This is Gloria. She's one of my very favorite co-workers. This article is about her loving family Christmas tradition that she has graciously shared with all of us.
The Candy Countdown.
For 45 years Gloria has annually created this project (That's actually one of her's show above! Her grandaughter prefers nuts to candy! ) for her children, now grown as well as her grandchildren, now teenagers and beyond.
She shared this project with me and I fell in love with it. It's a tradition that I've started in my home and will help me to always remember Gloria and all that's she's added to my life in a very short time working with her.
Here are some directions. You can put your own spin on this any way that you'd like.
The Candy Countdown
Fabric
Stitch Witch
Iron
Sewing Machine
Dowel Rod or A Christmas Pencil Will Work
Felt For The Bell
Jingle Bell
Needle and Thread
Yarn To Tie The Candy On
Candy- 15 pieces
Vellum or Interfacing - you'll write, type or print on one of these the "poem."
Ric Rac or decorative ribbon for your bell
How To Make The Banner or Candy Runner
You can SEW these too if you are crafty. Stitch witch worked for us but sewing the project would definitely make it last longer.
We used 1 yard of quilted fabric and cut it into equal 4ths. (We made 4 of them!)
(Gloria used felt but agreed after seeing my version that a heavier duty fabric was essential as the candy gets heavy!)
Each 4th became a candy countdown. Essentially the "runner" (mine is the red part, Gloria's the green) that the candy will be attached to.
See?
We folded in the bottoms to create a decorate edge or "v."
We looped the top over to create an area for the dowel rod or pencil.
BELLS
The bell is the part that holds the "poem" inside.
The bell has a back and a front made of white felt with a jingle bell attached to to the bottom of one side.
The middle part of the bell has VELLUM paper with the printed poem.
Gloria used something called "interfacing" that can be found at a craft store.
(Here's hers!)
It's very thin and can be typed on IF YOU HAVE A TYPEWRITER.
You can also of course hand write these with a fabric marker. Just make sure you have enough space.
I typed mine out on my computer an printed on vellum paper. (found in the scrapbook section)
December 10th til Christmas
is the longest time of the year.
Seems as tho' "Old Santa"
never will appear.
How many days til Christmas?
It's mighty hard to count.
So this little candy ribbon
will tell you the exact amount!
Untie a candy every night,
when the Sandman casts his spell.
And Christmas Eve will be here
By the time you ring the BELL!
Once I printed the poem on my vellum paper (found in scrapbook section) I hand sewed it carefully to the other pieces of the bell. Essentially sandwiching it in.
Then I hand sewed the actual bell to the top of the runner.
TYING THE CANDY ON
Last you tie the candy on. I followed suit with Gloria and used simple yarn.
15 pieces.
Then I made holes in the runner to lace the yarn.
We measured 15 sets of 2 cuts in the fabric. Then laced the yarn in. I attempted to "grommet" the holes and that didn't work well for me. The grommets were too small but it's a great idea for anyone that can get it to work.
You could also "button hole" with a sewing machine. That would reinforce the holes.
So make snips like this the whole way up the runner. I counted one extra set and messed it up. That's why mine has a lot of room at the top :)
X X
X X
X X
X X
Once done, I laced the yarn through and then tied the candy on!
CANDY
What Kind Of Candy? Your choice!
Gloria doesn't let them choose the candy. She surprises them each year with the "delivery" of the Candy Countdown and everyone is excited at what she tied on for the year.
That's it.
My 6, 9, 11 and 12 year old LOVED IT. I was so surprised.
A special thank you to Gloria for sharing her tradition with us! We'll think of you each year we celebrate our Candy Countdown!
