Monday 27th November - Advent Calender Booklet

This year, as there are four full weeks in Advent, starting on Sunday 3rd, I've decided to make myself an Advent booklet with ideas for each week. Then, next year, I can use the book again, and add ideas too.

I've made the book from four envelopes, and Christmas cards from last year. Ivalso used a bulldog clamp, a glue stick, scissors and some sticky tape.

Here we go... take your envelopes,  Stack them all facing the same way. Make sure the bottoms of the envelopes are level. I'll call the bottom envelope #1, and the top one #4.

Gently lift the edge of the top three envelopes and glue the flap of the bottom envelope, #1,  like this. I wrote on the flap where the glue goes, and you can see how the glue has smeared the ink.

Press envelope #2 down onto the gluey flap, and apply glue to the new flap

Do this again; so you have now only envelope #4 folded up while you glue the flap of the #3.

Now your stack looks just like it did when you started. Put glue on the flap as shown, and fold it round to the back, so it will be sticking to the bottom envelope 

Turn the envelopes over. You now have a booklet! Find a card, or cut a piece of card, that will be bigger all round than the open book.

Turn the stack over, so that you are looking at the open sides of the envelopes,  and glue in place. I've left a small gap between the open edge of the envelopes and the centre of the card to make it easier to fold the card closed

I've labelled each envelope Advent 1, Advent 2 etc, and cut a couple of cards to fit inside. I'll use these to write recipes or craft ideas, or other things, to find each week.

I was a bit concerned about the exposed gummed edges; it would be very disappointing to come next year and find the whole booklet gummed shut! So I've used some tape to cover the gum.

And here's the finished book. I suppose it took less than half an hour once I had every to hand.

I'll be posting ideas for each week, starting from Sunday 3rd. That will give me a week to test each suggestion before I launch it upon you!

I'm testing a hat pattern from the internet for week 1 at the moment; if you want to risk preparing in advance, it uses 1 ball of chunky (bulky) yarn, about 178 yards long and 6mm or 6.5mm needles (check the ball band for details), for the adult medium size. Gauge is 14 stitches or 20 rows to 4 inches. I'm just over halfway and, so far, so good...