My beautiful friend Amanda and I have a yearly tradition where we clear our diaries for an ENTIRE day to make our own advent calendars. We only started it last year and so far it’s the best girly tradition ever. Thank goodness she’s the crafty one as I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I had to do it on my own.
I don’t really have the patience or the time to do this kind of craft on a regular basis but it was so much fun and quite therapeutic. We stamped, inked, cut, glittered and talked from 10am until 4pm. It was fabulous and the result was amazing (if I do say so myself).
All I had to do when I got home was paint the ugly brown pin board I was using to assemble my 24 cards. Luckily Bunnings had sent me a sample kit of the British paints Retouch to try out. It’s a really cool little dispenser where you can add any paint colour you like and then apply it with a spray (like a spray paint). This little video shows you how.
It was so easy to use and I was super impressed with the finish. I also touched up a some scrapes on my bedroom wall where Miss H had decided drag her tap shoes. Oh and there was a little bit of wall colouring in that I managed to magically fix too!! SO AWESOME!! Next I’m going to use it to try some stencilling in the girls bedroom.
Once my new white board was dry, I pinned all my cards in place, and Mr D hung it up in the lounge yesterday all ready for the start of the Christmas advent count down.
Inside each card is a little message for the kids with an activity to do each day. Today’s one was to go to the beach after school for an ice-cream (good job too as it was 30 degrees). A few of the other activities I have are included:
- Write your Santa wish list and post it
- Have a Christmas movie night
- Make a Christmas card for Gran and Grandpa
- Choose a present for each other
- Movie night
- Go and see the Christmas lights
- Get our Santa photo done
- New Christmas pj’s
- Read a Christmas story
- Make a present for your teacher
- Write Christmas cards for your class
- Donate and unwanted toy to a hospital (or similar)
- Family dinner out
We have 24 new activities to get us all the way to Christmas eve. The kids love it, and I love that it makes them so happy. I’m also secretly feeling very smug about my great crafting skills (Thanks Amanda)!!
Sadly I am not going to offer to make anyone else an advent calendar (especially as it took me about 6 hours to create). However, the lovely people at British Paints have given me a fantastic Retouch kit, which includes 2 paint colours of your choice, a stencil and the airbrush dispenser to one lucky reader. All you have to do to win is enter below and leave me a blog comment telling me what your next DIY project is going to be.
Wishing you all a very happy festive month.
*Giveaway on open to Australian residents*
18 comments on “A home made advent calendar with a British paints ‘Retouch’ review and giveaway”
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I love this Robyn!! And especially love that you and your friend have created a new tradition and are making these together.
Last year for my birthday, my closest friend gave me a wooden tree from Kaiser Craft, and bought one for herself. We spent the afternoon of my birthday painting and decorating our new ‘Goals Trees’!!! I think maybe we need to make that a yearly tradition too! (And it’s about that long since I’ve done any craft either. Too long!!)
Enjoy your next few weeks of great Christmas activities. x 🙂
Yes yes, you should!! I think a day of doing girly things with a good friend is essential for our well being (and sanity) :)))
Wow, that is the coolest idea for advent calendars that I’ve seen YET. It makes a beautiful keepsake, too, not like the chocolate throw away ones from the store! But do I have the motivation!?! It’s already Dec 2?! x Aroha (for #teamIBOT)
Aw thanks lovely *blushes*!! Mmmmm yes, motivation is a killer this time of year. If I wasn’t doing with Amanda, I never would have!! x
I love the amount of crafting that I do at Christmas. I intentionally do it to foster togetherness, to create and be mindful and to save money. Your advent calendar is beautiful!
Christmas is the best time for isn’t it? I’m not a huge crafter but I make a real effort at Christmas time x
This is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Seriously. Wow. I love all the different activities too.
Oh you are too kind!!! I do cheat a bit and only put each activity in the night before, just to make sure it’s achievable if you know what I mean!! x
Oh aren’t you clever! I have advent bunting which I sewed last year. I’m adding activites daily whilst I think of them 🙂
For my next DIY I want to make a chalkboard frame. I saw one on line and it looked awesome
Oh thanks Jess. Pretty clever yourself for sewing a bunting, they are not easy!! Chalk board frame sounds gorgeous xx
Oh what a shame your advent calendar isn’t a prize 🙂 It is absolutely gorgeous, Robyn. I’ve never seen one so beautiful. I love the messages and activities you’ve created to include in it as well. December will truly be a special month for your kids. The British paint re-touch kit looks amazing. I have never seen anything like that before. And you know what? We need it. Badly. Our ceiling leaked in the recent storms in Brisbane and now we have a massive dark patch where Dave had to cut a hole in the ceiling and pull out wet insulation and then patch it up again. Oh well.
Thank you Renee, I really did enjoy making it. Oh you poor things – what a nightmare with the roof. I heard about that big storm you had in Brissie. I’ll keep my fingers crossed on the paint comp for you xxx
This is just beyond awesome, I am so super impressed with all of the effort you’ve gone too. One day I dream of having the bothered ness (or maybe just older children, ha!) to actually do something like this!
Thanks lovely. Once you set your mind to it it’s actually really fun, and weirdly therapeutic. There is NO WAY you could do it with kids around though x
I’m going to make some wooden toys (puzzles) for my class next year. I’m going to put pictures of their families on the puzzles and fix them onto the puzzle then cut it up. I’d use the paint to coat the front and back.
That is such a lovely idea – something they will always remember and can keep too x
What magic stuff! I love your Advent calendar ideas – you’re such a good mum!
We do an advent calendar similar to this each year filled with activities, but mine is no where near as pretty as this! Pinning this for next year maybe. My next DIY with that fabulous paint would be to touch up all the scuff marks left on the walls by the last owners. Not very creative but would make the house look so much cleaner and fresher for the new year. And thanks for joining in my Christmas Link Party xx