I was in the mood for a fairly large project and the idea for an advent calendar seemed to fit the bill. I had a few goals - doors and hinges not drawers, some kind of scene set in the middle of the calendar, use as much of the GF bed as I could. I also decided that since I consider myself more a node manipulator than an artist, I wanted to try something a little “artful” - maybe paint or color. And, I thought, If I get it right, maybe the design could be saleable. Who knows. So, this is how it came out…
The whole thing is birch ply, except for the piece of ice acrylic behind the tree. I put a little string of lights behind the acrylic for fun. The colors are brought to you by sharpie.
Each compartment is its own separate box with a door, Each one has a little tree handle to match, .
Yes, the box in an box uses a bit more material, but it gives the structure some nice stability and weight. Also, to reduce waste and get the grain of the wood right, the doors, scene and front frame to cover lasered edges in the front were cut from 1 piece of wood. I also reduced waste by reducing the amount of masking. I did not mask all the internal pieces or even the backs. I know this can seem to reduce the look, but I go through a bunch of tape and I decided I wanted to see how detrimental not using it would be. I don’t think it is so bad.
The lights and the ice acrylic I like a lot. I think it is a nice effect and take the project up a notch. The ice acrylic is one of my favorite materials for lighting projects.
I am not fully convinced of the coloring with ink. I made an extra that I left plain. I think I like it a little better. I am sure someone with more coloring/painting experience could really do a great job with it. I consider this area an opportunity are for me!
I think I might make another with a few tweaks and perhaps a coat of stain. We will see.
