Our family is a huge fan of Christmas advent calendars and every year we make our own DIY advent calendar. Making our own advent calendar is a fun activity and enables us to fill it for each other with what we like, reflecting our interests, whether this be toys or beauty items or food or other small items. Here is a compilation of the best Christmas advent calendar ideas we’ve found as we’ve researched which advent calendars DIY to create each year.
Shoe Organiser Advent Calendar
This is a such a clever idea using a 24 pocket over the door shoe organiser and painting gold numbers on to the pockets. So simple and effective.
You can attach red felt around the borders of the shoe bag organiser if you want to make it look more festive or just leave it as is. This is definitely one of the easiest DIY advent calendars to make.
24 pocket over the door shoe organisers are available HERE.
Idea from Elizabeth Joan Designs.
Christmas Stocking Advent Calendar
How cute does this Christmas Stocking Advent Calendar look! Making your own DIY stocking advent calendar means you can match the Christmas Stockings with your Christmas colour scheme.
Idea from Make and Takes.
Wood Advent Calendar
It’s incredible how an old wooden pallet can be converted into such a stylish wood advent calendar. And it’s simple enough for anyone to make. If your children are old enough they will love to help construct this Christmas Tree advent calendar.
If you already have a mini stocking advent calendar you can add those stockings onto this wood pallet advent calendar, or you can buy a mini stocking advent calendar HERE to add to your wooden advent calendar. If you are a sewer you can make your own mini Christmas stockings in the fabric of your choice to add to this DIY wood advent calendar.
Idea from Dainty Dress Diaries.
Paper Bag Advent Calendar
This DIY Paper Bag Advent Calendar is super easy to make. I made it one year when my children were younger and I filled each paper bag with a Christmas related activity for us to do as a family. Activities included reading a Christmas story, visiting a Christmas market, making a Christmas craft, getting a Santa photo taken, visiting the local Christmas tree farm to buy our real Christmas tree, creating Christmas cookies, visiting the city to see the Christmas lights and decorations, etc. Every morning when my kids woke up they’d run to this advent calendar to find out what festive fun activity we were going to do that day.
Idea from Tell Love and Party.
Christmas Book Advent Calendar
A DIY book advent calendar is great for kids who love reading a Christmas story each evening in the lead up to Christmas.
You can wrap up Christmas books you already own or buy some new ones to add in also. Kids will love unwrapping a different Christmas book each day. You don’t have to make this a 24 day advent calendar, you could choose to make it a 14 day or 7 day advent calendar.
Click HERE to see new Christmas book suggestions.
Idea from All About Learning Press.
Toilet Roll DIY Advent Calendar
Make your own advent calendar using finished toilet paper rolls. This quick craft Christmas tree advent calendar is fun to make yourself or get your kids to help as well. Fill the recycled toilet roll advent calendar yourself so your kids get a fun surprise each day of the advent countdown to Christmas.
Idea from A Mother Thing.
Hanging Advent Calendar
I absolutely love this stylish pink and gold themed hanging branch advent calendar. It’s so gorgeous and perfect to coordinate with your chosen Christmas colours. The extra hanging baubles add such a beautiful festive vibe.
Idea from Birds Party.
Envelope Advent Calendar
Another cute and simple but effective advent calendar is an envelope advent calendar. This is one of my favourite advent calendar ideas for adults, especially grandparents. We made one for Grandma last year with each envelope containing a chocolate coin, a tea bag and a photo of her grandkids. She absolutely loved it and is already hinting she wants to receive another envelope photo advent calendar this year too.
Idea from Pretty Providence.
Santa Beard Advent Calendar
This Santa’s Beard advent calendar is especially loved by young children who enjoy craft activities. Add a cotton wool ball to Santa’s beard each day throughout December until Christmas and watch it grow.
Idea from Creative Ever After.
Wreath Bonbon Advent Calendar
Make your own merry and bright Christmas wreath advent calendar out of colourful little bonbons that you can fill with lollies, jokes and other small gifts like Christmas earrings.
Idea from Oh Happy Day.
Happy advent calendar crafting and Merry Christmas!
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Ingrid is a lover of all things Christmas who has been helping make Christmas time easier and less stressful for her family and friends all her life with Christmas tips, Christmas gift suggestions, Christmas recipe inspiration and Christmas event planning.
Ingrid now shares all this Christmas information here on her Christmas Time Made Easy website. She also shares information about the best Christmas events and activities happening in her home town of Sydney, Australia.