Advent calendars have been in use since the early 19th century. Beginning as a German tradition, they typically share a scene, a Bible verse, or a piece of chocolate. This year, I was excited to think about doing something a little non-traditional, while looking for a modern and minimalist Christmas decoration. The idea of a quaint tree-lined village that would sparkle and shine in the dark starry winter night was idyllic, and that's how this art came to life. It's a new twist on a time-honored December tradition.
melissa caughey 
melissa caughey
Start with a piece of white paper to make the pattern of the house. The sides of the house are made from two 1.5-inch squares, and another two squares with the roof pitch that is 2 inches high. After the final square, leave an extra 1/3-inch piece to use for hot glue.
melissa caughey
Continue making 14 houses in total. For the roofs, cut red paper rectangles to fit the roofs and glue them in place.
To make roof construction easier, fold the roof in half. Then, working upside down, glue to one side of the ceiling, hold in place, and let dry (just a few seconds). Then, glue the other side of the roof in the same way, and flip the little house over. Voila!
melissa caughey
Next, using the snowflake hole punch, poke some mini snowflakes out of the pieces of white paper to decorate the roofs.
melissa caughey
Using two shades of dark green paper, trace a variety of trees using the pattern shown. To vary the heights, simply cut a few trees shorter at the rounded edge.
melissa caughey
Trees bend like a paper airplane would. Before gluing, scoop out some snowflake so the light can shine through the trees. The final shape of the tree is a triangle. To achieve this look, simply glue the two side panels together.
melissa caughey
Make a total of 10 trees and then add a few white snowflakes to their sides, like you did with the houses before.
melissa caughey
Any way you like, assign a number to each house and tree, from 1 to 24. I alternated houses and trees and added numbers with a permanent silver marker.
melissa caughey 
melissa caughey
Tape the ribbon of your choice around the perimeter of the cake pan.
melissa caughey
Add a bag of fake snow to the bottom of the pan. Then he begins to assemble the town..
You can add all the houses and trees at once, or you can add one each day in December. You decide!
melissa caughey
Each day, working in numerical order, add a house or tree and watch your town glow. At night, be sure to turn on the LED light and watch the houses and trees magically come to life.
Be sure to blow out the candles each night before bed to conserve batteries.
melissa caughey
It's so much fun organizing the town for the month and watching each new addition to the town come alive. Very soon the town sleeps when Christmas Eve arrives. Christmas day will soon be here to celebrate the miracle and joy of the holiday..
melissa caughey
