Behind the Scenes for our Advent Calendar

Hi friend,

We're so grateful for so many of you who have pre-ordered the Advent Calendar this week just as we launched! Just in case you missed it, we did a little live showcasing a preview of the Advent on Instagram, with my very cute assistant who has been under the weather this week. 

As I mentioned, our Brush Calligraphy Advent Calendar was a very complex project to create. We had to find the right manufacturer for it, and because I wasn't sure exactly what we wanted to create and how to make it, it was hard to even explain what we needed. I created a few sketches and mockups, shared potential material, and relied on the expertise of our packaging company (the same one we use for our beginner kits!) to figure out the rest. 

Pre-Order Your Advent Calendar Here

Pen Slot Issue

In my initial mockups, I wanted to have the pen to sit right on top of the booklets because I thought that calendar was thick enough. But it would cost a lot more to make the calendar thicker/heavier with cardboard. We had a few options, like elastic or paper rolls, but ultimately we went with a larger paper insert that we also printed on with instructions, that way it held the pens, and didn't come out when you removed the sleeve. 

Printing Complexities

With this being a writing booklet, it needed to hold ink well, which required us to test the paper and ultimately chose a thicker paper stock, and also chose a binding method that allowed the booklet to lay flat for ease of writing. Then, we had to make sure that the booklets were placed on the correct day - so we decided to print the cover to match the inside of each "door".

Pre-Order Your Advent Calendar Here

My Manufacturer Said "It Was Their Most Complex Project Yet"

As it required so many prototypes, assembly and so much more. And for myself, I also had to design this thing, right? By the time we figured out the artwork file - the whole tariff situation descended on us in April/May that I didn't have the energy or the mindspace to figure it out. But then when June came along, I was like... we really need to finish this because my son was going to start summer break soon, so I had to remove all distractions and finish getting this done. 

So yes, our Brush Calligraphy Advent Calendar is manufactured in China (pens are made in Japan). Believe me that I also tried to get it made in Canada/USA, but it was going to cost 4x more and would not allow us to sell retail or wholesale. The response time, expertise and support I got from my manufacturer was unparalleled and I'm so grateful I had partnered with them to create this unique Advent Calendar. 

And, as I mentioned, these Advent Calendars will be available in both our US/Canada warehouses, so if you're based in US/Canada, you shouldn't need to worry about additional tariffs/costs for receiving this precious labor of love.