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November 23, 2008 9:53 PM

I want to make or buy an advent calendar that leads up to Barak Obama's inauguration day. Assuming there are no such calendars to be purchased, what sorts of trinkets and candy should I use to fill the compartments. I think the date range will be from Christmas day to the inauguration so I can give them as Christmas gifts to my lefty friends. (I was inspired by this question)
posted by DB Cooper to shopping (15 comments total)

I'm sure there are plenty of barak obama buttons that would work. As for candy, almond roca or andes mints would be my votes tootsie rolls if you need to be cheaper.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 10:13 PM on November 23, 2008

Secret Service Action Figure could work. The figure comes with a ton of accessories, they could be used to count down the days.

Using plastic little army men would be cheaper. Plays into the "Withdrawing the Troops Theme.
posted by JujuB at 10:22 PM on November 23, 2008

This is the coolest idea! I'm a lefty. Can I be your friend?

Anyway...

Include a miniature ornament hanger with each calendar. Then, make Shrinky-Dink ornaments. Like, one of Obama, one of Michelle, Malia, Sasha, puppy (if they choose one soon), the White House, Biden, Jill, any of the new cabinet members, also, some clip arts, like a peace sign, a stethoscope for health-care, bridge for infrastructure, windmill for green energy, etc.

Shrinky-Dinks can be printed on an ink-jet printer and baked in your oven, making it easier to make a lot at once in time for Christmas. (or so it says online.) I've never tried this myself. But I'm sure some of the Me-Fi crafters can give more guidance on how to do this.
posted by marsha56 at 10:28 PM on November 23, 2008

Obama buttons.
The terrorist fist jab refrigerator magnet is bound to be a treasured memento for years to come.
Dark and white chocolates or a black and white cookie, if size permits. (equality is sweet)
Macadamia nuts for that Hawaiian touch.
An ornament for one of the first days.
The PDF coupon for the "Goodbye Bush" special deal on Z magazine?
Anything from the offerings at cafepress. or, you know, Zazzle.
The Community Organizing Game on a USB drive?
A small broom?
Some trading cards?
posted by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal at 10:36 PM on November 23, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

A sheep one day, a pebble the next (and see how long it takes for the recipients to figure it out: BAA-ROCK)
A shiny penny attached to a little card with a Lincoln quote
A cigarette lighter with an Obama pic stuck to it with Podgy (shiny craft glue) and maybe a little glittery jewel or sequin for decoration
Some kind of Superman toy (BHO has already been compared to the Man of Steel many times)
Print a copy of a good article about him or one of his speeches & fold it up nicely
A printout of that photo of him running through the sea with his shirt off, made into a little magnet or something (glue it to cardboard & laminate with packing tape. Glue a piece of magnet on the back).
Make a set of big-ears trading cards, and sprinkle them through the days: Will Smith, Alfred E Neuman, a Norman Rockwell kid, etc... and finally BHO
An invitation to a BHO dinner party (he apparently eats salmon, rice, & broccoli for dinner every night)
A rubber fingertip from a magic shop (Rahm Emmanuel is missing the tip of his middle finger)
A fake photoshopped US $ bill with a presidential portrait of BHO- you can make it a fake denomination as though the bill is from the future, and your predictions about the economy can come into play (a $10,000 bill, etc)
An Oreo cookie (heck, somebody had to say it)</small?
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:39 PM on November 23, 2008

Shrinky-Dinks can be printed on an ink-jet printer and baked in your oven, making it easier to make a lot at once in time for Christmas. (or so it says online.) I've never tried this myself. But I'm sure some of the Me-Fi crafters can give more guidance on how to do this.

I actually made a bunch of Obama-logo knitting stitch markers with Shrinky Dinks. (Yes, I'm a geek. I'm a geek on several levels.) I used this tutorial. The only thing I did differently from the tutorial was that instead of using my own images, I went online, found an Obama logo, and took a screen shot of it. Assuming your friends are not knitters, you could use your Shrinky Dinks to make keychains or something like that.
posted by craichead at 11:00 PM on November 23, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

How about the Backwards Bush countdown clock?
posted by seymour.skinner at 11:05 PM on November 23, 2008

Hope = seeds and eggs. Possible theme.

Something basketball related.

Maybe, if you're feeling saucy this way, include something to encourage the recipient (you?) to do something small and constructive -- not sure what that would be -- something about listening to people with different views, with an aim toward a more unified population? Something about self-educating on an important issue you don't know much about yet?
posted by amtho at 11:15 PM on November 23, 2008

That Secret Service Action Figure is Jodie-Foster-hot.

You could make your own advent calendar.

I bet there are advent calendar cardboard templates out there on the wooly web... a perforating cutter is $3 at Office Max, and you can make/paint your own chocolate or (easier) marzipan whatevers.
posted by rokusan at 3:25 AM on November 24, 2008

Ooh, here's a thought: a small baggie of a pre-measured spice mixture with accompanying recipe for sweet potato pie.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:19 AM on November 24, 2008

I love this idea so much and I am not even American. You could use a poster from his campaign in a flat advent calendar like the chocolates calendars but another idea would be to give a living plant with small boxes hanging off it with the dates on the boxes. Or, nicer yet, a pot with pretty twisted hazel branches with spring bulbs planted at the base that will hopefully bloom around his inauguration. You may find something cheap in bulk from Oriental Trading. You could also grab (damn, my vocabulary has abandoned me) some of those "record your message" mini-recorders from cards and record a snippet of Obama that plays when the recipient opens the door/box. You can craft things like keychains, earrings and jewellery as well. Even a piece of paper with a joke is a fun thing to open on days you have run out of ideas (and money) on.
posted by saucysault at 5:33 AM on November 24, 2008

Oh, and a small framed photoshopped picture of your recipient with Barack would be fun too.
posted by saucysault at 5:44 AM on November 24, 2008

A teeny tiny stuffed dog for the Obama girls!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:29 AM on November 24, 2008

When I was a kid, Advent calendars were always paper, and you opened th window to see a picture. That would be vastly simpler to make, and would still be really nifty. In fact, I may use this idea.
posted by theora55 at 7:38 AM on November 24, 2008

[a few (more) comments removed - please take metacommentary on this thread to email or feel free to open something up in metatalk.]
posted by jessamyn at 8:13 AM on November 24, 2008