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Momma Told Me: Express yourself.
This time of the year every aspect of my life seems to kick into overdrive. I volunteer to help out at ever event I can, I take on extra work for the blog, and my social calendar fills up (sometimes with double bookings!) As you know, I like to have several things in the air at once so, I'm always challenging myself with multiple types of tasks simultaneously. In one day I'll be dabbling with a recipe while tweaking a craft and composing a lifestyle blog post. I get bored easily, so I even fill my spare time with
D.I.Y. projects and crafts. Some might think it crazy to want to take a time out doing more of the same thing I've been grinding away on all day- but the beauty of crafting is that it truly can be whatever you want it to be!
There are few things I enjoy more than taking a leisurely stroll down the craft aisle; and Walmart has several creative and crafting aisles to tickle my fancy. Believe it or not, most of the time, I have no idea what's in store for me. If I'm drawn to a vibrant print, or fun new medium I build a project around it; as opposed to the other way around. So, when I discovered the dozens of colors, prints, and textures Scotch® Expressions Tapes came in, I was immediately inspired. Walmart not only has a great supply of Scotch® Expressions Washi and Masking Tapes, but an equally inspiring range of Scotch® Create products as well.
What are Scotch® Create products? Think of them as the 'glue' to your crafting project. In fact, some quite literally act as glue, such as Scotch® Glue Dots and Scotch® Magnetic Tape, or even Scotch® Spray Adhesive, while the Scotch® Utility Knife literally connects (or divides, depending on how you look at it) the lines between your projects raw materials and final completion. Ever since I was a young child I've found the idea of magnets fascinating, so I chose a first project that allowed me to make my own magnet set; an everyday Magnetic Advent Calendar, to be exact. The Scotch® Magnetic tape is as easy as peeling and sticking, to instantly turn virtually any item (within reasonable weight) into a magnet!
To begin I gathered 10 lightweight tin containers with clear window pane tops. You'll find these in crafting departments, or the home essentials aisle (think spice rack organization.) I picked up 8 of my favorite Scotch® Expressions Washi tapes, some fun little stuffers/toys and treats, and a paint marker from Walmart. I started by cutting my
Scotch® Magnetic Tape to size, keeping in mind the width of the tin's backing and the overall weight of the items I would be putting in it. Larger tins will require 2 rows of magnetic tape to help hold them securely on the refrigerator.
Next I arranged all of my tins in the order/shape in which they would live on my fridge. Because I was using different sizes of tins, this was essential to build an organic advent calendar that flowed naturally. Using the paint marker I wrote a number, 1-10, on the window lid of each container. Because of the shiny surface of these lids, the paint took a little longer than usual to dry. I set my lids aside while I began working on the next step.
Now was for the fun part- decorating my advent tins with beautiful, fun, and vibrant Scotch® Expressions Washi Tape. Prints like Teal Lattice and Geo Washi really helped make my tins pop, especially when striped over a solid color like Fuchsia or Lime Green. Be careful when wrapping the tins, not to go over the lip of the tin, as the lids will fit snugly and the extra width of tape can interfere with this. Scotch® Expressions tapes are very easy to manipulate, and one Washi roll goes a long way. I only used a fraction of my tape rolls for this project, which makes me very happy. More beautiful colors for another day!
Once my tins were dry, and decorated, I decided what I would put in each. While many people only observe Advent Calendars or countdowns during the holiday season, we like to countdown to something almost every month. It's simply nice to have something to look forward to in the near future whether it's an upcoming concert, date night, or birthday. Advent calendars like this are especially great for families, as they can e reused endlessly, and everyone can take turns choosing the theme and filling them up! They also teach and reward patience in younger kids- an advent calendar can really make the school week go by in a flash!
For our first advent, we're counting down until Winter break. I filled each tin with something sweet or colorful and fun. The local party store offers individual party favors as low as $.05 a piece, so you really can't go wrong. Who doesn't get a little boost in their day from a stick on mustache or sticky wall crawler? Scotch® Expressions Washi Tapes are also the perfect size to stash inside- and tweens love them! Don't have time to run to the store? An advent countdown can be just as magical with notes of encouragement, jokes, or even memories written inside!
As in love as I was with the advent countdown, the Scotch® Metallic Washi Tapes I'd picked up hadn't quite made their way into the project, and that made me sad. But the Red and Silver sparkles quickly spoke to me and inspired another project, this time, seasonal.
