Countdown Christmas tree is a reverse Advent calendar

Use pom-poms to count the days till Christmas

When I was a little girl, I remember lying in bed on dark December nights trying to devise ways to make the days go faster so that Christmas morning would arrive quicker. There has never been a month as agonizingly long (to a child!) as December.

Counting the days until Christmas is nothing new. Advent calendars, which first appeared in Germany, date back to the 19th century. Today you can purchase advent calendars of all sorts, but why not start a new family custom and create your own? As exciting as the holiday season may be, waiting for the big day can also be excruciating for young ones. Having a small treat to look forward to each day makes it a little less so.

This countdown Christmas tree works in reverse order of most advent calendars. Instead of opening a door each day, you cover a date with a snowy pom-pom until the magical day has arrived and the tree is completely decorated.

Draw a good-sized tree (ours is 9” tall and 11” wide at the base) on a piece of green card stock. Write the numbers 1 through 25 lightly in pencil on the tree, starting at the bottom and working your way up. They should be fairly evenly distanced; number 25 will be at the tiptop of the tree.

The finished tree on Christmas Day

Use white 3-D paint to draw “garlands” on the tree. Add glitter if desired. When dry, cut out the tree. On a sheet of white paper, draw or use a computer to print the numbers 1 through 25. Cut them out and use a glue stick to adhere them to the tree on top of the penciled ones.

Pin the tree to a bulletin board or on a kitchen wall and keep a bag of 1/2-inch pom-poms nearby. Starting on the first day of December, attach a pom-pom to the corresponding day with piece of double stick tape or rubber cement. On Christmas morning, top the tree with a glittery star.

To make the tree topper draw a star onto a piece of white card stock. Cut it out, place on a work surface, and paint with a thin layer of school glue. Cover with iridescent blue or green glitter and shake off the excess. When dry, give it additional dimension by adding dots of white 3-D paint and sequins or faux gemstones.