She Knits Shizknits Mama Sheree features this festiveDIY advent calendar idea that she made with her son one year for the holidays. Using felt circles with simple sewn string for a nice patterned look, Sheree attached each felt piece of their advent garland to a candy gold coin upon the mantle — just enough to weight it down for hanging, yet still light enough for small hands to give a healthy pull for their treat each day! All in all a fun idea for adding some color to your family’s holiday decor, and one that can be used in years to come.
We absolutely love this cool advent clock calendar included on Michelle Made Me! A clever idea for counting — not to mention for learning more about how clocks function — this fun countdown timekeeper was chosen by Michelle’s son (a.k.a. the President of Everything). The crafty pair got to work on assembly with odds and ends found around the house, including a cardboard box, frozen concentrated juice containers and lids, ribbon, newspaper, used gift wrap, white paper, paint, and Mod Podge. Be sure to check out the rest of Michelle’s tutorial for the full scoop on getting started!
Mom Chris of Just a Girl shares this neat (and thrifty!) idea for creating an advent jar for her family during the holidays. To get started, she picked up a pack of matchboxes from the grocery store and simply covered them with colorful scrapbooking paper. Instead of candy, each box contains a note describing a holiday family adventure — play a board game together, make popcorn and watch a Christmas movie, decorate a gingerbread house, make dinner for Mom and Dad (there’s a keeper!), and much more. Follow the link to see more of Chris’ great holiday ideas.
Mom Jordan and her crafty friend Amanda feature this gorgeous advent idea on Oh Happy Day — and if you love these sweet little bags as much as we do, you’re in luck — the free printables for the numbers are only a click away! To make your own, you’ll need to find small sacks of your choice and have some iron-on transfer paper on hand. Once your bags have their numbers included for each day of the month, simply fill them up with little treats, toys, and fun activity ideas that your family can enjoy throughout the season. Check out the rest of the full post for the complete walkthrough, pictorial, and to download the free printables.
Kerstin Reilemann of the German design blog Snug Studio shares this modern yet adorable Christmas adventure advent calendar idea, and we have a feeling that this is one countdown activity that’s sure to spark plenty of play throughout the holidays! Inspired by the great outdoors, this advent forest scene is made using simple materials such as construction paper and leftover toilet paper tubes. Be sure to check out the rest of the post for two additional advent ideas that are equally modern and adorable!
Design Sponge maven Brenna offers up this lovely DIY idea for creating an advent calendar out of “falling stars” — and we must admit, this beautiful yet simple project is stunning both as a Christmas countdown and as holiday décor! To get started on your own falling stars, embark on a backyard adventure for the perfect pine bough, and prepare your stars with brown postal or wrapping paper. Once your stars are almost completely sewn shut, fill them up with festive shreds of paper and sweets for each day, and give them one last zip through the sewing machine. Brenna includes a fantastic tutorial for getting started; be sure to check it out for the full scoop!
Hoping to make an upcycled advent calendar out of materials found around your house? Consider whipping up this quick and easy recycled tin can advent calendar featured on Skip to My Lou! Made using tin cans that have been painted red, wire, and a tree branch (or long stick), this neat countdown idea is inexpensive and a great activity for you and your littles to create together. For the numbers, Cindy says that they decided to use white vinyl, though if you’re working with what you’ve got, we think that a simple paint job for each would do the trick. And, if you want to get extra festive, don’t forget to add a little glitter! Check out the rest of Cindy’s post for 50 fun family activities that can be included on notes in each day’s can.
Another great idea for keeping this year’s advent calendar simple and budget-friendly, this advent bag countdown featured on Moment to Moment is sure to be a hit for everyone this holiday season. To get started on your own, simply purchase some brown bags and cut up some numbers on festive holiday paper to apply to each bag. Once the numbers have dried, hang each bag up on a string with a clothespin and deck them out with daily surprises and holiday treasures.
We can’t get enough of this clever Christmas advent calendar featured by the crafty-cool ladies of Eighteen25. Not only does it give a fun stylish twist to the traditional Christmas countdown, but the cones also remind us of colorful holiday trees… A win on both fronts! To make your own, simply pick up some colorful paper at your local craft store and either make your own numbers or download the free printable sheet that is included in the full post. All in all, a super-easy way to add a touch of festive holiday colors to your home while recognizing each day of the month with fun surprises and goodies!
Mom Maya of the ever-amazing craft blog Maya*Made shares this fantastic holiday countdown tree that she made for her family a couple of years ago with the help from some leftover toilet paper tubes (24, to be exact!). And though she chose to add her mini advent houses to a tree branch, Maya admits that these sweet little abodes will look great in a variety of ways — as a garland, on a bulletin board, on the Christmas tree, and beyond. And the best part — instead of including the actual goodies behind the doors of the houses, each tube instead offers a time ticket or a slip of paper with a clue to where a surprise is hidden in the house. (Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt?!) Check out Maya’s full post for the complete tutorial when getting started.
Want more DIY holiday craft and gift ideas? We’ve got ’em:
- 15 Homemade Christmas Gifts That Kids Can Make
- 10 Homemade Christmas Ornaments That Kids Can Make
- 20 More Christmas Ornaments That Kids Can Make
- 15 Hanukkah Crafts for Kids
- 10 Holiday Food Gifts You Can Make with Kids
