Welcome to Winterkele 2024!

The Winterkele calendar observes the winter solstice, the darkest days of the year in the northern hemisphere. It is a creation of Marguerite Keyes and Beatrice McGeoch.  We have been collaborating on the project for 4 years and are so happy that this year we are releasing a second edition.

What is hiding on the winter woodland floor? Open each window to reveal a hidden scene, a fortune to share, and a surprise craft. After seven days, you will have made it through these darkest days of the year, and your Winterkele will be transformed by creatures alive with the promise of spring!

Winterkele 2024 is a limited edition of 200, risograph printed at Binch Press in Providence, RI.

How to use Winterkele.

Winterkele is designed to stand upright; displayed with side panels slightly angled as supports. For 7 days, each of the windows can be removed to reveal a winter scene, and windows each become papercraft creatures that live in the scene. The final result is a winter scene that you can enjoy as a decoration throughout the winter and for many years to come.

Tip: Follow along with us as we craft each creature day by day. We will be posting how-to videos here: Beatrice (@landing.the.plane) and Marguerite (@marguerite_go_wash_your_feet)

You will need an exacto knife, an appropriate cutting surface, and glue to assemble the creatures. Tip: Lay the calendar on a flat surface to help you carefully tear along perforated windows.

SOLID LINE MEANS "CUT HERE"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _DASHED LINE MEANS "VALLEY FOLD"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DOTTED LINE MEANS "MOUNTAIN FOLD"
For assembly, GLUE MATCHING ▲ ↔ ▲ SYMBOLS TOGETHER

2023 Assembly Instructions Below- stay tuned for 2024 updates!

Read below, or follow on Instagram where we post how-to videos Beatrice (@landing.the.plane) and Marguerite (@marguerite_go_wash_your_feet)

Tip: Reference drawings beside each lantern pattern as a clue to their final shape.

Door 2: December 22. This window contains a thread to string between the notches on the sides of Winterkele, and a guide for assembling the tiny crafts to come.

Tip: If the thread is slipping, you can tie knots toward the ends to help hold it in place. Please do not tape it down just yet, since it will need to be removable for adding hanging items from in the coming days.

Doors 3, 4, and 5: December 23, 24, 25. Assemble first three little lanterns! Cut along the solid purple lines. Use a craft blade and an appropriate cutting surface.

Tip: Score the dotted or dashed lines with a bone folder (or just your fingernail ) to help in making clean folds. The dotted purple lines will fold up like a mountain peak, and the dashed purple lines should be folded inward to form a valley.

Tip: You can use a pencil to curl the paper around to form the cylindrical shape of two of the lanterns. Overlap the corresponding symbols and glue at those points. Now you can thread the lantern onto the string.

Tip: Remove garland from notches each time you open a new window. This will help you reach the windows and also gets you ready for stringing on the next assembled lantern.

Door 6: December 26. No folding needed! Simply cut along all the solid purple lines, then slide the diamonds into the slots to complete the star lantern.