Do you love the anticipation and excitement that comes from counting down to a big event? Pinterest has been swamped lately with advent calendars, and they are all gorgeous. From large wall displays to small desktop versions, from elegant ornaments to simple yet beautiful paper crafts, from expensive price tags to free DIY versions, they all have something in common. They are fun and exciting!
I admire many of them, but I live in a small house with little wall space and limited display areas. I also lack a lot of storage space, so I love it when I find items that can be repurposed for a variety of things. So it is not surprising I fell in love with this idea from the Diva of DIY.
She created a versatile, fun and functional display out of a picture frame. She simply glued a clip on the glass of a picture frame to quickly highlight a picture, a child’s artwork, a memo, or a recipe. By placing a piece of scrapbook paper behind the glass, the frame is decorative on its own and can easily be changed to match the season or a new decor.
I adapted her idea to create my own advent calendar that I could repurpose after the holidays to help me with my weight loss adventure.
Let’s start with the advent calendar. I purchased a 5×7 inch frame and a piece of holiday-themed scrapbook paper. I then typed up a set of numbers counting down from 25 to 1 that can be displayed in the clip and easily changed each day.
Now for repurposing this display after the holidays.
When trying to lose weight, tracking your progress is a big deal. Being able to measure how far you’ve come or how close you are getting to your destination can be very motivational. The advent numbers can still be used to count how many pounds you’ve lost or how many you have left to meet your goal. You can also post motivational phrases or daily reminders in the clip, a picture of you at your goal weight, or a picture of the next reward you’re working toward.
This free download includes the numbers 1-25, along with other milestone accomplishments and motivational phrases. Click below to download your own copy.
You can use these circles, or create your own, to countdown to any important event or accomplishment – Christmas, a birthday, vacation, or weight loss to name a few. You can also use them to count up to something special – miles run, repetitions of an exercise, days into creating a habit, goals accomplished, and more.
Here’s to counting, productivity, and fun!
How do you track time or progress toward a special event or accomplishment? Share your ideas in the comment section below.
You’re so clever. I love your creative countdown and especially like that you only need to change the paper, rather than store the frame for a year.