I saw this cute Advent Banner last year and finally finished it for the beginning of Advent this year. Well, almost ... I ran out of winter white wool felt and only have the last "25" pouch to go. So, it will be complete within days. For now, here's a picture of the 24 days. I chose to place a surprise of one crayon rock for each of the first 7 pouches to follow along with the idea of stones in this Advent verse by Steiner:
“The first light of Advent is the light of stone–.Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.The second light of Advent is the light of plants–Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.The third light of Advent is the light of beasts–All await the birth, from the greatest and in least.The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind–The light of hope that we may learn to love and understand.”
The second week of Advent, I'm thinking I'll put a surprise of different types of seeds in each pouch. The third week, possibly needle felted animals ... and so on.
After saying our verse from above and lighting the appropriate candles on our Advent Spiral, Boo Boo gets to open up the pouch for the day. She is really excited about this and seems to be drawn in by our new tradition.
