As the festive season is now upon us, some of us may be panicking about the lack of advent calendars in our lives. And even more of us might be wondering if they could upgrade their advent calendars to something more… personal. Well, what better way to get what you want than to make your own advent calendar! Using our crafty tips and tricks, you could create your classy advent calendar filled with tasty treats and personal favourites to make each day of December worth smiling about.
Just before we dive into our ideas, why not have a quick browse of our brilliant collection of Christmas cards? We’ve got a vibrant and varied range filled with an array of wonderful designs, and here’s a selection of a few of our favourites:
Plus, we’ve also got some truly fantastic gifts that you can send alongside your card!
How can I make my own advent calendar?
So, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, there are a few different ways to do this. You could obviously just buy an advent calendar from the shops, or buy a custom advent calendar with all your favourite treats from a posh shop. But that would be too easy, and here at thortful, we like a challenge – and we love some good old fashioned Christmas crafting.
So what does making an advent calendar actually entail? Well, here are some quick step-by-step instructions to get you started:
- Pick out and number your containers: The first step should involve picking out some small boxes, envelopes, or bags, then numbering these 1-24, or 25 if you want something to open up on the big day too.
- It’s time to decorate: Next, it’s time to add some festive sparkle to your advent calendar – we’re thinking bows, glitter, and paint!
- Slot in your treats: It’s finally time for the fun part, filling your containers with your treats! Simply place something in each one, ready to open each morning in December.
DIY advent calendar ideas for kids
Christmas is about spending time with family, and what better way to enjoy the company of your beloved little monsters than with a fun arts and crafts session where they can make their own Christmas decorations, or make their own advent calendar.
How to make an advent calendar with chocolate
When it comes to DIY Christmas advent calendar ideas, one classic option is to repurpose an existing one. So, you can take a shop-bought advent calendar, either already empty (alternatively, another way to empty it would be by scoffing all the chocolates at once…) and taking the plastic tray out of the cardboard box. Then, take your favourite chocolate bar and melt it over boiling water in a glass bowl (just make sure the kids stand back for this part!).
Wait for the chocolate to cool slightly, so it’s still runny but not piping hot, and pour it slowly and carefully into the individual plastic moulds. Let this cool in the fridge overnight, and by the next day, you’ll be able to slide the plastic carton back inside the cardboard box and enjoy 25 days of your favourite chocolate!
Toy advent calendars
Another idea kids are bound to love is an advent calendar filled with tiny toys! So, we’ve pulled together a list of things that make perfect advent calendar fillers for little ones:
- Art supplies, including pens, paints, and stickers
- Puzzles and mini card games
- Bouncy balls and marbles
- Wind-up toys and fidget spinners
- Mini stuffed animals
- A Lego mini kit
Also, why not try creating different themes, like using reindeer names instead of numbers on your boxes? Or you could just get really creative with lots of glittery stars and pompoms! You could even use little figurines to create your own nativity scene one day at a time, using finger puppets or action figures.
There are so many ways you could make an exciting advent calendar with your kids, so get out there and play!
DIY advent calendar ideas for adults
Next, maybe you’re hoping to create an advent calendar for the ultimate gift for a loved one, or perhaps even for yourself? Well then, we’ve pulled together a couple of ideas which you’re bound to love:
How to make an advent calendar with beauty gifts
Now another really fun way to pamper yourself during this season of dry, cold weather is to create your own little beauty advent calendar. These normally cost A LOT of money, but you can make one for yourself with smaller, cheaper items like facemasks and nail polishes from the pharmacy, or even with beauty items you already own that are unopened. We’ve found that the best way to do this is to create little boxes that you can stack in the shape of a Christmas tree (so cute, we know!).
Our favourite free template for creating little boxes can be found from , and it can be printed out and used to cut some small boxes from a larger bit of thin cardboard, a great way to use up all those you’ve accumulated buying Christmas presents!
Then, when you’ve masterfully crafted your boxes and of course painted them in beautiful colours, you’re ready to fill them with your special beauty gifts and place it all in pride of place on the mantelpiece.
How to make an advent calendar with alcohol
Next, if you’re looking for advent calendar ideas for adults, we can’t think of a more perfect option than an alcohol-themed calendar.
Now this is one craft where you could totally break out the power tools and cut up some PVC pipe to create your round tubes for holding alcohol bottles – or, you could use some tins that are ready to be recycled, like baked beans or tomato soup (making sure to rinse out the cans thoroughly, of course). You can then paint the cans/tubes using acrylic paints and seal them with a glossy finish. Alternatively, you can cover them in festive wrapping paper or stickers.
Then, you’ll want to glue all of your tubes/cans into a neat little shape, maybe a Christmas tree or even a star if you’re feeling adventurous. Next, create some lids for your tubes/cans, so that each day can be a little surprise of a mini tipple. You can do this by either placing all your individual alcohol bottles into the cans and then covering them all with wrapping paper, or using muffin cases with stickers or numbers written on them pushed inside the tins/tubes to create a little cover. Taaa-daaa! You’ve got yourself a gin/beer/whatever you fancy homemade advent calendar to enjoy throughout the year.
Alternative advent calendar ideas:
Finally, we thought we’d leave you with a couple of alternative advent calendar ideas if you’re looking for something a little bit different this December:
How to make an advent calendar with dog treats
Now everyone loves to spoil their dogs at Christmas, it’s a well-known fact that they are the favourite member of every family. So how about treating them to a little festive treat every day with their own doggy advent calendar? Now we know what you’re thinking – dog treats can be really stinky, why would I put one of those inside a cardboard box? And we’re here to say – obviously don’t do that… we have an alternative method.
Create your own sealed pouches, either using small sealable plastic pouches, envelopes or tiny gift bags. Then, fill them with your puppy’s favourite treats and attach these to a pin board or a large bit of cardboard with numbers written on them for every day of advent. Our only request is that you make sure their advent calendar is kept well out of reach – after all, no-one wants their four-legged friend scarfing down too many treats at once!
An adventure-based advent calendar
For our final option, we love the idea of pulling together a truly unique, adventure-based advent calendar. For this one, all you’ll need to do is collect 24/25 tiny note cards, some string, and finally some clips. Then, on the back of each note, write an adventure or an activity (big or small) that you can do each day in December. This could be something like going to pick out a Christmas tree, making a hot chocolate, or simply going on a festive family walk!
While you won’t be opening gifts with this one, we think you’ll be more than satisfied when you look back on such a fun-filled month.
Hopefully you’re feeling super inspired by our homemade advent calendar ideas, and you’re now raring to get started with making your own! Plus, for plenty more festive inspiration, why not head over to the thortful blog?
There you can read about the best homemade Christmas gifts as well as how to make a Christmas stocking and even how to make a Christmas wreath. Happy crafting!
