Hannah's 3036 Advent Calendar: Comprised of Actual Christmas Cards, Created Strictly from Materials on Hand
     
I was musing that I miss making Christmas cards like I did before I started doing these online "Advent Calendars."
It occurred to me that I could combine the two, making a physical "card" for each day in December.


 
conte crayons
December

1

2
3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
New Year's Eve

A funny thing happened as I started pulling out art supplies. I've been collecting this stuff for decades. Whoa: I have a lot. Should I use it or lose it? Inventorying my cache of supplies took on an importance of its own.

So I made a rule: only materials already lurking in my home. No exceptions.

A cabinet full of supplies, and a quilt display but full of paper.
All this is in my bedroom! But...

 
 
owl
The supply cabinet behind a screen....usually behind this screen.
   
 

 
 



As I inventoried supplies all over my home, I found tools I've inherited but forgotten, never used.
Maybe someday?

 
  old supplies in shoe shine boxmarble carving toolsprintmaking ink and roller  
   


antique draftmaking supplies
     
 


Some of the things I found didn't work out for cards.

  weaving supplies   weaving loom  
Like this lap loom and
pot holder frame.
 

 


Like these book making supplies.


bookmaking supplies
book punch
book binding press
    Like this book binding press.
 



I couldn't find some of the supplies I would have loved to include. Like clay, glass bead making, and paper marbling.



But there were plenty of other supplies, enough to make cards for every advent calendar day.
         
paper   glitter and fancy scissors and other stuff watercolor supplies cookie decorating supplies
calligraphy supplies   sewing supplies   pens, tape, glue   jewelry supplies
origami paper   embroidery supplies   printing supplies of yore   erasers
       


And so I began to make cards.

  felting supplies


  The screen hiding suppliesorigami santa
         
         
 
 


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© 2026