioned the other day...I decided to make all my tree ornaments this year because my color theme & Christmas decor is so totally different from anything else I have done before & wonder of all wonders I actually got myself organised enough to take photos of my creative process.

Here is no. 2: (Scandinavian style)

#2 straw diamonds!

Our tree.....not quite finished yet...but almost there :D

Supplies:

• Black plastic drinking straws
• Strong twine or yarn of some kind
• Embroidery needle
• Sharp scissors

• Snip the straws into x9 pieces to your preferred length
• Using a single piece of yarn, thread x3 pieces of straw & position into a triangle shape
• Secure at the point where the straws meet
• Add another x2 straws making x2 triangles
• Repeat the process until you can make a mini pyramid shape
• Tie off the yard at the apex leaving long threads loose
• Using another piece of yard, add triangles to the bottom of the shape creating a diamond
• Once completed,, tie off yarn securely
• Knot the loose threads at the apex to create a loop
• Your diamond is ready to hang

Slip them onto your twig tree adding a sophisticated pop of black.

Remember to visit tomorrow for another tutorial.

So glad you stopped by!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Handmade tree Ornaments #1- Mini pom-poms.

I love this time of year!

Happy, craft filled days, hand making tree ornaments & gifts. This year I actually took photos of my process for many of the craft projects, wonder of all wonders! Mostly because my color theme & Christmas decor is so totally different from anything else I have done before.

I will be posting tutorials for how I made them over the next week or so, so make sure to stop by my blog for all the details.

#1 mini, yarn pom-poms!

This is our almost completed tree.....follow the journey!

Supplies:

• Plastic picnic fork
• Medium weight knitting yarn
• Embroidery scissors 

• Thread a loose piece of yarn through the middle of the fork.
• Wind thread around the middle of the fork until at least an inch thick.
• Using the loose piece of yarn in the middle, tie securely through the middle.
• Slip the whole yarn bundle off the fork.
• Slip the loops either side to release the pile of the pom-pom.
• Tie a loop at the top for hanging.

Slip them onto your twig tree adding a gorgeous splash of color!

Remember to visit tomorrow for another tutorial.

So glad you stopped by!

Merry Christmas to you all!