✂ XO Stitches

Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love to celebrate all month long! You can find my other Halloween crafts on my Instagram : handle XoStitches. 

Supplies: 

assorted cotton prints

pocket lining fabric (if you use felt for your pockets, you won’t need a lining)

felt backing piece (mine was 21 x 36” but you can use a smaller piece if your pockets are smaller)

thread

dowel 3” longer than the width of your felt backing

ribbon or twine for hanging

Fabric Fusion or other craft glue 

optional: embroidery floss, felt scraps for numbers, paint for dowel, fabric pen

1. Cut 31 squares of prints and 31 lining pieces. I cut mine 4 1/2″  x 4 1/2″  so they’d finish at 4 x 4″.  I cut one pocket bigger for the 31st day, 5 x 7″. 

2. Sew the pockets right sides together, leaving a turning hole at the bottom. I used a 1/4″  seam allowance. 

Clip corners and turn pockets right side out, press flat with iron. 

3. Pin pockets to the felt backing, making sure the opening is at the bottom. I positioned mine about 1/2″ apart, leaving about 4″  at the top for the casing and banner. 

Edge stitch each column and then row. Start at the top of one pocket, stitching along the left edge, continuing onto the backing felt and onto the next pocket. Repeat for the right side of each pocket, and the bottom edge. 

I used black thread so it would match the background felt, and because l didn’t want to change thread colors for each pocket. You could also use invisible thread for your top stitch.

4. Create casing at the top. Fold top edge down 1″ and press with iron. Pin and edge stitch in place. 

5. Make numbers. I embroidered mine onto felt and then cut them out with a pinking or scallop scissor. You could draw numbers on with fabric paint or cut the shapes out of felt. 

Glue numbers to the pockets. 

6. Banner : if you would like to make a little banner for the top, you can embroider it on felt or draw it with fabric paint. Other possible titles: Happy Halloween, Halloween Countdown, A Haunting We Will Go, Spook Fest, etc. 

7. Paint the dowel : I only painted the ends since that’s the only part that would show. 

Once it’s dried, insert dowel into the casing. Tie ribbon to the ends for hanging. 

8. Stuff with goodies. Here are a few things I’ve found so far. we’re also adding movie titles for a month of Halloween and horror movie watching. 

I’d love to see your version! If you post it, tag it #HalloweenAdventCalendar