The Neighborhood Cafe’s Christmas craft is a fun and festive way to count down the days until Christmas while remembering the real reason we celebrate!
It’s made by removing the glass from an old photo frame, inserting Christmas paper, and gluing on a small clothespin to hold a card that counts down the days until Christmas.
To download the craft (and an invitation to a Christmas Open House for your neighbors!), simply subscribe below to receive updates from The Neighborhood Cafe. About every other week, you’ll receive an email with tips, tools and techniques to help you love your neighbor in a whole new way. You can easily unsubscribe at any time, and your information will never be sold or shared.
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Printable Christmas Open House Invitations
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Printable Christmas Countdown Craft
Click
Click “Christmas Countdown Craft” in your confirmation email to download the PDF file, and print as many copies as you need on white cardstock. Make sure you select the “fit to size” option so the document adjusts to your printer’s margins.
You’ll receive this confirmation email with links to the free files when you confirm your subscription.
Cut
Trim the cards to size using scissors or a paper cutter. If you print on both sides of the paper, the cards will match up with the same number on both sides. One side of the card has a cute Christmassy decoration with the countdown number, while the other side also has a Bible verse about the coming King.
Christmas paper
If you used the invitation that says, “Bring an old 4×6 photo frame to create a Christmas countdown,” then your neighbors should bring their own frame to your Open House. If you have any extra around the house, it wouldn’t hurt to have them handy.
Remove the glass from the frame and insert Christmas scrapbook paper or gift wrap that you’ve cut down to size.
Clothespin
Glue a mini clothespin onto the Christmas paper. You might find it helpful to clip a card to the clothespin then position it on the paper before you glue it down (or you could end up with clothespins in all the wrong places… like I did…).
Clip
Clip the appropriate card to the clothespin. There are 25 cards to count down each day in December (on December 1, insert card 25, etc. – you may have understood that easily, but it took me a while to figure it out!). Store the remaining cards in a bag tucked behind the frame, and change the card daily as you count down to Christmas!
Complete Supply List
- 4×6 photo frame, glass removed
- Cardstock (heavy white paper) – 3 or 6 sheets per craft
- Christmas scrapbook paper or gift wrap
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Glue
- Mini clothespin
- Small bag to store extra cards
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Printable Christmas Open House Invitations
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Printable Christmas Countdown Craft
Capture
Take a picture of your Open House and countdown craft, and post it on our Facebook page!
Chat
This craft is an instant ice-breaker with your neighbors. Bringing their own frame makes creates involvement and interaction. Having an activity to do together makes the time go faster and eases any awkwardness when meeting people for the first time.
Your neighbors will take home a memorable gift celebrating the birth of Christ – and the birth of a new friendship!
What a wonderful idea! Many thanks!!!Off to buy frames today.