Homemade Advent Calendars

Want to make an Advent Calendar instead of buying one this year? Here’s a roundup of easy to make homemade Advent Calendars.

HOMEMADE ADVENT CALENDARS

Advent Calendars are an essential party of our family’s Christmas traditions. 

However, I am in two minds about them.

I can’t quite decide whether to stick to the simple versions from my childhood, that certainly didn’t include a daily gift or chocolate,  or whether to embrace so many of the beautiful ways that there are for sharing a very simple gift every day. 

Whichever, I do, I’ve got a few ideas that will keep my options open .

I know that my daughter will be beyond excited if I can produce anything that comes close to one of these beautiful advent calendars in our roundup below. 

I’ve gone for calendars that are super easy to make – because I am not blessed in the crafting department!

I do hope you enjoy these ideas as much as I have… 

EASY HOMEMADE ADVENT CALENDARS

1. CHRISTMAS TREE ADVENT CALENDAR

This is a gorgeous pattern for a Christmas tree advent calendar over on Etsy. It’s an instant digital download, so you can literally buy it and start making!!

2. LOVELY LITTLE BAGS

A wonderful re-usable alternative to packages are little bags which could be hung to branches or to a simple twig arrangement like Design Mom

3. MINI STOCKINGS ADVENT CALENDAR

This is a great step-by-step advent calendar tutorial by Trillium Design Blog to make a Christmas stockings advent calendar, with stockings you can stuff with mini-gifts or candy!

4. REINDEER ADVENT CALENDAR

This reindeer advent calendar pattern on Etsy has step-by-step instructions and detailed material list.

It’s designed especially for beginners with clearly written directions and beautifully illustrated photographs. It guides you through creating what could become a gorgeous family heirloom.

5. EASY PEG ADVENT CALENDAR

There are lots of homemade advent calendar ideas around involving pegs. I suspect pegs are going to feature on mine! Creek Line House has a simple idea for pegged goodie bags.

6. BIG POCKET ADVENT CALENDAR

This is a PDF digital sewing pattern for a Big Pocket Advent Calendar on Etsy. The expanding pockets are large enough to fit three packets of sweets or small gifts so that it can be filled with treats for the whole family during advent.

7. PRINTABLE PEG BAGS ADVENT CALENDAR

Yellow Bliss Road has some lovely printable bags that can be hung with pegs from string

8. WHITE PAPER BAG TIED IN ADVENT CALENDAR

Charm Design has lovely bags that are tied onto a prop, such as a ladder, rather than pegged on.

9. ENVELOPES

If you’re not so keen on a daily gift, however small, envelopes with personal messages, jokes, photos or a piece of scripture are a lovely idea. They can be arranged super simply but effectively as these from A Few Things From My Life 

10. SIMPLE RED ENVELOPE ADVENT CALENDAR

This is a fabulously simple homemade advent calendar idea by Martha Stewart styling envelopes to form a shape.

11. A DAILY DECORATION ADVENT CALENDAR

Another alternative to a daily gift is a daily decoration that can then be hung on the tree.

The decorations don’t have to be new and there are loads of lovely easy ways you can make your own home made decorations (this is our MOST POPULAR POST ON MUMS MAKE LISTS EACH CHRISTMAS!) 

12. ADVENT CALENDAR BOXES

Boxes make great advent calendars, just stack them up. Here’s a free printable from EasyPeasyAndFun.com

13. CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

There are other simple but fun ways children can countdown to Christmas, like by hanging numbers or using this brilliant magnetic numbers on a baking tray idea from Brenda Johnston.

14. GIFT TAG ADVENT CALENDAR

Huckleberry Love has very prettily hung numbered gift tags within an old frame.

15. ADVENT CALENDAR IN A MASON JAR

Older children will appreciate small and simple advent calendars, like this jar of felt balls with a message from Poppy Talk

16. PAPER CHAIN ADVENT CALENDAR

Create a paper chain advent calendar like this one from Christmas Your Way, which is a free printable.

17. MINI BOXES ADVENT CALENDAR

If you want to include a very small gift, you can use a matchbox calendar like this one from A Little Bit of Quiet is perfect …

18. CARDBOARD ROLL ADVENT CALENDAR

If you don’t have the time to make the boxes you can produce a similar effect with the inside from paper towel rolls.

19. PAPER CUP ADVENT CALENDAR

Or even simpler you could just hang paper cups like  Red Ted Art 

20. WASHI TAPE

Where would we be at Christmas without a little Washi tape crafting? I LOVE this Washi Tape Advent Calendar, which you can find in our Washi Tape Christmas craft roundup.

…along with this other Washi tape Advent calendar gem. 

Well I hope you find something here that you like. 

You can find all our other holiday season and Christmas posts here. Do take a peak, we’ve got posts on homemade Christmas ideas, Christmas food, gift ideas and more… 

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