A Christmas Art Challenge

  On Everyday Matters, one of my art chat groups, Michael had a great idea. He thought it might be fun to make our own Advent Calendars. Several people in the group following his thread were enthusiastic about the idea too. The only problem seemed to be that no one quite knew how to actually make one of these popular calendars.

  I grew up with Advent Calendars living in Germany when I was little. I still love them today and we usually have one every year. Most of them are really simple. Well, I thought about Michael's idea for a moment and I don't think it would be that difficult to do. It would be fun!

  A lot of my friends already love making a grid for their daily drawings. Making the calendar would only take one or two steps beyond that.  These are the ideas I came up with. If anyone has suggestions or tips, please add them to the comments section below this post. Let's see what we can all come up with!!

Step One: - On a sheet of heavier watercolour paper, draw 24 squares randomly and not too close together. They can be different sizes, too. These squares represent the 24 days of December up to Christmas Eve. If you wish, make one square slightly larger for December 24. Number the squares with small numbers in one corner. Scatter the order of numbers around so it's a challenge to find the next number!

  Take another sheet of paper, the same size as the first and trace those squares in EXACTLY the same position. This will be the grid that is placed behind the first set of grids. Do not number these squares.

Step Two: - On sheet number 1: Paint a wintry scene of some kind, all over the entire paper. Paint over the squares to make them part of your scene but keep them visible and not too hard to find. Add areas of silver or gold glitter and sparkles if it fits your theme.

Step Three: -  For the second set of grids, draw a small image INSIDE each square. Keep these very simple: a toy bugle, a drum, a doll, a pine twig with a shiny ornament or a pine cone suspended from it, a rabbit eating a carrot. Think of these as very simple Christmas THUMBNAIL drawings but add bright colours. 

  Traditionally, the scene behind the last door for December 24th shows a simple depiction of the Holy Family. You can do what ever pleases you.

Step Four: - Take sheet number one with the wintry scene. Carefully score three sides of each square. These are the doors that will bend back on the unscored side like a hinge. You could make the hinges fall on different sides: top, bottom, left or right. The square for December 24th should be scored on the top and bottom and down the middle. This will make doors that open to each side like the shutters of a window. This will be your biggest square. (It's the most important one!)

  At this point DO NOT OPEN the doors. Just score them but keep them closed, or you will see glimpses of the hidden treasure, which is one of your thumbnail drawings behind each door. They are to be opened one by one each day by the youngest member in the house.

Step Five: - Glue the sheets together at the four paper edges and in one or two areas between the squares. Make sure the numbered squares in your winter scene line up exactly with your thumbnail drawings underneath. (They won't if one sheet is upside down...:0)

   Here you see the back of an old calendar. The second sheet is securely glued around the edges of the top sheet. Make sure both sheets are face the same way. :)

  The more complex Advent Calendars revealed pieces of flat chocolate behind the doors. When the chocolate was taken out by eager little hands, the smaller image could still be seen behind that. If you wanted to try making one of these, it would involve a separate step.

  You need a piece of recessed plastic to hold the chocolate. You could purchase a simple candy mold, put the chocolate pieces in each mold and glue your winter scene with the doors on top at the edges. The sheet of paper with the thumbnail images, would go BEHIND the plastic, so you could still see the image through the plastic after removing the chocolate. Also, the thumbnail images would have to correspond to the molds on the plastic. Probably they would be in rows and not placed randomly as in the instructions above. Though each square would have an extra treat! Seal the edges of the second paper around the edges to the back of the plastic mold to hide the pictures.

Step Six: - Attach a hanger and hang your Advent Calendar on the wall. Open one square a day beginning December 1st. Have fun making and enjoying your calendar!

  Merry Christmas!