A MAGICAL - ZERO WASTE - CHRISTMAS -- ADVENT CALENDAR
advent calendar christmas Kids lifestyle zerowaste
My advent calendar
(which costs almost nothing, produces no trash, brings families together and makes kids smarter! #ithinkthatsprettymucheverything)
This year, instead of buying or creating an advent calendar with little treats, I wanted to do something really special, something that would leave good memories and create a warm atmosphere while waiting for Christmas. Since reading bedtime stories is a very nice moment in our home, it gave me the idea to wrap 24 new books that we would pick and read randomly every day while waiting for Christmas.
You'll need :
- fabric scraps (I found the red ones in a bundle for patchworkers. Pay extra attention to their size, you'll need squares of 14x14 inches minimum (35x35cm), ideally of 28x28 inches (70x70cm).
If you have an old sheet, you can cut and print it like I did (you can see one of my realisations on the pictures below - tutorial coming soon)
- 24 books (I choosed Christmas and winter themed books, but you can pick pretty much every theme you like. I mixed some of our own books with some borrowed from the library).
Instructions :
We'll wrap the books only using fabric : it's a japanese technic called Furoshiki and I'll show you the Hira Tsutsumi folding or, in other words, a flat folding (it sounds a lot better in Japanese haha).
1 - Place the book in the center of the fabric. The corners of the book must NOT match the corners of the fabric.
2 - Take the bottom section of the fabric and stuck the corner behind the book. Stretch the material to avoid creases.
3 - Place the left section of the fabric over the book. Stretch the material to avoid creases.
4 - Do the same with the right section.
5 - If a section of the fabric is too long (just like on the fourth picture), fold it. At this point, it's ok if it's a bit loose. Now, your folding must look a little bit like an envelope.
6 - Fold the top section of the material over the book, as if you were closing the envelope. Stretch the material to avoid creases.
7 - You now want the corner of this sections to be stuck between the book and the fabric already wrapped.
8 - Here you go, only 23 left! You'll see, after your first one, you'll realize it's easy as pie !
Note : avoid using a light fabric to wrap a dark book otherwise you'll see through like on the pictures. You can use a ribbon for a more "finished" look (especially when you wrap gifts with this technic).
I placed my advent calendar on the book shelves in my son's bedroom, but you can also display it on top of your fireplace or wherever in the house ! Your imagination is the limit :) Once unwrapped, the fabric will be repurposed (hankerchiefs, small gift bags...)
Note : avoid using a light fabric to wrap a dark book otherwise you'll see through like on the pictures. You can use a ribbon for a more "finished" look (especially when you wrap gifts with this technic).
I placed my advent calendar on the book shelves in my son's bedroom, but you can also display it on top of your fireplace or wherever in the house ! Your imagination is the limit :) Once unwrapped, the fabric will be repurposed (hankerchiefs, small gift bags...)
What I love about this calendar is that it allows us to spend time together... It's not about racing for a chocolate anymore, we now take time, enjoy and create memories. To me, taking time for my children and enjoying simple things with them are among the greatest gifts we can "offer" them...