Disney DIY: Vacation Countdown Craft

Disney DIY: Vacation Countdown Craft

Counting down the days to a Disney trip increases the excitement and keeps the anticipation growing right up to the moment of arrival. At our house, if we’re not ticking days off the calendar to our next vacation, we’re reminiscing about the last visit. Today, I’m sharing a Disney DIY that is multifunctional. It keeps the Disney magic alive when you’re away from “home” and it provides a fun way to mark the days till you return.

The wreath itself is the base for this craft. Once it’s done, you can change it up to fit any holiday season, or, as with today’s how-to, set it up to serve a very special purpose.

You will need:
For the wreath:
1 Styrofoam craft wreath
Several spools of grosgrain ribbon
Scissors
Straight pins

For the countdown:
Wooden placard that fits inside wreath
Chalkboard spray paint
Chalk
Adhesive Velcro
Stickers
Construction paper or poster board
Scotch tape

What to do:
To make wreath:
1) Cut strips of ribbon long enough to wrap around the wreath. I cut mine about 7” each, long enough to wrap at an angle and slightly overlap. I used 5 different ribbons, at 3- or 4-yard spool lengths.
2) Wrap each piece of ribbon in the pattern you desire and secure the ends on the backside of the wreath with straight pins.
3) To create the bow, simply loop ribbon and secure pinched end into Styrofoam with straight pins. Group them closely together in a fluffy bunch. I used about 20 pieces of ribbon for mine.

For placard:
1) Create a 3-circle Mickey stencil. You can use a protractor or trace different size lids, or you may have a Mickey cookie cutter you can use. After you trace the shape, cut it out.
2) I attempted to create a 3-circle chalkboard Mickey by spraypainting black chalkboard paint over a stencil on the placard’s white background, but there was too much bleed under my stencil. It worked out well, though, because when we went back over the whole placard with the black paint, the original stenciled part showed through darker than the surrounding area. We then traced the Mickey with a silver Sharpie so it would stand out. (My son helped!) You may need to tweak this part yourself.
3) Add stickers or embellishments of your choice to the placard and secure it to the wreath with a chenille craft stick. (Our placard had a hanger hole. You may need to punch one yourself or determine a different way to place your placard.)
4) Secure a piece of chalk to your new chalkboard with a small piece of adhesive Velcro. Chalk doesn’t stick very well, so you’ll either need to wrap the Velcro around it and adhere it to itself, or, as I did, wrap a small, unnoticeable rubber band around it to hold it in place. Each day, adjust your countdown number with the chalk in the 3-circle Mickey.
5) For additional fun, I added paper chains to the bottom. Simply cut strips of construction paper or poster board. Shape one into a circle around the wreath and adhere with tape. Loop subsequent links through each other in a similar manner. I used Mickey colors (red, yellow, black, white) and mixed it up by adding some large 3-circle Mickeys. Remove one loop each day.

I hung my wreath with an over-the-door wreath hanger. (It actually says, “Merry Christmas!” but who’s going to notice?) A piece of ribbon makes a pretty hanger too. I say use what you have and be creative!

Now, if only my Disney vacation were really just 12 days away…

Jodi Whisenhunt is the author of MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE: Learn While You Play at Walt Disney World Resort, and operates a blog by the same title. Her book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and  CreateSpace. (Kindle and Nook versions also available.) Come, think outside the textbook and stretch the walls of your home classroom with Walt Disney entertainment!

Related articles

• Disney DIY: Disney Trip Savings Jar (chipandco.com)
• DIY Disney Vacation Countdown (chipandco.com)

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