{Christmas Cheer Link Party} Holiday Craft

Hello -- and welcome to the kick-off of the Christmas Cheer Link Party! I am excited to share my craft with you today, and can't wait to see all the great projects you link up! Our Advent Tree was one of my favorites last year, and I had so much fun creating a new one. Nothing whips kids into a Santa Frenzy like daily gifts on display!

Start with a basic corkboard (I picked mine up at Michael's for $8, using a 40% off coupon), and cover the front with decorative paper or fabric. I painted my frame white, and covered with basic red wrapping paper.

Then I painted 24 clothes pins (Dollar Store sells them in a large pack for, you guessed it, a buck), and glued a strip of scrapbook paper to the front. Using a dot of hot glue, I affixed a thumb tack to the back of each pin.

There are many options for treat bags, but I went with these inexpensive muslin bags. At 3x5 inches, they are perfect for little treats, and the red stitching is a cute accent for Christmas. Not to mention you get 25 in an order. I felt like Oprah when I found them, as I was singing, "PERRRRFEEEEECT!" If you want a larger bag, The Penny Paper Co has nice ones, too.

 
My original plan was to stamp the date directly on the bag, but I'm too smitten with them to use only for this project. So I printed numbers on my computer and punched them out with a scalloped circle, then glued to the fronts of the pins.

I raided the trinket section at a few stores for toys and candy, and filled each bag with treasure. Some of the bags also have a slip of paper declaring it, 'Family Movie Night,' or other family activities like touring the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, making hot chocolate, and having dinner picnic-style under the tree. Check your calendar first, to be sure you can deliver the activity that night!

Pink is my accent color this Christmas, so I added a red and pink bow to the top, and some pink ribbon trim around the frame.

Obviously this isn't a permanent fixture in our Breakfast Room, so I used these awesome Velcro removable hangers to stick the board to the wall.

Play around with the placement of your bags before sticking in the board. I went with a Christmas tree design. Or wine bottle, depending on your frame of mind.

My kids have been inspecting every bag, trying to guess what's inside. I really don't think it even matters to them, the excitement of opening a treat and counting down the days until Christmas is the fun part. And don't think your honey wouldn't enjoy an Advent Calendar, too! *wink* (Did I really just do that?!) 

Now it's your turn! What Christmas Crafts have you been working on, past and present? Link them up below so we can share in your creativeness. And feel free to use this button in your post or sidebar...it contains magic fairy dust that combats calories. Really.

<a href="http://hisugarplum.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-cheer-link-party-holiday.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee462/creativeindex/michaela-noelle/holiday200x200.jpg" border="0" alt="Holiday"></a>

** Linking up to Home Stories A to Z, Tip Junkie, Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Just a Girl, Remodelaholic, The Shabby Nest, The DIY Showoff, TaterTots & Jello and Thrifty Decor Chick**