Lotte's Advent Calendar

I did a guest post over at GLUESTICKS on Friday.  I was going to wait awhile to post this here, but it is dated material, if you will.  I told you about it in my thankful post, but if you didn't take the jump and see it, here it is....


Lotte is 2 and a half and it is the first Christmas she is able to understand the magic of it all.  So I wanted to give her a calendar of her own to help countdown until the big day!

This cute little guy is in her room above her bookcase.

I didn't want it to be too expensive or too heavy to hang so I made it out of Balsa board.  It is only $3.00 from the craft store, and it can be found in the modeling section.

I used Martha Stewart glitter paint (AMAZING STUFF) on clothespins that I already had in my stash.  Everything is hot-glued together in a sort of random fashion.  The circles where cut from my Cricut and I hand drew the numbers on.

I couldn't find the "perfect ornaments" so I picked up a bag of vase filler from the craft store ($4.99 with a 40% off coupon!).  I made them into ornaments with a straight pin, some glue and ribbon.  If you have ornaments around those would work too, or making them out of felt would add a great touch.

Every day in December she will wake up and put a new ornament on her mini Christmas tree.

This advent calendar is something we will have for years to come and I can't wait for the many Christmases filled with wonder and excitement!

Linking my advent calendar up to these jolly good hostesses!
Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
DIY Under $5 @ A Little Tipsy
12 Days of Christmas @ Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive, 365

Play Tents for some Dramatic Play

I've been thinking of making a play tent for Little Lotte for a Christmas gift this year. {YES I'm already thinking about Christmas...you should too!}

Here are some of the inspirations and tutorials that I have found from here there and everywhere around the internet.

Miss Pretty Pretty has absolutely the most AMAZING selection of imaginative play tents and materials E.V.E.R.  I love looking at all the inspiration.  Check out some of these...

Here is a great tutorial for a circus table tent from Old Days Old Ways.  I love the edging on this house!

THIS is a different kind of tent.  It attaches to your dining room table with ribbons for easy removal when you need to use your table for something like eating rather than imagination.

You have to see this Perfect Princess Pavilion from ikatbag.  I love the use of the top for dollies.  Make use of that wasted space.

Should I make a completely PVC frame or use a card table with one of these PVC Toppers for a roof from Obsessively Stiching?

I also like the suspension style for outside or for a reading nook inside.  2 Little Hooligans has an easy as punch tutorial to follow.

I could make it look like this $350 tent.