Weekend Creative | Advent Action Cards
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I'm a big fan of Advent calendars.
Many of you have seen the Advent boxes I made back in 2007 (inspired by Martha). I'm currently looking for new place to hang them in our house. Last year we also had a LEGO® City Advent Calendar
The little something else for 2010 are hand-drawn Advent cards with specific actions to be taken each day.
Here's a video that shows you what I did and talks a bit more about the project.
Ali Edwards | Advent Action Cards from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.
Here's the how-to for this project:
Purchase and download the Advent Boxes digital kit. For convenience and simplicity I've included a red, green, brown, and black PDF file included with the package. Just download, open + print.
Print the PDF file(s) of your choice. I printed on photo paper (currently using Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl). I printed both the red and the brown to have a mix of the two. The digital package also includes each frame individually if you wanted to do something like add the frames to photos.
Adhere pattern paper to the back of the 8.5x11 sheet of paper. For this step I used Xyron's Creatopia machine. They are a sponsor here on my blog and sent me a machine to test out. The pattern papers I used are: "Tiri" from 3ndypapir.no (really lovely papers from Norway), Bo Bunny Wild Berry Red Dot, and Anna Griffin Christmas Cardstock Pack (used this for the inside cover pages of my December Daily).
Cut out or punch with a square punch. I used this 2.5 inch square punch from Marvy (they list it as 3.5 inches but that's the diagonal measurement).
Add a number sticker or embellishment on the back if you want them to be numbered. Letter stickers and embellishments shown in the video include: American Crafts Foam Subway Cherry, Jenni Bowlin Vintage Christmas Chipboard Buttons, Banana Fish Studio Milk Caps.
Hand-write your daily actions. I used a Precision Pen from American Crafts. See my daily action suggestions below.
Add to your Advent Boxes, pocket calendar, tree branches, or just have them in a bowl on your table.
At the end of each day these little cards could be added to your December Daily.
ENCOURAGING OUR KIDS TO LOOK BEYOND THEMSELVES
For each of the daily sentiments I wanted to head in the direction of answering this question: what things that can help our kids look beyond themselves and celebrate the season. That was my initial focus.
I want words that require action. I want activities that are developmentally appropriate. I want things that are fun. I want activities that invoke the spirit of the season. I also want to include a few fun traditions like looking at lights while drinking hot cocoa, getting our tree and visiting Santa.
I like the idea that these cards can act as a road map for the season. I like that each day Simon (with a little help from Anna) can pick out a card and it can steer us in a specific direction for the afternoon or evening.
Here's what I've come up with so far (I'd love to read your suggestions and ideas in the comments section):
Tell a friend at school you think they're really cool.
Take a special treat to a neighbor.
Pick a name from the giving tree. Find a gift for that person.
Make a small stocking. Drop it off on someone's door as a surprise.
Make a card for a loved one and send it in the mail.
Recycle some toys to share with others.
Read a Christmas book to your sister.
Light a candle and say a prayer for a loved one far away.
Take food to a local food pantry.
Take a trip to get the Christmas Tree.
Go see Santa.
Go look at Christmas lights & drink hot cocoa.
Make thank you notes before they are needed.
Write a list of 10 things you are thankful for this year. Share with your Grandma
ANOTHER COOL IDEA
Doris, one of the super creative members of the Designer Digitals team, used the PNG files on top of photos to create this set of Advent cards that she'll be hanging on some branches in her home. She originally emailed asking me to make some more hand-drawn Christmas boxes where the words were farther down on the box - leaving room for a cute face. Thanks for the inspiration Doris!
I hope you all have a great weekend!
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143 comments
Very nice Ali!
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Thank you so much for making and sharing this video. I am very visual and learn best by watching someone do the task and then doing it myself. I love the idea of a service oriented activity. We tried to teach our sons to think of others by doing similar activities and I do believe it is a seed that grows because I have two very compassionate adult sons. I am going to make this project for us this year and some day share it with my future grandchildren.
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call a grandparent and tell them how much you love them.
make a Christmas card, put $5 dollars inside, and post in a random letter box
read a Christmas story to and elderly person
do something nice for a sibling (make a treat, help with their chores, write a letter) just because you can.
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Ali, wonderful idea. After reading your project idea, and watching the video. Several things came to mind. How about visiting a nursing home with your children, maybee some of Simons friends/classmates, a few of them could go along. I used to work in a nursing home, they LOVE children. Maybee check with a local nursing home or assited living place in your area, they do all kinds of things in this nature. Maybee the kids could read a short story or near Christmas time they could sing a few Christmas Carols, they would LOVE this!!! A few others things that came to mind was visit a hospitol, check and see near Christmas of children that will have to stay in the hospitol during Christmas, that stocking full of goodies would be a wonderful idea for a child that can't be home for Christmas. Also we do allot with a local family that does not have funds to have anything for Christmas, a small toy or clothing item for their children would be a beautiful gesture. I belong to a bunco group, we each give money check with our school system each year as they know a family in need, we then shop for them. We buy things they really need, or a new winter coat, hat, gloves, things that are really neccessary. And lastly I used to have my kids go through all their toys, have them get rid of some things they no longer need or want, then donate them to a shelter or a needy family.
Thank you as always for all your inspiration.
Lisa W.
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When I was younger, my mom and I would make a homemade Christmas ornament every year. I still try to carry on this tradition by myself. I have heard of families doing this so that when a child moves out to start their own family, they already have a set of Christmas ornaments filled with love and memories. You could even have an action card be to make an ornament to give to Gabrielle or something like that if you wanted to keep it "giving" oriented!
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Maybe some things that need to be done around the house for the holidays, like 'wrap a present for a family member' or 'make your own wrapping paper out of brown paper and holiday stamps'.
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[...] I also posted a fun Weekend Creative project this past weekend using new hand-drawn Advent boxes. Click here to see the full post. [...]
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i love the idea -- just need a little help. once i download (and pay for them), which i have. i am wondering how i get them on one sheet to print out. i am hoping i have the correct tools to do so, as i love the idea. help! thanks so much.
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Hi! After downloading open the folder. Inside the folder you will find a bunch of different files - choose one that ends in .pdf (there's a red, green, brown, and black version). Double click on one of those files and it will open in Adobe Acrobat Reader (most likely you have this on your computer already). Let me know if you need more help!
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We love advent calendars also. The last couple of years I have done this with little strips of paper. The ideas on our strips include...choose a relative to call and say I love you...write a special note to a friend or relative, have dinner under the Christmas tree (a favorite at our house), extra book at reading time, etc....so much more fun than just a piece of candy, and I hope more meaningful to my family. I love your boxes, and might need to enhance our strips this year!
Thanks for sharing!
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I love the twist on a traditional advent calendar. We are big fans of the lego one also. :) Quick question. Have you found any 8 x 8 page protectors with pockets or do you just make your own?
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Love this, Ali! Also, Doris' idea with the faces would make a perfect gift for grandma. Can't you just see a mini-tree decorated with these picture tags...on the back could be little reasons why we love grandma! Thanks for the inspiration!
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love this idea with photos of the kids from the year on one side and all the kids reasons on the other.. i think we will be doing that this year.
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Hey there, Ali!
I can't wait to make these Advent Cards. When I saw the "falala" card, I had an idea-make a music cd with family member's favorite Christmas songs-Brilliant, right?! "I really can't stay-Baby it's cold outside..I got to go away-Baby it's cold outside."
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A Christmas tradition my grandma always did when we were little that we continue with our kids today is baking a birthday cake for Jesus.
Something new that we have been doing with our kids is packing a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. They are sent all around the world. If you include a letter and/or photo, you may even receive correspondence. We give our kids a designated amount of money and let them chose the items they would like to fill the box (we fill a plastic storage shoebox, that way it can be repurposed to carry water, etc., whatever the need may be once it arrives at said destination). We homeschool our girls and today's geography lesson included information about the Pygmies in Africa. The girls could hardly phathom that there could be people that would still live in huts and barely have any belongings. Suddenly, one of them excitedly shouted, "Maybe they'll get one of our Operation Christmas Child boxes!" http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ
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I'm thinking about an advent calendar for us moms. We spend so much time taking care of everyone but ourselves, and the holiday season is the busiest of all! It wouldn't necessarily have to have something for every day, maybe just once a week,but it would be actions that are in the holiday spirit and give us permission to focus on ourselves for a little while. What I have so far: read a Christmas book (a novel, that is!); go have a holiday drink at Starbucks with a girl friend or two (and no kids!!); and make a layout about a Christmas from your childhood. Hopefully I can think of a couple more before December rolls around. :)
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This is something like we do in our house and I got the idea from a friend in London. We hang decorated envelopes on a string and inside each one is either a prompt or a little chocolate. We have to carefully plan what is in each envelope as we include things like carol concerts, visiting relatives, and now school performances and parties etc. I have a few Christmassy crafts books for the children and this year with the eldest being a bit more able, at least one of the activities will be that he can choose something from one of these books. Other things will be specifically chosen to coincide with our parties etc like baking or making decorations etc. I love that it will change each year as the children grow and develop and I love all the ideas from everyone here too. Much better than a calendar with chocolate in and some character on the front that has nothing to do with Christmas!
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Don't know if you're still looking for an idea of how to display your advent boxes, but came across this idea and thought of you:
http://brownpaper--packages.blogspot.com/2010/11/advent-calendar.html
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Hey Ali,
Is this pdf still 30% off or did I miss it? Would love to do it. Thanks! Sara
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Hi Sara - it was 30% off last weekend during the sale.
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Hi Ali,
Just wondering if these are still on sale this week? Would love to buy! Thanks, Sara
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Whoops....sorry. I see you answered. Couldn't find my original comment. Thanks!
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Ali---I'm way behind on my blog surfing. Another tangible idea to make Christmas memories AND special for someone else---So grateful for your inspiration and reminder to be intentional about things---I'm thinking "intentional" may have to be my word for 2011!! Thanks again, Ali!
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That's a great word Kathleen.
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