Halloween Countdown Calendar with @plaidcrafts #MPHalloween

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 Ever get tired of answering the question “how many days until Halloween?”  I did!  So I made a Halloween Countdown Calendar to help my kids keep track of just how many days are left until their favorite holiday (okay second favorite behind Christmas).  Plus I have the steps so that you can make your very own.  Grab your Mod Podge and let’s get started!

I removed the cardboard from my frame.  This was actually a frame I had used for a project before so it was already covered in drop cloth material.  Cover your cardboard in fabric or scrapbook paper.  I then cut out 1 1/2″ x 2″ rectangles for my calendar.  You will need 30.  The size will depend on the size of your frame.  You may have to do some math.  I laid mine out in 5 rows of 6 each.

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I used my Silhouette to cut out a pennant banner.  The top triangles have the letters cut into them.  The bottom triangles are just patterned scrapbook paper.

I put Mod Podge on the back of the black triangles.

Then put them right over the patterned paper triangles.  This makes a great little pennant banner.

Next it is time to Mod Podge all of those little rectangles to the scrapbook paper.  Keep them straight both horizontally and vertically. 

Next I cut out 30 numbers with my Silhouette and again used Mod Podge to adhere those to the rectangles.

Now it is time for some sparkle!  I used sparkle Mod Podge over the pennant banner and the calendar.

The sparkle Mod Podge made a huge difference in my project.  It gave everything a sparkle plus it really brightened the colors on the paper.  {Side note:  It is really hard to take pictures of something under glass.} 

I am usually not a glitter type of gal but I will be reaching for the bottle of sparkle Mod Podge frequently now.

Now it is time to make lots of paper pinwheels!  I made one with a strip of 1 1/2 inch wide paper and added a “Halloween” embellishment.  It is a little larger than the rest and I will show you in a few minutes where it goes on the calendar.

For now, we need to talk about how to make paper pinwheels.  You will need 30 to be your markers for the dates on the calendar.  So cut 30 strips of paper 1 inch wide.  The paper is 12 inches long.  A paper cutter is a life saver for this task.

The next step is made even easier with a scoring board.  You need to fold your paper every 1/4″.  I took my scoring tool and scored each sheet every 1/4″.

Then did a zig zag fold on each piece.  Making these pinwheels is best done after you have popped a movie into your DVD player as making all 30 will take you a while.

You then use your hot glue to adhere the ends of your paper together and form a circle.

Then flatten that circle and add plenty of hot glue on the back.

Be sure to get some hot glue right in the center of your pinwheel.  You will have to hold each one until the glue starts to set up for it to keep its shape.

Next use hot glue to put a google eye in the center of each one.  Then add a small square of 3M adhesive on the back of each pinwheel.

That larger pinwheel with the Halloween embellishment goes in the corner of the calendar.  That is the day you are counting down to so you want it to be prominent. 

I added a sticker to a galvanized bucket for our marker storage.  Just anything to store your eyeball pinwheels in until you get to use them. 

So starting on October 1st, my kids get to pick out an eye each day….

Then use the 3M adhesive on the back of each one to stick it right on the frame’s glass.  After the first three days our calendar will look a like this…

You see where this is going right?  The day before Halloween, our calendar will be full of spooky eyes looking at you.

So now for the next month, I do not have to answer the question:  “How many days until Halloween?”

This is my first countdown calendar so I really hope my kids enjoy it.  You may just see more of these for other holidays if it works.  How about you?  Do you ever make a countdown calendar for important holidays or events?

I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own.

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