Wall Art – Short Stop Designs

Printable Advent Calendar + 30 Activity Ideas

November 6, 2023

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We’ve reached the end of the year and the busiest season of the year! My kids ask every year for an advent calendar and they absolutely love it. We’ve done a variety of advent calendars: candy, socks, activities, you name it! I will admit, their favorite has definitely been the candy ones, but I know they also love getting into the holiday spirit with Christmas activities.

Here is an advent calendar that you can print off and use for years. Knowing that every year is going to be different, you can also change the text so that you can plan the activities based on your schedule. The text can be changed in Canva and is free and easy to use!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Cardstock
Advent Printable Calendar Cover (Green & Pink / Red & Blue / Red & Green)
Activity Page – Edit in Canva
Cutting Mat
Precision/Exacto Knife
8×10 Frame
Tape

How to put it together:

Print out the Advent Calendar Cover on cardstock.
Using a cutting mat and precision/exacto knife, start cutting 3 sides of each box on the Advent Calendar so that it opens up like a door. You don’t want to cut off all of the sides on each box.
To print out and/or change the text on the Activity Page, go to Canva and edit the text on the template.
To print out the Activity Page, select “Share” at the top right corner, choose Download and for file type, choose PDF Print. Once you’ve selected the file type, click download.
Line the Advent Calendar and Activity Page behind it.
If using a matted frame, tape the pages to the matte and line up the 2nd page. If using a frame without a matte, sides down to fit a 8×10 frame.

See the video on how to put the Advent Calendar together: Instagram Video

Need some ideas for your Advent Calendar?

Watch a Christmas Movie
Look at Christmas Lights
Bake Cookies
Make a homemade gift and deliver to a friend/neighbor
Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater
Look at Christmas Lights
Make a holiday craft
Write a letter to Santa
Read a Christmas Book
Hot Chocolate Bar
Make a Ginger Bread House
Make Magical Reindeer Food
Donate a gift to someone in need
Go Ice Skating
Listen to Christmas Songs
Send Christmas Cards
Have a Sleepover by the Tree
Visit Santa
Watch a holiday show
Visit a Christmas Market
Play in the snow
Make a Christmas Ornament
Play board games in Pajamas
Wrap Christmas Presents
Try a new Christmas Cookie Recipe
Donate Food
Take family pictures
Go Sledding
Leave Cookies for Santa
Attend or Host a Christmas Party

2022 Printable Calendar

December 31, 2021

Another year has flown by, and we’re getting already getting ready for another one! I don’t know about you, but I’m grateful my kiddos are back and school and they’ve been able to enjoy some of their favorite sports this year. Our youngest started Kindergarten this year and I’m so glad she was able to start her first year of elementary school in person!

While 2021 still may not have been what we have wanted it to be, I’m hopeful that 2022 will be a better year!

2022 Printable Calendar – Portrait

2022 Printable Calendar – La ndscape Part 1 & Part 2

DIY ‘HOME’ Wall Art

July 23, 2020

This post may contain affiliated links.

We moved into our brand new home the day before Thanksgiving last year making this our 7th home! This does not include all of our transition periods staying at one of our parents’ homes in between a few of those moves. We have lived in 4 different states, California, Idaho, Washington and currently Texas. It has been quite the adventure for us and our kids.

With every move I’ve found it usually takes me months before I’ve formed a plan of how I want to decorate my walls. My entry was lacking a bit of a warm welcome, and I finally found a solution! It was during the early stages of quarantine that I needed a small project to keep myself busy with all the free time we had after work, when the kids would normally occupy our evenings with sports.

This project was easy, not unbearably time consuming, and just what my entryway needed! I found everything I needed on Amazon:

Wooden Letters (12″) – Letter ‘H’ – Letter ‘M’ – Letter ‘E’
15″ Faux Boxwood Wreath
White Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
Command Strips

All I needed to do was paint my letters white, and then after they dried I hung them up on the wall with 2 command strips on each letter. For me, the easiest way to hang it was starting from the bottom and then moving my way to the top so I knew how low I wanted my letters to be. I hung the wreath up with a nail to complete the farmhouse look. You could definitely change up this look during the holidays to make it more festive!

Printable Birthday Calendar

May 4, 2015

I have been wanting to make one of these Birthday Calendars for a long time, and I’ve finally done it! I had seen so many cute ideas on Pinterest, but was always worried I’d mess it up. You see, when it comes to painting on wood, I find a way to screw it up and then I’m done with that project. I never want to see it again basically. Although, I remembered something my super talented SIL and friend (Tammy & Liz) did last year and I absolutely loved it!

I wanted to create something just like that, but didn’t want to have to deal with a painting fiasco. So, I came up with a solution and a printable that you can use too. It is extremely easy and all you need is:

Materials:

A Printer

Scissors

Picture Frame (make sure the surface is flat)

Drawer Knob

White Card Stock

Glitter Paper

Birthday Cake Printable (Download for 5×7 | 8x10)

Chalkboard tags + a small piece of string

Glue (Modge Podge)

Glue Gun

Instructions:

1. Print out your background from the following options below.

2. On a separate sheet of paper, print out the “birthday cake” and cut those pieces out. (I’ve tried printing on glitter paper, and it did not work out well, so DON’T do it!)

3. Trace the “birthday cake” onto the back of the glitter paper and cut those pieces out.

4. Glue the glitter “birthday cake” pieces onto the background you printed out.

5. While you’re waiting for the glue to dry, hot glue your drawer knob at the bottom (center) of your picture frame.

6. Once everything is dry, stick the Birthday Cake Background into the frame and hang up your family & friend’s birthdays that you’ve written on the chalkboard tags onto the drawer knob and you’re done!

Easy, right? I’ve created 3 different backgrounds in 12 different colors. So pick your favorite and have fun creating you’re own Birthday Calendar!

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“Create” Printable – For Your Craft Room

April 1, 2015

Need to spruce up your craft room with some new art? This simple and fun “Create” Printable is just what you need. I’ve created this printable in 6 different colors to help you add some color to your room, or to fill that empty spot on your wall. It’s just the thing to help inspire you on your next project if you’re in a rut.

“Create” Printable Blue – 5×7 | 8×10

“Create” Printable Green – 5×7 | 8×10

“Create” Printable Orange – 5×7 | 8×10

“Create” Printable Light Pink – 5×7 | 8×10

“Create” Printable Purple – 5×7 | 8×10

“Create” Printable Pink – 5×7 | 8×10

Easter Bunny Printable

March 23, 2015

I finally took down our St. Patrick’s Day decorations over the weekend and I’m finally starting to decorate for Easter. I’m excited to be sharing this Easter Bunny Printable with you in 4 different colors! Hopefully this gets your family excited about Easter as much as mine!

Easter-Bunny-Print-Display Easter Bunny Printable Blue – 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10 Easter Bunny Printable Pink – 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10 Easter Bunny Printable Purple – 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10 Easter Bunny Printable Green – 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10

Spokane Washington LDS Temple – Free Printable

March 16, 2015

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 blue – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 gray – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 green – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 light pink – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 mint – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 navy – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 orange – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 pink – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 red – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 violet – download here

Spokane Washing LDS Temple 8×10 yellow – download here

General Conference Quotes

March 11, 2015

As promised from my previous post (Patricia Holland – Printable Quote) I’m sharing the rest of the quotes that I’ve created for our upcoming Relief Society Birthday Dinner at the end of the month. I love these quotes because they remind us of what the Savior wants us to be. I can’t wait to hear what the Prophet and the rest of these amazing brothers and sisters have to say to us in the upcoming General Conference next month to help us remember our purpose here on earth.

Bonnie L. Oscarson Quote 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10 Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong Quote 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10

Rosemary M. Wixom Quote 4×6 | 5×7 | 8×10

“Hello Beautiful Spring” Free Printable

March 9, 2015

Are you still adjusting to Daylight Savings time? I might be the only one, but I actually get excited about Daylight Savings time whether it’s “springing forward” or “falling back.” I’m a huge fan of having longer days so that we can have family walks after dinner or go to the playground if my kids are going crazy at the end of the day.

As Daylight Savings beings, that just means we’re that much closer to Spring! With that being said, I created these “Hello Beautiful Spring” printables in 3 different sizes for each color. Hope you love them as much as I do!