Ayyam-i-Ha Countdown Flower

The Bahá’í holiday of Ayyam-i-Ha is coming soon, and while I loved the countdown chain we’ve done previously, this year I wanted to jazz it up a little and do something a little more crafty and maybe even pretty.

A popular symbol among Bahá’ís is the nine-pointed star, since the number nine symbolizes unity.  I wanted to play with this image and see if I could combine it with a flower, since spring is also just around the corner (or at least that’s what I keep telling myself!)  So I made a flower countdown calendar that when opened is also a nine-pointed star.

It’s almost that time of year! Countdown calendar tutorial on the blog tomorrow! #mkbkids #kbn #momsoninstagram #ayyamiha #bahai

A photo posted by Leanna Alldonemonkey (@alldonemonkey) on Jan 27, 2016 at 2:28pm PST

As any Bahá’í will tell you, a nine-pointed star is not the easiest symbol to have.  Most of us can’t just casually draw a star with nine evenly spaced point or fold a piece of paper into a simple nine-pointed origami star.  And neither, I’ve discovered, is it very easy to cut a circle into nine equal slices.

And nineteen is also a challenging number in many respects.  The Bahá’í month is 19 days long, so a countdown calendar should have 19 parts.  But how do you draw a flower with 19 petals??

So now, thanks to the magic of computers, I’ve done the legwork for you, and you can simply print and assemble your nine-pointed star flower countdown calendar!  For those not celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha, it is still a beautiful, fun craft!

Ayyam-i-Ha Countdown Flower

Step 1

Download the Ayyam-i-Ha Countdown Flower template (you can also download the Ayyam-i-Ha Countdown Template PDF) and print on the paper of your choosing.  I did the first two pages on colored paper and the last on white, so the photo shows up well.

Step 2

Cut out the circles on the first two pages, cutting about a 1/2 inch outside of the drawn line.  Cut the lines into the circle as well.

Step 3

Cut out a circle large enough to cover the photo on the 3rd page and tape it over like a little door or window.

Step 4
Glue the circles on top of the third page. The small wheel should go on first and then the larger wheel on top of that. Make sure they are all centered on top of each other.

I lined up the lines of each of the circles, though it would also be a nice effect to put them off center, so the petals alternate colors when opened.

Step 5

Write a number on each petal (with “19” on the final window to the photo of the globe) and then decorate however you like!  On the first day of the month before Ayyam-i-Ha, begin folding back one petal a day, starting with “1” and going all the way to “19” on the final day.

How are you getting ready for Ayyam-i-Ha?  If you do this craft, I’d love for you to share the photo on my Facebook page!  And be sure to scroll down to enter our annual Ayyam-i-Ha giveaway!

Once again we pair up with Creative World of Varya to bring you an exciting Worldwide Ayyam-i-Ha Giveaway!

We are so pleased to be able to offer you 3 fabulous prize packages – each including a copy of our book!

Simply enter below for a chance to win! And you can stay tuned for our updates on our Children’s Book Facebook page!

For more Ayyám-i-Há fun, be sure to check out the Ayyám-i-Há Fun Book we wrote together, as well as my Ayyám-i-Há Gift Guide!

(Prizes are available worldwide, unless specified otherwise!)

Our Ayyám-i-Há Fun Book

Elika Mahony’s Digital Albums: Glimmerings and Infinite Bounty

US$40 Gift Certificate from Happy Heart Kid (US residents only)

Ayyam-i-Ha Garland from Delightful Design, LLC

Art Print from Sophia Wood

Our Ayyám-i-Há Fun Book

Elika Mahony’s Digital Album: Birds of Love

US$15 Gift Certificate from Honey’s Quilling/Honey’s Hive: may be used for Zibbet shop

1 Kindle book from Sophia Wood

Our Ayyám-i-Há Fun Book

Elika Mahony’s Digital Album: Fire and Gold

Baha’i Themed Wrapping Paper from 18 Letter Press

Enter our giveaway to win one of these fabulous prize packages!

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