The idea for this was to make an "Advent calendar" but for October, leading up to Halloween.
Just as for the Advent Calendar 2017 that I made, I found a folder type piece of cardboard to use as the cover and then worked out the measurements I would need for the "grid" sections and all of the doors. After cutting all the pieces I would need, I put together the grids and covered them in gold spray-paint.
I had been trying to think of designs for the cover and thought it would be quite cool to use (sparkley) orange self-adhesive PVC film for the main colour and then attach black shapes to make it look like a carved pumpkin/jack-o-lantern. However, after searching various craft shops/departments, I couldn't find it anywhere - and so the project got put on hold...
September/October 2019:
Enough is enough! Think of something else to do for the cover!
While I was trying to work out what to do for the cover, I decided to get on with the grid part of the calendar which involved finding relevant activities and jokes, making a background, and painting all of the doors. In the end, I did an autumnal woodland "illustration" for the background and then painted toadstools (Fly Agaric) on each of the doors.
I also managed to find 31 activities and jokes that I felt were suitable/entertaining. I then used my glue gun to attach the backgrounds to the grids and the jokes to the back of the doors. I chose which activities I wanted to do on each day and placed them accordingly.
Back to the cover...
Well - since it's not just for Halloween, maybe something more generally autumnal, like falling leaves. I could use red and yellow tissue paper (layered to make orange) and aged music paper, in the shape of leaves, sort of collaged to cover the cardboard? Then I could use clear PVC film to protect it? Let's try it!
Looks OK, I guess... didn't really turn out the way I'd hoped... and layering the tissue paper didn't really work either... anyway... time to attach the grids... *applies hot glue*… closes the assembled "pumpkin" calendar … *popping sound*… and the grids are too thick for the cover so it just popped off! I'll need to find a deeper folder to use as the cover and start over with decorating it!!!
*Finds an appropriate sized cardboard folder* How about just using the music paper leaves, aged in coffee, surrounding an autumnal illustration??? I really like this idea... Let's go for it!!!
For the cover illustrations, I did another woodland scene this time looking at a toadstool at the base of a tree. I did the back view of this scene for the back cover.
I used a variety of leaf shapes to make this even more interesting. Once they had been glued in place around the illustrations on the cover (and had dried), I used a 0.8mm fine-liner pen to go around the edge of each leaf to make them stand out more from each other.
Well, my hands stink of coffee but I love how this turned out!!
When I was happy with the look of the cover, I used self-adhesive clear PVC film to help protect it, and pushed "paper-fasteners" through the cardboard so that I could add a tie (like for the 2017 Advent Calendar). I then used my glue gun to attach the grids to the cover.
I plaited three strands of thin ribbon and then wrapped it around the paper fasteners to keep the calendar closed.
I really love how this turned out and now can't wait for autumn to come around again! I'm also thinking of doing Spring/Easter and Summer themed calendars.
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions about the "Pumpkin" Calendar; if you would be interested in seeing the Spring/Summer Calendars or if you have suggestions for other posts you would be interested in...
I had been trying to think of designs for the cover and thought it would be quite cool to use (sparkley) orange self-adhesive PVC film for the main colour and then attach black shapes to make it look like a carved pumpkin/jack-o-lantern. However, after searching various craft shops/departments, I couldn't find it anywhere - and so the project got put on hold...
September/October 2019:
Enough is enough! Think of something else to do for the cover!
While I was trying to work out what to do for the cover, I decided to get on with the grid part of the calendar which involved finding relevant activities and jokes, making a background, and painting all of the doors. In the end, I did an autumnal woodland "illustration" for the background and then painted toadstools (Fly Agaric) on each of the doors.
I also managed to find 31 activities and jokes that I felt were suitable/entertaining. I then used my glue gun to attach the backgrounds to the grids and the jokes to the back of the doors. I chose which activities I wanted to do on each day and placed them accordingly.
Back to the cover...
Well - since it's not just for Halloween, maybe something more generally autumnal, like falling leaves. I could use red and yellow tissue paper (layered to make orange) and aged music paper, in the shape of leaves, sort of collaged to cover the cardboard? Then I could use clear PVC film to protect it? Let's try it!
Looks OK, I guess... didn't really turn out the way I'd hoped... and layering the tissue paper didn't really work either... anyway... time to attach the grids... *applies hot glue*… closes the assembled "pumpkin" calendar … *popping sound*… and the grids are too thick for the cover so it just popped off! I'll need to find a deeper folder to use as the cover and start over with decorating it!!!
*Finds an appropriate sized cardboard folder* How about just using the music paper leaves, aged in coffee, surrounding an autumnal illustration??? I really like this idea... Let's go for it!!!
For the cover illustrations, I did another woodland scene this time looking at a toadstool at the base of a tree. I did the back view of this scene for the back cover.
I used a variety of leaf shapes to make this even more interesting. Once they had been glued in place around the illustrations on the cover (and had dried), I used a 0.8mm fine-liner pen to go around the edge of each leaf to make them stand out more from each other.
Well, my hands stink of coffee but I love how this turned out!!
When I was happy with the look of the cover, I used self-adhesive clear PVC film to help protect it, and pushed "paper-fasteners" through the cardboard so that I could add a tie (like for the 2017 Advent Calendar). I then used my glue gun to attach the grids to the cover.
I plaited three strands of thin ribbon and then wrapped it around the paper fasteners to keep the calendar closed.
I really love how this turned out and now can't wait for autumn to come around again! I'm also thinking of doing Spring/Easter and Summer themed calendars.
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions about the "Pumpkin" Calendar; if you would be interested in seeing the Spring/Summer Calendars or if you have suggestions for other posts you would be interested in...
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