Countdown to Christmas | Perpetual Calendar

Counting down the days to Christmas is half the fun, especially for little ones who ask “how many more sleeps” on repeat. This simple countdown to Christmas calendar starts with a plain perpetual calendar and turns it into cheerful holiday decor. A bit of paint, a transfer or stencil, and a few candy canes are all it takes to give a tired desk accessory a fresh job on the Christmas mantel or kitchen counter. If there is an old perpetual calendar tucked in a drawer or a dusty one on a thrift store shelf, it can easily become the cutest countdown in the house.

This project is so easy, there are only a few steps to complete it.

Perpetual Calendar

Last year, I got some of these perpetual calendar sets at a Christmas party. I made one of them into a Farmhouse Calendar. As the Christmas holiday approaches, I thought it would be a great way to count down to Christmas!

Spray Paint Project

I chose some clearance spray paint from my stash. I sanded the piece lightly to help the spray paint adhere better.

Yeah, that didn’t work! The boards are made of MDF, and the spray paint did not cover the edges. So, I switched to a flat white primer instead. The primer covered the house better, but that MDF edge was still not white.

Plan C | Craft Paint

I was pretty discouraged with the process, so I didn’t take any pictures. Finally, at about 10 PM, I painted the little countdown to Christmas house with craft paint. Why are there no pictures? It wasn’t looking very good. I thought I would have to sand it and start over, but it looked great the following day!

I chose two transfers from The Junky Chalker Shop to embellish the little house calendar. You could easily use stencils or even hand-paint some designs.

Countdown to Christmas Calendar Makeover

Up close, you can see the craft paint should have been sanded a little. That’s what I get for crafting without wearing my glasses. I didn’t do anything to the number cubes or the Christmas tag. The longer piece had all the months, days, and major holidays.

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The pencil holder of the perpetual calendar is perfect for holding candy canes! Had I known that I was going to use candy canes, I probably would have offset the Ho Ho Ho a little. But isn’t that Christmas tree adorable?

I wish the house had a little chimney for Santa (seen sitting up high).

This countdown to Christmas perpetual calendar is a small project that brings a big smile every single day in December. The number blocks make it easy to flip from one day to the next, and the built-in pencil holder is just right for candy canes or tiny treats. With basic paint and simple embellishments, no two calendars will ever look the same, which makes this a fun way to match any Christmas color scheme. Before buying a new advent calendar, take a second look at any perpetual calendar you already own and see how quickly it can turn into your own charming Christmas countdown.

Do you have a perpetual calendar at home that YOU can turn into a Countdown to Christmas project?

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