Jolly Christmas Advent calendars for the countdown

Christmas is coming! There are only 30 days, 19 hours, 9 minutes, and 30 seconds left for Christmas Eve, and I bring you a very original and fun way to wait for Christmas as a family: I am talking about an Advent calendar. Do you not know what it is? Let me explain that an Advent calendar is a countdown to expect Christmas Eve and fill you with the Christmas spirit and great enthusiasm as the days go by. In some families, it has become a tradition, which started in Germany, where each child lit a candle for each day that passed close to Christmas. This calendar is placed from December 1st to December 24th. Now you wonder how I get it? Where do they sell it? The truth is that there are stores where they sell them, but it is also possible to do it with our own hands. (And the best thing about doing it yourself is that you can customize the style)

Here are some ideas that you can use to give free rein to your creativity. Your children will thank you for the dose of illusion you add to these beautiful calendars!

1. Wood

Sometimes we have unused pallets (if you do not have them, you can also buy them, they are not expensive), and they are more valuable than you think. They can be used to make frames for a coffee table in your living room. To make an Advent calendar in an excellent material like wood, you can disarm a pallet box and give it a Christmas tree shape, hang ornaments and put a note for each day in each adornment.

You can also find these cute wooden Christmas calendar alternatives with LED lights on Etsy:

2. Matchboxes

Another way to make an Advent calendar is with matchboxes. If you do not want to occupy much space and want something not overdecorated, you can choose the matchboxes to build your Advent calendar. Remember that in addition to putting notes, activities, or phrases, you can also put small items in each box, such as a cookie or a coupon to share hot chocolate and marshmallows with the family that day!

3. Toilet paper rolls

Another thing we usually discard at home but ironically always have in quantities is the cardboard rolls of toilet paper. They can also help us make an Advent calendar for our good luck! The idea is to join them with each other and fold them to give them the shape of a 3D envelope. Then you can decorate it with your children and be surprised by their creativity.

4. Nordic animal envelopes

Another option is to take a bunch of colorful paper and make envelopes with Nordic animals’ faces. You can all hang them from a branch or a wooden rod. Each envelope can have a different Christmas theme. Instead of animals, they could be Santa Claus, Christmas trees, or Christmas booties. Unleash your imagination!

If you’re not good with crafts, do not be discouraged, you can still enjoy the illusion of waiting for Christmas with an Advent calendar. As I told you, there are places where they sell them already made, which are beautiful. One of the prettiest Advent calendars I could see was this from Pottery Barn. If I made it in felt, every detail is sewn to a giant Christmas tree.

Have you already wanted to start with your advent calendar? I want! ?