Make an Advent Calendar this Christmas!

It’s beginning to look a bit like Christmas…

I am so excited to share this DIY Advent Calendar with you! My kids are just getting old enough to really appreciate the magic of Christmas, and I’m making the most of it this year. Who knows how long it will last before someone bursts their festive bubble (I’m hoping for a couple more years at least)!

I wanted to create a calendar that was fun and exciting for the kids, but which also looked lovely on my wall. It’s going to be there for a month, so I figured it was a good opportunity to make something pretty. I saw a stunning example in Your Home and Garden mag, which I used as a starting point for this.

I also wanted to show you ideas that you can DIY yourself, without spending loads on the supplies. So in this blog you’ll see ideas for little kraft boxes and bags which you can make yourself pretty easily. As well as fabric wrapping which can be done on a shoestring. I must admit I went all out with the version you see here, but you can totally pare it back and make it more affordable and minimalist. Totally depends on your vibe this year!

Another great thing about making your own Advent Calendar is that you can repurpose supplies from around your home. You can use card, paper and fabric from the archives. And keep in mind that you’ll be able to reuse parts from the calendar next year, so perhaps focus your time and effort on those parts the most.

A little note about the contents of each day’s goodie bag:

I really wanted to create an experience the kids would love and that would bring to life the wonder of Christmas. I didn’t want it to be a daily expectation of chocolate and lollies, that would turn them into little terrors! Luckily my audience on instagram gave me lots of fabulous ideas of experiences and down to earth tasks for each day. So I’ve mixed it up - some days the kids get a little chocolate almond, some days we plan an activity like a Christmas movie, some days we do something to help others. Scroll to the bottom of the blog of a list of what I planned for each day.

Ok let’s get started…

Pick an overall style

First up, choose the overall style of your Advent Calendar. I decided to go natural with lovely warm sunset shades. The pops of colour look really great with the brown kraft paper and cardboard.

You might want to go traditional withe festive red and green? Or try a simple yet stylish look with gold, silver and natural tones. Have a think about the room it’s going in and what will work. I figured the kids are going to be so excited about what’s in each box, so they won’t be too fussed about how it looks!

choose your method

Do you want to pop each day’s goodie in a box, or a little gift bag? Or wrap it up with fabric? Read on to hear about the different options and how you can be resourceful to make them yourself.

Supplies

I’ve put a list of the supplies I used at the end of the blog. What you use will really depend on the style and look you go for.

I wanted to do a little shout out to Love From Seventeen who gave me these gorgeous little Advent Calendar Tags. They really were the perfect finishing touch, and I love how they can be used year after year, no matter what style calendar you choose.

Make a DIY cardboard gift box

This is such a cute little stand alone project to make! And I think you’d find lots of uses for these gift boxes. I spent a lot of time and thought researching a method that was simple and quick, and that didn’t involve printing templates.

For this project, I used an A4 piece of card. You can tailor the size of the box depending on the size paper you use. And the height of the box can be varied, depending on what size ruler you use. Have a play around until you find one that suits. The video below is the best way to learn:

I’ve also included the step by step instructions below, which are easy to refer to.

Make your own little gift bags

These little paper gift bags are super cute for the advent calendar, and hang so nicely on the wall! They are also a great way to wrap your gifts. You can use wrapping paper, plain kraft paper, or any paper really to make these.

Learn this simple project by watching the video below:

You can also follow these simple step by step instructions below:

Fabric Wrapping

Furoshiki is a beautiful option for wrapping your gifts! I love how it’s reusable, and you can use fabric you already have. I used a linen bag by from Foxtrot at Home, which was a great way to repurpose the bag, and the linen looks so luxe in the Advent Calendar.

I went with a really quick and easy style of Furoshiki, embracing the frayed edges. If you google this method there’s lots of tutorials, some with beautiful big bows created on the front.

Note: If you are going to add hanging numbers, thread the string through before you finish tying the second knot.

Woven Bags

These little woven Kete bags are a super cute option to add to the mix. And I love how they add a touch of natural, plus they’re totally reusable.

Ideas for filling each bag

1. movies and popcorn

2. get out the Christmas books from storage

3. organise a Christmas kids gifts to donate

4. chocolate almonds

5. get some Christmas books from the library

6. watch a Christmas movie

7. go to the Santa parade

8. Sweet treat

9. Their own special decoration to put on the tree

10. chocolate almonds

11. choose toys to donate from our toy box

12. chocolate almonds

13. go see Christmas lights

14. banana pikelets for breakfast

15. make Christmas cards for friends

16. hot chocolate night

17. make reindeer food

18. wrap mummy’s present

19. chocolate almonds

20. wrap daddy’s present

21. ice cream for dessert

22. Christmas baking

23. chocolate almonds

24. put out the food for Santa and reindeer

25. A hug for each of you!

Supplies I used

General

1. Ribbon from Spotlight

2. Wrapping paper ‘Festive Stripe’ from Rifle Paper Co

3. Kraft paper wrap from Warehouse Stationery

4. Wooden pegs from Spotlight

5. Twine from Warehouse Stationery

6. Set of Advent Calendar Tags by Love from Seventeen

7. Line Up Wall Handles with Narrow Long Pegs - Natural by Decor Handled

8. Woven bags from Look Sharp

Cardboard Boxes

1. Shiny oblong ones from Smith & Caugheys

2. Small square kraft ones from Look Sharp

3. Small Favour boxes from Spotlight

4. White flat pack ones from Prime Pak

Gift Bags

1. Kraft wrapping paper from Warehouse Stationery

2. ‘Festive’ wrapping paper from Rifle Paper Co

3. Hole punch from Warehouse Stationery

Furoshiki Wrapping

1. Linen bag in Rosewood from Foxtrot Home

I hope you have loved every bit of this tutorial, and I’ve given you lots of ideas for making your next project! Make suer you share your creations with me over at @cleverpoppy, I would LOVE to see them!

Julie xx