Advent Calendar & Gumball Capsules for Christmas Fun! The Destiny of Things, Story 571

Advent Calendar & Gumball Capsules for Christmas Fun!  The Destiny of Things, Story 571

I love this idea, so sentimental and heartfelt!  Good for next year, Advent 2021!  

20, 25, or 30 small 1.25" gumball capsules in mixed colors for surprise balls, holiday birthday cracker snaps, bath bomb surprises, pinata filler prizes, like trinkets and money,  These work wonderfully for small things that might get lost in a larger gift package, like rings and other jewelry.  Available here, photo via The Destiny of Things.

Here is the story I received:

For Christmas, my friend and i made each other Advent calendars for December! I made a cardboard capsule machine (like at an arcade or grocery store), and put various charms and stickers in these bad boys that each represent a memory we share together! These were the perfect size, and just what i was looking for to make an amazing gift! Thanks!

That is so cool!  I'd love to be a fly on the wall and see the handmade gumball machine and the happy look on the receiver!  And of course, I'd love to see all the memories and trinkets, but that might be too personal.  I totally agree, what an amazing gift to give and receive!

Thank you for sharing!  I hope it's given others useful ideas and the inspiration they need, as it has done for me!  Many thanks again!

We usually have 8-9 colors available and they will be the same colors shown, but some may be different shades, as some maybe lighter or darker in color.  Available here, photo via The Destiny of Things.

Saying Goodbye:  These used to be our best selling item, but I guess they have lost their novelty goodness for awhile.  Just like life, things go in cycles and I hope others will find creative and inspirational uses for them again.  Are bath bombs not trending anymore?  We used to get a lot of capsule orders from bath bomb shop on Etsy, but not so much anymore.

Photo via Etsy buyer.  I'd add their shop name, but it's no longer on Etsy. 

 

What I've Learned:

 

1.  This new blog format is driving me crazy.  It's very difficult to use, for example switching from center alignment to left align takes not several tries, but many!  So switching from writing captions for the photos to the rest is very time consuming.  Okay, this probably shouldn't be the #1 thing I've learned today, but I'm afraid to try and change it because I've already lost the photos once and had to begin this post all over again because when I got it back, it was all in a funk!

 

2.  So #2 is really my #1 and I was going to talk about how life and sales trends go in cycles, just like the seasons.  I feel fortunate that many of the staples we have to offer at our shops from my hoarding days are flexible and we can keep selling them, which I call rehoard items.

 

Some of them are these gumball capsules, there is a story to that, but later.  Others are the fortune fish, rotary date stamp, jax sets, tooth lockets and mini treasure chests.  All of these are tools I used when I was teaching.

 

3.  For teaching, the fortune fish, I used for introducing MAGIC, this was back in the day, when theme teaching across the curriculum was popular.  I included magic into everything, but mostly to show that most magic is not only an illusion, but has to do with mainly math and science, especially chemistry, like how the fortune fish work, which is in another post.

 

Mr Happy Gnome is holding the magic fish, which is basically a love meter, you hold the fish in the palm of your hand and it will most likely move, unless your a dead fish!  And how it moves determines what kind of love you are experiencing at the moment.  We sell these in small amounts for birthday holiday cracker snaps and surprise balls.  We also sell them in larger amounts for Holiday card inserts and passing out during Halloween.  Available here via VintageToGoEasy.

 

The rotary date stamp, I used all the time and had many sets in the classroom.  They come in handy for large amount of paper work, like filling out field trip slips.  Also good to use at the beginning of the year for third graders to get used to writing their name and dates on all their papers, but I guess those days have changed now due to Covid 19.

 

The jax sets were a good way to teach, counting, adding and multiplication.  And it boosted fine and gross motor skills, rule following and it's always fun to teach pigs in the blanket, around the world, etc.

 

The tooth locket necklaces and mini tooth treasure chests were a great way to start of Dental Hygiene week and of course I gave them out, like candy to any student whose tooth fell out during school time.

 

4.  That was so off topic, but oh well, not sure how to change or save it with this new format, so I'll just keep moving on....

 

5.  I just love the idea of Advent Calendars, but I've only made them once because they do take a lot of time, depending on how you do it.  I did the one from the Etsy blog a long time ago, and it took me a lot more time than I thought it would and should have started it in November so I wouldn't have to rush and pull an all nighter to get it shipped off to some little ones by December 1.  

 

I think next year, I'll try again with this gumball capsule idea!  Which I wrote down in my Oct calendar for 2021, to get started on collecting all the memories, trinket and souvenirs to go with it!  Some I can collect through the year as we make memories and use the souvenirs as reminders.

 

This is our best seller and even has a best seller label from Etsy.  In one out of 157 reviews for this item, in one of our last reviews, the buyer said her ink pad was dry.  She must have gotten a dud one because these sell out so fast, we get a new supply weekly.  

So I've started to check each ink pad that goes out, the sticker closure I use on the packaging will be from your ink pad, so you know I've tested it to make sure it's in good shape for you to start stamping as soon as you get it!  

Back in the day, I had about a half dozen of these in the classroom and gave them out as teacher and student helper gifts, available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab.

 

Thank you Etsy buyer for your fun inspirational stories.  I'm sure it gave others ideas for birthday count down calendars and Valentine's gift ideas, at least it did for me!

Christmas sales were busy as usual this year and much of my hoard sold as well as rehoard.  I do feel for the postpeople out there, due to covid, most aren't meeting for Christmas this year and are sending all their gifts through the USPS postal service, so they are slammed right now.  I can see why they upped the price on some of the holiday shipping options!

We had to stop using Etsy's $35 free shipping guarantees because for some reason it started to apply for International shipping too and we could not figure out a way to keep the
Etsy's $35 free shipping guarantee on for Domestic shipping and turn if off for International shipping.  We've been using Etsy's $35 free shipping guarantee, since they offered it and it didn't include International shipping back then, but now it does.  

Mini tooth saver treasure chests, will hold up to 2-3 tiny baby teeth, or one large molar, perfect for your baby or toddler shadow box keepsake.  Available here, photo via JunkDrawerAndMore.  (Center align not working, bummer.)

Global shipping is too crazy now with Covid, for example depending on the country and it's covid count and regulations shipping can change at a drop of a hat.  Someone wanted to order a textile art patch from Mending Ways, but due to covid, Singapore would only accept USPS International Priority Mail, which was over $40 USD, for a $35 USD worth of textile art patches because it said it should ship free! And I could not change "just" the International shipping at all our shops!  I read many of Etsy's articles and so did the Mr, who is much more techful than me and could not find a way to change it, so we had to turn it off.

We will still honor the Etsy's $35 free shipping guarantee for DOMESTIC orders only, if you request it though Etsy email, even though we are no longer signed up for it.

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 179 items, The Destiny of Things- 172 items, VintageToGoEasy - 164 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 177 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 64 items!    Many of my textile art patches have found new "forever" homes. I need to make more, but I'm in a creative slump at the moment, so I'm listing a lot of fabric destash.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

My students loved to play jax, when we were memorizing multiplication facts, it's fun to count by 2s, 3s and 4s, etc, when playing!  Jax sets available here, photo via The Destiny of Things.

 

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!  Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!

 

PS.  Mark your calendars now, I have because I won't remember until next year!  Next year's, 2021 advent begins on  November 28, 2021.