How to Make a No-Sew Christmas Countdown
Details
Details
Remember when you were a little kid and you just couldn’t wait for Christmas to come? We have a reusable, no-sew idea for a Christmas countdown to keep up the anticipation! You can make this countdown for your kids, grandkids, or even just for yourself for a fun way to keep track of how many days are left until Christmas.
For this Christmas countdown we made 25 little fabric pouches, one for each day in December leading up to Christmas. Inside the pouches you can hide candy, gifts or even ideas for holiday activities. We threaded the pouches onto some craft twine to make a garland that drapes over the tree. You could also attach ornament hooks to each pouch and hang them individually.
There are many different ways to modify this project to make it your own. For example, we used scraps from five of our other Christmas projects to make a pattern, but you could make your pouches all look the same, or you could use up scrap fabrics and have each pouch be unique! We used tags to display the numbers, but you could use a fabric marker and write the numbers on the bag or use iron-on numbers. The possibilities are endless!
1. Use the canvas patterning ruler (or similar tool) to pattern your circles. Anchor the ruler with an awl or pencil and use a marking tool set to the radius (half the diameter) of your circle. In our case, we used the 4-1/2-inch mark to give a 9-inch total circle. If you stagger the circles and keep them close, you can get all 25 on two yards of a 54-inch fabric.
2. Cut out the circles using pinking shears.
3. Take one circle and lay it out flat. Place several pieces of candy or a small prize in the center of the circle.
4. Gather the fabric around the candy, cinching it to create a little round pouch. Wrap a length of twine or string tightly around the bag and tie the pouch tightly shut. Tie the twine in a bow so it’s secure but easy to untie later.
5. Prep your number tag. We used pre-made tags and wrote the numbers on them ourselves. Tie your tag to the twine, and snip off any excess string from the number.
6. If you want to hang your bags from a tree, slide an ornament hook under the twine at the back of the bag. Pinch the hook shut to secure. Or, thread the bags onto a piece of twine to create a garland for your tree or wherever you want to hang the countdown!
7. Now you’re all set to display your Christmas countdown!
Does your family keep a Christmas countdown? How do you keep track? Share your traditions and stories with us in the comments!