The advent calendars

I came across a neat idea on Pinterest and decided to make my own version. It’s a simple piece of wood with a stair-step pattern and a small block that straddles each peak. The block is moved along one step per day, with each step numbered.

I started by milling a few white oak blanks to size.

I then marked 24 triangles for the stair-step pattern using my combination square.

A few minutes later, and the job’s a good’un:

I cut the steps on the bandsaw. The edges were a bit jagged from the blade, so I tried the jigsaw instead — it gave a much cleaner finish, though with a bit less precision.

Next, I cleaned up the steps with a chisel, which worked nicely. I could have spent more time perfecting them, but the goal was to batch out several of these. A few discrepancies are part of the charm of a handmade piece — I want them to show some irregularities and small errors.

I made one light-colored version as a prototype. A few scraps were superglued together to make a template for positioning the number stickers.

The prototype turned out very nice, but the silver numbers were hard to read in certain light. So I decided to give the oak some color — using a neat little method I’ve tried before.

Ebonizing white oak

I put some 0000 steel wool into 35% food-grade vinegar and left it for about a week. By then, the vinegar had dissolved the steel wool, leaving me with a rather pungent brew full of iron ions.

And here is the result – these pieces came from the same board:

When the vinegar dried, the wood had a bluish-purple haze to it. Not exactly black.

Here’s a better shot — you can see how dull and matte it looks:

Easily fixed: just apply an oil-based varnish or a bit of shellac. Instant, deep-black finish!

I noticed that one piece I wanted to leave natural had been hit by a tiny drop of the vinegar–steel wool mixture. I planed off a mere 0.015 mm (about ¹/₁₂₈″), and as you can see, the coloration hadn’t penetrated. If I had soaked the piece, the color might have gone a little deeper — but not by much. It’s a surface-level transformation only.

The effect is almost instant, though the deep color takes a few minutes to develop fully.

Here’s a Youtube video of the process:

(Link)

After two coats of shellac and a few stickers, my Advent calendars were ready for the market. Here are some pictures:

That’s it for this year’s market. This project was mainly a test — to see if there really is a market for things like this. I’m especially pleased with the heart-shaped necklaces; the Purpleheart looks absolutely stunning.

In a few weeks, I’ll find out whether others think so too. I’m looking forward to standing behind the table at the julemarked, watching people stop, look, and maybe find a small treasure to take home. With any luck, a few of these pieces will end up under someone’s tree — a bit of handmade woodwork among all the glossy gifts. Not bad for a few evenings in the workshop.

If I don’t publish anything more in 2025, let me take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas — and to thank you for following along. See you next year, with more sawdust, stories, and (inevitably) the occasional sausage.