Take me to the Steps

This year my son was enamored of Advent calendars – the idea of getting a little something every day from Hanukkah to Christmas. He also wanted to give them as gifts to his friends. He came up with the idea of a calendar that contained Magic: the Gathering cards. This was a great rainy-day-off school project for the two of us. We put it together using paper and tape (and the cards, of course) in just about an hour or so.

Project Steps

Start by cutting 2 pieces of paper to the right size.

Draw grid lines where you want the pockets to go. Leave at least 1/2 inch on each side of the card.

Cut 24 “pocket” pieces (2″x3″). You could also probably use post-it notes.

Tape the pockets onto the grid using the single-sided tape.

Using a card you don’t care about as a guide, put the card in the pocket and score around the top half.

Do not score all the way around; leave some parts uncut. Also, don’t cut the tape from the pocket above.

Decorate the front and label the pockets

Flip it over and put the cards in order in the pockets. Make sure you note where the #1 pocket is and go in the right order.

My son decided that the last day should contain a full booster pack as a special present.

Put double-sided tape in the gutters around the cards. Make sure the cards don’t touch the tape.

Put the back onto the front, carefully aligning the sides and press firmly to make sure they stick.

Trim the edges to make sure both sides are the same height/width.

Proudly present!

Conclusion

The calendars are a hit with the recipients! They can't wait to start opening them up.