We're more than halfway through the 12 Days of Crafting. Don't forget to send me (megan.cooley@comcast.net) pictures of your crafts so I can post them here.

Tonight's craft is courtesy of my sister-in-law, Kim. She made the adorable blocks above to help her four daughters (Yes, four. All under age 7. All adorable, but we're still not sure how she does it) count down the days until Christmas. Just set them out somewhere highly visible and rotate the blocks each day as the holiday approaches.

You will need:

-Two wooden blocks, about 3 inches or 4 inches cubed. You might find these at a craft store or have them cut for you at a home-improvement store.
-Sandpaper, if your blocks aren't already smooth.
-Mod Podge or some other decoupage glue and a brush.
-Scrapbook paper, junk mail, leftover wrapping paper.
-Scissors
-Optional: vinyl numbers, if you don't want to cut the numbers yourself.

1. Smooth the wooden blocks with sandpaper, if necessary.

2. Cut paper the size of the block sides (3 by 3 inches, 4 by 4 inches, etc.). Glue the paper to the blocks. Let dry.

3. Unless you have pre-made numbers, cut the following numbers from paper: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 0, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8.

4. On one block, glue the following numbers on the block's sides: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

5. On the second block, glue 0, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8. Make sure your six looks like a nine when you turn it upside down. Let dry.

6. Brush a thin layer of the Mod Podge on the top of the letters and paper, covering tall sides of the blocks. Let dry. 

You could make these for any holiday or event, just using different themed paper. Valentine's Day. Halloween. Birthdays. First day of school. Whatever.

By the way, if you're a fan of Mod Podge, you might enjoy the blog Mod Podge Rocks.