Advent Pot Production

I really enjoyed making the Advent calendar.  So I thought I would share the development process.  As I have disclosed, I don’t have a artistic background.  So it was surprising for me to find out that ‘artists’ work and rework ideas – they don’t ‘just’ make something.  At first, I wanted to make various types of lidded jars – but I had to stick with drop-in and bowl lids because they allowed the most volume (I wanted to fit 2 chocolates in each pot).  I made all the pots in one sitting and then threw all the lids.  I tried to make the pot galleries to the same diameter so I could make all the lids the same size.  This is the liberty of multiples – I found a lid to match every pot.   

Glazing the Advent Pots

   

It took a while for me to figure out how to number the pots.  Discarded ideas included: numbering each cubby rather than the pot (but the pots filled the cubbies so the numbers couldn’t be seen), incising the pots and filling with underglaze (but that would limit glaze choices), and stamping numbers into the pot body (but that could distort the pot which might prevent the lid from fitting well).  I decided to add stamped numbers to each pot – this allowed for the least amount of opportunity for distortion.   

Shadow Box Construction

   

I originally wanted to glaze the pots in white/green and white/red – which I did for one set.  But it was suggested that multiple glazes would be fun – which is how I glazed the boxes for my friend and nephews.  I must say, the multiple pots are fun – they invite you to pick them up and keep you engaged with the shadowbox.  However, the white/red/green pots feel very festive and Christmasy.   

 

   

Advent Calendar

Jeff worked hard on the shadow box – the beveled corners really set it off.  The final challenge was choosing a color for the shadow box.  Green worked really well for the white/red/green pots; but the color choice for the multiples is still a bit unresolved.  The gold is a bit harsh but will do for now.  I am looking forward to making another box for my niece.