Create a countdown calendar!

Welcome to the Shop Elves’ first blog post!

We have been very busy getting ready for the season of gifting with lots of lovely new products in our online apothecary.  We’ve also been packaging parcels for orders all over the world.

We thought it would be a lovely fun craft activity to get together and make ourselves a countdown for the festive season. Would you like to have a go at making your own too?  We filled our little pouches with lots of Grimm goodies, such as Word Wands, Crystallized Dragon Eggs, Journal of Secrets and Edible Magic Beans.  You can find all of these in our online shop!

Follow the images and instructions below to create your own countdown calendar.

For this project you will need the following objects – 24 pegs, 24 fabric bags or envelopes (small packets which you can leave little treats inside), scissors, string, a sheet of 24 stickers, and pens.

Selection of items needed to make a countdown calendar, including pegs, bags and string.

Begin by writing out each number from 1-24 on the sheet of stickers, one sticker for each number. Decorate these numbers however you like to make the numbers stand out.

Attach the sticker numbers to the fabric bags.

Small jute bag with a numbered sticker on.

Find a suitable place to hang your countdown pouches. We used the old fireplace at Grimm & Co.

Measure out and attach the length of string or twine to where you are going to hang the pouches. Get a grown up to help you measure and when using the scissors to cut to length. We tied ours in a loop around the mantlepiece, but you could use drawing pins to pin up the twine or attach either end around a bannister or handrail on the stairs.

Shop elf measuring the length of the fireplace with string.

Use the pegs to attach the pouches/envelopes to the twine.  You might need to adjust the pegs as you go to make room for all 24.

Small bag pegged on to string hung across the fireplace

Fill your pouches/envelopes with small treats or goodies to open as you countdown throughout the festive season.

Small numbered bag with an edible wand inside

Seal the drawstrings on the pouches or stick down the envelopes closed so you aren’t tempted to peek before the right day!

Festive countdown calendar on a fireplace at Grimm & Co