Ok, I think I made it! This is the last countdown calendar for the year. I have 3 days left until December 1st, so there is a few days to spare! Yippee! Now that means you have time to make it as well! This is a Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar. This is a great countdown calendar if you are tight on space. It can also double as a tree itself!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase an item from one of my links. This will not change the price you pay.
Supplies Needed to make the Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar
The supplies needed for this project are a bit all over the place, so let’s take a look:
- Cardstock – You will need card stock for 2 different parts of this project.
- You will need cardstock for the bulbs. I used Christmas-themed 12” x 12” cardstock. If you follow my size selection, you will need 8 sheets of 12” x 12” cardstock for this. If you want the Christmas bulbs larger you will need more, and less with smaller bulbs.
- You will also need card stock for the numbers. Ideally, this is mat paper so makers and pens will write well on it. I have 2 different number files in my free resource library that you can use.
- Filling for the countdown calendar – after Halloween each year, I pull aside candies for the calendars so that I do not need to buy more.
- Glue – you need glue to close the Christmas bulbs. You can use craft glue, or you can use a glue gun with hot glue. I suggest using a glue gun with hot glue as it dries faster.
- Cutting Machine – I use my Cricut Explore Air 2, but a Maker will work, as will a Silhouette.
- Cutting Mat – like most paper projects, you will need a cutting mat.
- Markers or Pens for your Cricut – I use Cricut Markers because I have some leftovers from when I bought my machine that still work. If you do not have any, you can read this post on what other markers and pens work with your Cricut.
- Tissue Paper – Optional – matching colors to the Christmas-themed cardstock used for the bulbs
- 3M Command Strips and hooks – I have started to 3D print my hooks because I use so many. And I buy command strip refills. You will need about 11 hooks and strips.
- Tinsel – I used about 15ft of gold tinsel, but you can use any color.
- Ornament Hangers – This is so that you can hook the bulbs onto the tinsel.
- Ribbon – I used ribbon to secure the ornament hangers onto the bulbs. As the hangers are metal, they won’t glue down, and I worry they will rip through the cardstock. I tried to use a color-matched ribbon, but I’m pretty sure I failed.
- Star/Bow – this is optional, but I put a gift bow on top of my tree.
- Green Painter’s tape – also optional. I like to outline my tree with this stuff, as it comes off the walls easily. But you can eyeball the tree shape if you prefer.
- Christmas bulb file – I have created an SVG file for this Christmas bulb. You can get it from my resource library by signing up for my newsletter.
- Countdown Numbers – I have created an SVG file for this Christmas bulb. You can get it from my resource library by signing up for my newsletter.
Now that we have all our supplies and pieces, it is time to start this project!
How to Make the Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar
So, I have to start this post with an apology, some of the details below are the same as in other countdown calendars of mine. So, I’m very sorry about that. But the end design is different, and not everyone will read every countdown calendar, so I’m leaving the details in all the posts. Again, I’m sorry. So, if you have used the Christmas bulbs before, skip down a few sections to get to the calendar assembly part.
Select your countdown calendar treats
Every year after Halloween, I take 25 candies from each of my kids’ Halloween haul. The candy is put aside until I make the countdown calendars. This way, I have something for each day.
This also helps limit how much they get to eat in November, and I do not need to spend extra money buying things to put into the calendar.
Just some pointers – if you are making more than one calendar for your kids, for example, it is a good idea to give the same treat to each child on any given day. I like to sort my candies and place them with numbers next to them, and then I take a picture to make sure I remember what goes where.
Using the Bulb Design File
I have designed a Christmas bulb SVG file. You can download this from my resource library. You can sign up for my newsletter below and get access to it.
This file needs to be imported into Cricut Design Space or other cutting software for a Silhouette or Bother machine.
Once the file is in Design Space, adjust the design size to fit your desired bulb size. You need a size that will fit the treats you have selected. I used Halloween candies, and I made the design 6” wide. This was sufficient for Halloween candies. But I recommend you make 1 test copy to make sure.
Depending on if you are counting down to the 24th or 25th will dictate if you need 23 or 24 duplicates of this design. We do our last day on the 24th, so we only need 24 pieces in total.
With a 6” wide bulb design, you can fit 3 pieces onto one 12” x 12” cardstock.
Design Space Tip: Design Space has been acting up recently, so I created a template in the canvas to help me complete the project faster. I made an 11.5” x 11.5” square. Then, I arranged 3 bulb outlines inside the square. Delete the square and Attach the 3 bulbs together. This will make 3 bulbs the same way on each paper, each time. This will save you from making adjustments on the cut preview screens. Then, increase the number of pages to 8, so that you cut 24 bulbs.
Once you have your bulbs cut out, it is time to glue them together.
I used my glue gun since it dries faster, but you can use crafting glue. If you are using crafting glue, you must hold the bulb in your hand until it is dry.
Start by drawing a bead of glue on one side of one of the circle leaves. Then, bring the up tip of the leaf next to it and place it onto the glue. Continue to glue on one side of each leaf, ideally the same side on each to give the bulb a nice symmetrical look. Once at the last leaf, apply glue to two leaves at once, the last leaf and the second side of the first leaf. Gently and carefully close the sides of the bulb by attaching them to the glue. Make sure to leave the top open.
Insert your Countdown Treat into the Christmas Bulbs
The Christmas bulbs I have designed have small gaps at the top and bottom between the bulb leaves. If you have impatient, snooping children using this calendar, I recommend wrapping each treat with tissue paper. This way the insides will not be easily visible.
( If you are doing multiple calendars at a time, read the next section on numbers before you close the bulbs.)
Either wrapped or not, insert the treats into the Christmas bulb. Once happy with the placement, apply a dab of glue on top of the 4 leaves and close the bulbs.
The Countdown calendar needs numbers
Each bulb in the countdown calendar needs a number. I have previously designed some numbers that can be used for this. You can sign up for my newsletter below and get access to it.
You should add the number to the bulb immediately after you put the candy inside. This is very handy when doing multiple calendars at once so that the bulbs do not get mixed up.
Adding ornament hangers to the Christmas Bulbs
Normally, I use ribbon to attach the bulbs to things, but in this case, that will not work. But don’t worry, we will use a bit of ribbon anyway.
I cut 24 pieces of ribbon about 1.5″ long.
Dabbing hot glue in 2 spots on the top of the bulb, placing the ornament hangers between the glue, and then placing the ribbon over the glue and the hanger. This will secure the hanger onto the bulb.
Repeat this 23 times so each bulb has a hanger attached.
Making the Wall Christmas Tree Outline
I’m sure there are other ways to do this, but for me, this worked.
First, I figured out where on my wall this wall Christmas tree countdown calendar was going to go. Because, you know, it has to be there for a month.
I also didn’t want the tree to be too tall, as my kids need to reach all the bulbs without tearing the whole thing down.
Then, at about 4 feet from the ground, I installed my first hook on the wall.
Next, using some tinsel, I hung it on the hook and let it drop to the ground. This gave me the center of my tree on the ground.
Pulling out my tape measure, I measured 1.5 feet out from the center on each side. I marked this with tape against the floorboards.
Using painter’s tape, I ran a strip from the top hook to the tape on the floorboards. I did this on both sides. This is the triangle for my tree.
Using my command strips and hooks, I placed hooks at alternating heights along the side walls of the triangle.
Now we wait about 30 minutes for the hooks to fully adhere to the wall before we do anything else. Or you can keep going, either works for me.
making the wall Christmas tree Countdown Calendar
We are almost done!
Using tinsel, I used gold because I couldn’t find my green tinsel, it was time to wrap it around the hooks.
Staring at the top, make a loop in the tinsel to attach it to the first hook. Next, run the tinsel from hook to hook until you have reached the bottom of the tree.
When you reach the last hook, make a loop in the tinsel to hold it in place.
Finally, you get to place the bulbs on the tinsel, and you’re done!
(As an added touch, I placed a bow at the top of the tree to make it look more festive.)
And that’s it! Your Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar is Complete!
Things I learned while making the Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar
Let’s talk about what we learned while making this wall Christmas tree countdown calendar.
- Making the tree shape took many more wall clips than I had anticipated. My first attempt at making the tree reminded me of the sad tree from Charley Brown’s Christmas. So, I needed to add a bunch more after the first try.
- I hoped that at least one of my countdown calendars would look like a tree. This tree was supposed to be green, but all of my green tinsel has disappeared… and I refuse to buy more because it is here somewhere… it will inevitably show up after I buy more.
- I am a huge fan of 3M command strips and their hooks. But I always run out of hooks, so I have started 3D printing them instead. The green ones used in this video can be found here.
- I hope this countdown calendar survives when the bulbs are removed daily. I used metal ornament hangers that loop over, just like the ones on Christmas trees, so we will see how this goes. I’ll report back after the holidays.
- My initial thoughts when making this tree were that it should be a triangle. However, after having put the tinsel on the whole tree, the top point of the tree just looked a bit wonky, so I removed the top hook that was in the top center of the triangle.
Did you enjoy making this Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar?
Did you enjoy making this Wall Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar? Let me know in the comments below if you tried it! Also, if you made it, let me know how it turned out!
If you enjoyed this craft, be sure to check out my other Christmas crafts here.
Or, you can check out some of my other countdown calendars below:
- Holiday Wreath Countdown Calendar
- Christmas Bulb Holiday Countdown Calendar
- Hanging Star Holiday Countdown Calendar
- Toilet Paper Roll Countdown Calendar Christmas Tree
- Snowman Christmas Countdown Calendar
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletters! You’ll get inside tips on upcoming posts and additional behind the scenes details about what’s happening on the site!
