by Christine Sine
This year I am creating an Advent calendar with succulents. It all started when I was browsing Pinterest one day and followed a link to what purported to be a succulent Advent calendar. I was so disappointed when all I found was a box with 24 succulents in it.
“I can do better than that I thought and started to brainstorm. I went to the local thrift store and came across this amazing stand which I think is probably for cupcakes. It has 24 spaces in it. Perfect I thought and at $4 a real steal.
Then I went hunting for terra cotta pots and not surprisingly Amazon ha
d just what I wanted – 24 small terra cotta pots that I then had fun spray painting some purple, some pink (from Hobby Lobby where it was half the price of Amazon) to be consistent with the 4 weeks of Advent. The hardest thing was getting the lids off the cans.
Finally I added some remote controlled, battery operated candles that I can light when the pots are fully planted. They ere not cheap but I know I will use them again next year. Real candles would have been great but I was afraid of using real candles as that many might burn the place down.
I numbered the pots from 1 to 24 and have started planting succulents in them. My original plan was to plant one a day, but that is a little messy to do each day so I am getting them all planted over the next couple of days and will decorate one each day as the month progresses. It is a fun alternative to my usual Advent garden and means that I can leave my gratitude garden on my desk as part of my sacred space. All I needed to do was add a few candles to give it a more Advent/Christmasy feel.
Part of what I have enjoyed about creating this calendar is that it has had me thinking about Advent for weeks – not just about the calendar but about the whole purpose of Advent. It has reinforced my exploration of Celtic Advent and has helped me to get into the spirit of the season in a very powerful way.
You may not want to make a succulent Advent calendar but maybe there is something else that you love to do that can provide the materials for an Advent calendar maybe for next year as it is probably too late to work on it for this year. Alternatively you might like to start brainstorming for the Christmas and Epiphany season. Is there something you enjoy doing that could provide the materials for a unique and creative way to celebrate the season?