Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

I few weeks ago I posted about the online holiday magazines I've been raving over, primarily Gifted and Inspire Co. The latter provided me with the best idea I've seen yet for an advent calendar - a 24 count muffin tin! I've been looking for an idea for quite some time and this was perfect. It allowed me to do some paper crafting and collaging while integrating some of my own personal style into the final product. And the muffin tins are the perfect size for hiding my favorite candy - mini Reese's cups!

Here's my brief how-to, but for the full and official instructions, check out Inspire Co.'s Christmas edition.

Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

Materials

• 24-count muffin tin
• Magnet backing
• Christmas paper, stickers, and other decorative materials
• Circular item to trace magnets
• Exacto knife or scissors
• White primer spray paint
• Clear sealer spray paint

Directions

1. I first found a circular item that was slightly larger than the muffin tin holes. I used the base of a plastic cup and experimented with spray paint bottles, candles, glasses, mugs, and all sorts of household items, so be creative. Then I simply placed the cup on the papers I was going to cut and traced with the Exacto knife to cut out my circles. (If you don't have an Exacto knife, simply trace the circle with a pencil and then cut out. If you have a CriCut machine, the circular cut on that should work as well, eliminating the need for a circular tracing object and Exacto knife.)

2. Then I got my tin ready. I spread out newspaper in a well-ventilated area and sprayed my primer. It was white and made for an even and thick finish, so I didn't bother with another color over top. After letting the primer dry (I did two coats), I sprayed the clear sealer over the whole thing.

3. Now comes the fun part - decorating the circles. Each circle will represent one day in the month of December, prior to December 25th. I used different types of craft and scrapbooking paper as well as magazine cut-outs, stickers, and rub-on transfers to decorate my circles. Each one has a saying or Christmas-y greeting and the number somewhere on the front.

4. After all the decorating was done, I cut out small squares of magnet and stuck two pieces on each circle - one on the top of the back and one on the bottom. This way I'll be sure my circles will stay in place.

5. Then I just waited for my sealer to dry completely before putting everything together. The candy or small item of your choice fits in the muffin tin behind the magnetic circles, and each day you can pull off the corresponding circle to see what lies underneath (for me, it'll be Reese's cups all month!).

In the original instructions, they drilled holes through the top of the muffin tin for hanging. This is definitely do-able, just make sure to wear all the proper protection and to use a bit that works on metal. I just leaned mine against the wall so there was no need for power tools. Happy Holidays and enjoy!