Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker - Lifestyle and Design Blog

Luminary Advent Calendar

From the time I was born up until I left for college, my mom would give each of us (I have two brothers) one of those paper advent calendars with the pretty Christmas scenes on them and filled with chocolates. You know what I’m talking about, right? I even think she let us eat the piece of chocolate before we left for school in the morning which made them an extra special treat. To this day, it is one of my favorite memories from my childhood.

I love advent calendars and I love how many different ways there are to count down the days until Christmas. As a kid (and an adult) there is nothing better than checking one more day off the list and watch as we get closer and closer to the big day.

Today, I’m showing you how to make a Luminary Advent Calendar from recycled baby food jars.

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This is an inexpensive craft that is completely customizable and who doesn’t love lighting candles every night in the winter time?!

Luminary Advent Calendar, diy advent calendar, christmas crafts, etching cream projects, candle advent calendar, baby food jar craft

 

Supplies Needed:

– 25 Baby Food Jars

– Martha Stewart Etching Cream and Brush

– Number stickers or vinyl (1-25)

– 25 Tea-Light Candles (or candy as an alternative)

– Ribbon, Snowflakes and String for embellishment

 

Luminary Advent Calendar, diy advent calendar, christmas crafts, etching cream projects, candle advent calendar, baby food jar craft

Start by soaking the baby food jars in hot soapy water for about an hour. The longer they soak the easier it will be to peel the labels off. I also found that scrubbing the excess adhesive while the jar was submerged made it a little easier. Also, don’t worry about removing the printed expiration date, I found that the etching cream actually removed that on its own.  Let them dry.

Place a 1 1/4″ number stencil on each jar. I used my Silhouette to cut out my numbers.

Luminary Advent Calendar, diy advent calendar, christmas crafts, etching cream projects, candle advent calendar, baby food jar craft

Apply a very thick layer of Martha Stewart Etching Cream on the entire jar. This is the thickness that worked best for me. I tried some jars with a little less and they turned out a little spotty and I had to go over them again. This seemed to be the perfect amount.

Wait 15-30 minutes and then rinse them in water, removing the brown cream and number. You will be left with a frosted glass and a clear number.

For the embellishments, I cut a 1.5″ Red Burlap Ribbon into 4 strips. I wrapped the ribbon along the edges and secured it with a dot of hot glue. Then, I made little snowflakes with my Silhouette and cut them in white and gray. I used a thin piece of string to tie them onto the jars.

Place a tea candle inside each jar.

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Cute little frosted jars during the day…

Luminary Advent Calendar, diy advent calendar, christmas crafts, etching cream projects, candle advent calendar, baby food jar craft

And a Luminary Advent Calendar by night!

As you light a new candle each night, let it be a reminder of the true reason of the season and a time to give thanks for everything good in our lives.

Here are a few other fabulous advent calendars made by a few friends of mine. I love seeing how everyone counts down the days until Christmas!

Family Photo Advent Calendar by Making Lemonade ¦ Advent Tree by The Space Between ¦ Chalkboard Advent by Our Fifth House

Will you be making a new advent calendar this year? Or do you have a fun family tradition already in place? Feel free to leave a link to your project in the comment section!

About 

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  18. Fearon @ For Heart and Health says

    November 13, 2012 at 1:45 pm

    I am also a lover of advent calendars. I can’t help but stop whenever I see one in a store or craft fair.

    Yours is so unique and absolutely adorable!! Love it!

    Reply

  20. Amanda says

    November 13, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Beautiful! Love this idea! I remember the advents with the chocolate, too! Just saw them at Michael’s and almost bought them for my kids…maybe I’ll go back and do just that:)
    Amanda

    Reply

  32. Kristina says

    November 17, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    Beautiful job! I am in that stage of life where collecting baby food jars is easy-never tried etching cream or advent calendars but always wanted to, I think I’ll pin to hopefully try this season-thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  34. Michele says

    November 19, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Hi Taryn,
    Love these! The red wrap and paper snow flakes are wonderful. Pinned! I posted “dolled up” to Craft- o- Manic Monday. Following you now and shared a like to Facebook.

    Reply

  39. Kimberly says

    December 1, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    This is gorgeous! I don’t need an advent calendar, but I think I am going to make these for the New Year and just make four – 2 0 1 3. Thanks for the idea! :)

    Kimberly

    Reply

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