Let the countdown begin!

Our advent calendar this year is a Book Advent Calendar. I decided on the idea last year after seeing it around the blogsphere. Which means I had plenty of time to shop after-Christmas sales and found even more at the local thrifts. Not to mention that we already had a ton of Christmas books in the house. It took two hours of television, but I got them all wrapped and ready to go for today. Looks like our elf wants in on the fun too.

This is a busy time of the year. Us moms and dads are already over-extended as it is. You might be thinking you don't have time to do anything cool this year. You're wrong! Here are four (free!) easy-peasy cool-looking ideas:

Make and Takes

A puzzle to put together, one day at a time ... Make and Takes

Skip to My Lou

Print, cut, glue snowflake countdown ... Skip to My Lou

Gluesticks

I love how Santa's beard gets shorter ... Gluesticks

Inviting Printables

Another Santa! So cute to add cotton balls for the beard ... Inviting Printables

Felt Christmas trees

Two years ago, I spied beautiful felt Christmas trees on Creature Comforts. Last year, I made some. This year, I'm sharing them with you. 

I don't have decent photos or a full-blown tutorial, but the process is pretty simple:

I made a cardboard template to trace lots and lots of "leaves." Not sure what to call them. I curved the top to help the pieces lay flat when pinned with straight pins to the styrofoam cone.

Start pinning ...

Keep pinning ... and cutting because even if you cut out a hundred, it won't be enough ...

And finished. Decorate your mantle or wherever. Christmas robot candle optional.

For the two trees on the left, I used several variations of green to give them a natural look. I experimented with easy-to-cut squares for the smallest (and not surprisingly, the last to be made tree). The tree on the right I used just one color green and added pops of color for "ornaments."

Yes, you still have time to put this on your to-do list! If you make one, I'd love to see pictures.

Linking to Creative Me Monday and Made by You Monday.

If only it grew on trees

Will: "Mommy, how do they make money?"

Me: "They have big presses and special paper."

.... long pause ...

Will: "Do we have that paper?"

(Mom: "I wish!")