Picture perfect advent calendar

Hands-on time: 3 to 5 hours depending on how much detail you put into the project.
Total time: Texture Builder and Decorative Snow need to dry overnight. Also add drying time for the acrylic paints.
Skill: Moderate to intermediate.
Cost estimate: Between $25.00 to $30.00 for a 30cm x 90cm frame.

Materials & Tools

• Stretched canvas (primed with top quality gesso)
• Acrylic paints in assorted colours (I used green for the tree, and bronze, copper and gold for the background)
• Assorted paintbrushes
• Painter's tape (to create a geometric graphic background on the canvas)
• Paper, pencil, a basic tree design and carbon transfer paper
• Texture Builder by Delta Ceramcoat (transforms smooth acrylic paint into a textured paint)
• Palette knife, spatula or paintbrush
• Decorative snow by Delta (to add as snow accent on the tree)
• Sparkle glaze by Delta
• Delta Ceramcoat varnish
• 25 assorted holiday family photos or computer printouts on quality photo paper in a uniform size
• Stock card paper or circular hang-tags
• Scissors or an X-acto knife
• Craft glue of choice
• Hole punch
• Assorted holiday and number rubber stamps (stencils can also be used)
• Stamp pads in assorted colours (I used green, Cranberry, Gold, and Copper by Color Box)
• Copper Leafing Pen by Krylon
• 25 small roundhead wooden caps, 1.0cm x 1.6cm (also known as plugs or buttons, available at hardware retailers)
• Silicone glue
• String (in natural or gold)
• Classic Copper Metal Sheet in 40 gauge by Metal Works (available at Loomis Art Store)
• A stylus, to make designs on the star

The Christmas countdown is on. Keep track of your precious holiday memories through the years by adding a family photo advent calendar to your holiday decorations. This project is truly a work of art to treasure for years to come.

Paint the background of the pre-primed canvas by applying acrylic paints in assorted colours to create a graphic design and allow it to dry. I did a contemporary-style background by using painter's tape to create a striped pattern and acrylics in shades of gold, copper and bronze.

Draw a basic tree shape onto paper to the size needed to fit on the canvas. Place carbon transfer paper and then the tree design over the canvas and attach the sheets with painter's tape at the corners. Then trace over the tree image to transfer it onto the canvas.

To achieve the look of oils paint and to add texture to the tree, mix equal parts of Delta Texture Builder and green acrylic paint. Apply onto the surface to fill in the tree with a palette knife or paintbrush or a combination of both. Let dry overnight.

To create a snow-laden tree with sparkle, first apply Decorative Snow along the edges of the tree using a brush or palette knife. Use light strokes for a smooth finish or apply it thick for a fluffy look. Let dry overnight. Then add glitter by applying one coat of Sparkle Glaze with a brush to highlight certain areas or to cover the whole tree. It dries in 15 to 20 minutes. Apply one coat of Delta Ceramcoat varnish to the canvas for a final protective finish and let dry.

Make 24 circle-shaped cards using stock card paper or use circular hang-tags. Make a larger card for the 25th. Using a scanner, computer and colour printer, print out 25 family photos of Christmases past on quality photo paper and crop to size. (I printed older pictures in black and white). Apply the pictures to cards with the adhesive. Using a small hole punch make a hole in each of the cards. Decorate the front of each card with numbers and holiday designs using rubber stamps and assorted pigment ink colours or stencils. I used a Copper Leafing Pen to go over each number to add extra pizzazz.

Paint 25 small wooden caps, with gold and copper acrylic paint and let dry. Place the canvas flat on a table and place the cards into position around the tree. Once you are happy with the arrangement apply each wooden cap with a dab of silicone glue, 1.3cm above each card. Let the silicone set for at least 8 hours. Loop a string through each card and make a bow leaving 1.3cm space to hang the loop over each cap. Arrange the cards into position by number.

Make a star to trim the top of the calendar tree with a copper sheet - trace a star shape onto the foil, cut out, press in lines and swirls with a stylus (bend the star for a 3-D effect). Apply a wooden cap to the center back of the star and affix it just above the tree onto the canvas with silicone glue. Let the silicon set.

Place the advent calendar in a central location where the whole family can enjoy it, such as the family room, kitchen or better yet over the mantel. To start the count down to Christmas, just turn over a memory picture every day to lead the way for the new holiday.

Tips

• With the balance of the copper metal sheets from the star you can make smaller star ornaments to decorate your home or Christmas tree. With a stylus you can create original effects onto the copper, even write family members names to make gift tags or place cards. You can also opt to write on the copper metal with a metallic Leafing Pen by Krylon.
• Should you already have several holiday rubber stamps but they are not in the right size, stamp the designs on white paper, scan the images and make colour print-outs on the stock paper in the desired size.
• Instead of photo paper you can also use artist canvas sheets, to make each picture printout look like a work of art.

Variations

• The canvas can be substituted by a wooden plaque in any size or shape, such as a tree or rectangle, to personalize your advent calendar. For a simpler version of the above project simply paint a tree and star directly onto the canvas or wooden plaque and use push pins instead of wooden caps. The ornament pictures can be in any shape you wish such as square, tree shape, oval or whatever suits your holiday theme.
• Don't forget grandma. I'm sure she'd love to have her own calendar - they make great gifts.
• Similar family photo souvenir montages can be made for other holidays such as Hanukah, Easter, even for Halloween or summer vacations. Children of all ages (even my teen) always enjoy seeing pictures of past holidays with a smile and a giggle; you get the picture!