Have you always wanted to know how I made my Advent calendar, or what the design process looks like? Today I'll take you on a journey. The journey of over eight months to create my cozy Advent calendar. Ready? Go!
moreIt's a long and complicated process, but luckily I took a lot of photos along the way. So, with a photo journal featuring numbers, I'll take you through the entire journey.
1. Learning to think in 3D
I'd made a tiny sketch in my sketchbook, but I'd never made anything in 3D before. So I started with just printer paper, scissors, and tape. I roughly cut out some shapes. It looked like it was going well, so off to the drawing board!
2. Drawing
Very inconvenient. In hindsight, I should have measured/calculated precisely first. Little did I know. In this step, I drew everything out. Slowly, the whole project took shape in my mind, although I still couldn't see how I was going to pull it off. My husband Edwin is a genius with numbers and math, so he assured me time and again that the construction would work out just fine. The next point of stress was that I had no idea what the production would cost and therefore whether it would even be feasible!
3. Time for color!
To get a better idea of the direction I wanted to go, I painted everything. That, too, was a completely new challenge in terms of 3D thinking with color/light and color palette. But as much as I enjoyed the whole project, painting remains my passion, so this was secretly the most fun part!
4. Mock up and request quotes
Using the sketch, I've put together a mock-up that already resembles the final result. I needed this later for the calculations, but at this early stage in the process, it was mainly for requesting quotes. Requesting quotes, clarifying my intended direction, and of course, initially finding companies that offer this service (and learning the associated terminology) took over a month. All that time, I was nervous about whether the project would be viable. Finally, I found a fantastic company and received the winning quote: it was possible! It would be a huge investment (for me as a newly starting small business owner), but I was confident it would be worth it.
5. Math, math and more math
I was so happy to have help with this! I don't know about your math, but my math has gone way down the drain. Honestly, I could never have done this myself. The house's construction and the associated calculations were especially complicated, and I had a hard time coping with the stress and anxiety (whether it would all fit and whether we'd make any mistakes). What a few weeks those were! But with so much thanks to Edwin, it all went smoothly (for me, anyway). After the first round of calculations, we made another paper mock-up to see if everything roughly fit. Then the testing at the manufacturer began.
6. Handing over
Up until then, we were able to do everything ourselves, but now I had to hand it over and let the product, die-cutter, printers, and technical staff do their work. This also meant I was locked into my investment; spending thousands of euros was incredibly nerve-wracking—YEW! A lot of testing was required. How big the holes should be and which type of cardboard to achieve the right strength was just one of the challenges we had to solve. This was my first time collaborating professionally on product development, and I ended up really enjoying it!
7. Victory
Something I'd labeled "impossible" a year earlier had become a reality. By breaking it down into tiny, manageable steps, asking for help, and simply having the courage to get started, I was able to hold my Advent calendar in my hands after more than eight months of work!
The calendar has only been on sale for a month now, I haven't recouped the costs yet, but I hope to do so this month (hint: want to help?).
You can shop it here:
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I'm so glad you enjoyed my blog! If you have any questions, please leave a comment or send me a message!
Love,
Esther
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