Thanksgiving/Gratitude Advent Calendar

It's officially November!!!!  Hip Hip Hooray.  I have been trying to decide on what I was going to do to make November special.  That's how I came up with my 25 Ways to Show Gratitude list.  I want to do more than just think about the things I'm grateful for.  When pondering about this list I decided I also wanted to come up with a DIY project to go with it.  *Enter Thanksgiving/Gratitude Advent Calendar.*
 

Thanksgiving Advent Calendar Supplies:

-scrapbook paper (I used 6 different papers and then
                             2 sheets of cream cardstock for the back)
-double stick tape
-corner round punch (optional)
-empty frame (I already had one in need of a good home)
-twine
-small clothespins
-staple gun or hot glue

You can either write on the back of your advent tags or like me, print off the things you are going to do.  I am using the list I talked about previously.

Step 1:  Decide how big you want to make your tags and then cut them out.  I used my paper cutter.  Each tag has a pretty paper on the front and a card stock back.  Use the double stick tape to attach them together.  Once taped together, use a paper corner round punch.  It makes the tags a little fancier.

Step 2:  Write or print out the tasks you want to do to show your gratitude.  Again  I used double stick tape since I opted to print.

Step 3:  Staple or glue your twine to the back of your frame.  Surprisingly this was the hardest part for me.  I had to decide how I was going to attach my tags.  I decided on attaching them from the side which meant that I needed two strands of twine closer together like the photo above demonstrates. 

Step 4:  Decide how you want to use this advent calendar (suggestions found below) and if necessary pin your tags to your string.  I like the idea of some hanging and having a few of the tags on the table like the first photo shows.

There are a couple of ways this advent calendar can work.  You can pin them all up and then each day until Thanksgiving you turn one around and complete that task sometime throughout the day OR you can have a stack of cards and each day select one that you want to do and pin it up once it is complete. 

This advent calendar can be done on an individual basis or as a family.

The first example of how to use this calendar makes each day a little bit of a surprise... "What do I get to do today?" whereas the second allows you to plan ahead a little bit more.  Both would be fun.

 

Not only is this a great way to countdown to Thanksgiving (and an opportunity to go look at pretty scrapbook papers) but it's interactive.  It gets you thinking AND doing.  Looks like I need to call someone today and tell them that I love them and get this party started.

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