Count Down with Christmas Crafts

Count Down with Christmas Crafts

(Family Features) Counting down the days until Christmas is a tradition that goes way back. It started with making chalk marks on the door or lighting candles for each day. Today, there are dozens of clever ways to build excitement for the big day.

Making your own countdown is a fun and easy way to get into the holiday spirit. And it's a great way for kids to get creative. This Snowman Chalkboard Countdown is a project you can do together and personalize it any way you want. Just take a simple, inexpensive chalk board (or dry erase board) - found at any craft and hobby store - paint the frame with seasonal colors and add your favorite holiday embellishments.

This project uses a painting technique that produces a finish that looks like old cracked paint with older layers of paint showing through. Here are some tips for working with crackling medium.

* Choose two different latex paint colors. The undercoat will show through the crackling and the top coat color will be the crackled paint. The crackling medium itself is colorless and goes between layers.

* For a more crackled look, apply the paint thickly. For subtle crackling, apply the top coat paint thinly.

You'll be surprised at how simple this is even if you don't consider yourself crafty. Get out the paint and get crackling - Christmas is on its way!

More Fun Ideas

Personalize your holiday this year with creative touches that you make yourself. Create your own gingerbread card, bird house ornament or elf gift tag - they're easy projects that let you express your holiday spirit in your own unique way.

Visit www.eksuccess.com for project instructions, to find a store or to purchase products online.

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Snowman Chalkboard Countdown

Designed by Nicole Ratzlaff for EK Success

Materials

* Chalkboard and chalk
* White acrylic paint
* Paint brushes
* Crackle medium
* Red acrylic paint
* Sticko Red Glitter Alphabet And Number Stickers
* Jolee's By You - Holly Berries & Snowman Embellishments
* Permanent adhesive
* Ribbon
* Cutterpede Straight Edge Trimmer Cutter Bee Scissors

Instructions

1. Paint edges of chalkboard white. When dry apply crackle medium. When crackle medium is tacky apply red paint. Crackle will appear in the direction of your brushstrokes.

2. Spell out "days until Christmas" with stickers on the chalkboard. Decorate with berries and snowman.

4. Tie ribbon onto chalk and adhere to board by tying ribbon around the base of the chalkboard.

Courtesy of Family Features