I am desperately seeking an idea for a Advent Calendar. I know the old paper chain trick but I am looking to make something that will last a lifetime and will be used for making a new family tradition in our home especially for my grand kids. I thought about making a box with small holes but 25 doesn't work out evenly for the shape of a tree or anything but a 5 by 5 box.
My mom used to make mine out of a piece of green poster board. She'd draw a calendar on it, then punch two holes in the square for each day. Lace a bit of red ribbon through the holes to tie on a treat (a candy cane, small toy, message written on rolled up paper, etc.). You might not be able to use this year after year, but very simple to make. (11/15/2004)
By Lynn
Hi Debra,
I've looked online for some ideas and have found some great online sites for online advent calendars but not a lot for the type of thing you are trying to make. I figured out how you could make one out of toilet paper tubes. You could even cut them in half if there was a backboard of some type so that the contents wouldn't fall out. Then put some kind of cap or paper over each opening once the "prize" was inside. It would fit a car, small toy or candy.
By ThriftyFun
When I was a kid my gramma made a wall hanging advent calendar. A large rectangle of felt with a felt tree on it, and small velcro squares attached all over. on the bottom were 24 small pockets each with a different ornament and a piece of paper with a description of the significance or that ornament.
By Megan E
In my house we have a great family advent calendar that we've used for years. I believe it was handmade by a family friend years back. It's sewed like a small quilt and has two children standing on stools hanging ornaments on either side of a large green velcro tree. Below are 25 pockets, each embroidered with the number, and each with small Christmas themed ornaments to stick on the tree.
I think another good idea would be to make a sort of wooden tree and flip up the ends of the branches like hooks and each day hang miniature ornaments on them. (11/21/2004)
By Mish
First I would like to thank everyone who wrote in with their suggestions for my Advent Calendar for my Grand kids. I read everyone with great interest and I combined a lot of the ideas I got from you guys in making my own. Susan suggested using paper towel or paper tubes. That got me to thinking what other tubes that I could use that would be more durable then paper and of course I thought of PVC. So I went and bought a PVC pipe that was 4 inches in diameter and had my Husband cut me length's that were that were 5 inches long.
Then I took Susan's Diagram and glued all the tubes together with white Silicone. I clamped them together until they were dry. Then I painted the top triangle green and the base brown.
Then I cut out circles of cardboard and covered them with fabric. I used stick on numbers to put on the dates. Someone else suggest velcro and I really liked that idea so I put little velcro circles on the back and the edges of the pipe.
I hot glued a dollar store stuffed Santa to the top. I left the back open so I could put in longer items in that would hang from the back and since I am going to put this on a table against a wall so it works great. I hope this gives any one else who would like to make a Advent Calendar an idea of how to go about it. Again thank you so very much for everyone's ideas.
By Debra in Colorado (12/05/2004)
By ThriftyFun
Have you found an advent calendar? I actually hand make them. It is a Christmas tree made of wood with small handmade/hand painted clay ornaments(24) to decorate the tree with. I've been making them for family and friends for years (started making them with my mom). They are usually tailored for the receiver (sports toys, farm animals etc mixed with the traditional Christmas pieces. It takes over 20 hours or so to make one but they turn out quite nicely. If you're interested please email me talontedk8 @ aol.com (remove spaces) (08/07/2005)
By Kate
Well, 3 Military tours in Germany finally pay off!
I saw many designs there for them.
1. Use a shadowbox frame, and partition it off into 5 rows of 5 squares. (I would use a thin light wood, but heavy cardboard will work. Cover each square with a "door". You can use old Christmas card cutouts, or fabric squares. Glue the door along the top of the square, and tie shut on the bottom. Make a "tie" with 2 ribbons. One glued to the door, and one to the square edge. Place a toy or candy treat in each square.
2. I made my own with Felt. I made a Santa and sliegh cutout, and sewed it to a large "wall hanging" piece of cloth. (Like a quilt applique) I used a wood dowel,(stick works), and folded the top of the cloth over it and sewed.(think curtain rod) I hung it by ribbon, from the dowel ends. When I sewed the sleigh on, I left the top open like a pocket. Using red felt, I made 25 small "Santa Sacks" for each child, with drawstrings to close. I put the toys or treats into each sack. Each day I placed one into the sleigh to be opened. (With 3 kids, I had 75 "Sacks", and put 3 in each day, one for each child. That way I could use one Advent for all 3. Names on sacks with black marker kept down squabbles, and let me do "boy / girl" toys.)
Now with Grandchildren, I came up with pink and blue sacks and skipped the names.
You can use many themes for this one. (Tree with tied on "presents" is another one I use.
You can make an individual one for each child also, and try to get all 25 on there at once.
Hope this helps. (08/28/2005)
I made an advent garland, which is easy, and cost me less than $4.00. Here is how. I bought 9x12 sheets of felt at the craft store (you can use any non-fraying fabric though, suede, velvet, fleece) and cut them into 3, 3'' strips to make into baggies. I stenciled 1-25 on the front with silver fabric paint markers. Attach ribbons to the top as handles, and you have adorable advent bags that you can hang on a wreath, garland wrapped around a staircase, small nails on a wall in the shape of a calendar, on the tree, anywhere. And will last forever. Hope that helps. (11/28/2005)
By Karlene
I think instead of sticking with a theme like ornaments or a chocolate a day you could mix it up a bit. One day you could have a recipe for that day like chocolate chip cookies and you could help make them with your grandchildren. The next day you could have an ornament to hang on the tree or help them make an ornament. Try and make it interactive with them I think they would enjoy it and remember it forever. (11/06/2006)
By Cindy
Recently I saw a great idea for an Advent Calendar. It was a 24 cup muffin/cupcake tin! How cute is that? It was painted a solid color then little designs painted on the sides around the cup areas. Christmas cards/card stock/fabric were covering chipboard or cardboard that had been cut to fit each cup opening. The top of each cover was attached with double sided red line tape and the bottom with removable tape. That way it would be easy to open to retrieve the daily treat inside.
Each circle had a number stamped on. Rub-ons could be used as well. A festive Christmas ribbon was attached to the top for hanging. This could be decorated in a number of ways and otherwise adapted to suit your personal taste. I'm going to make one and I think I'll use velcro pieces for the bottom of the circles for easy opening/closing. (11/05/2007)
By Shauna
You could get 24 or 25 different colored socks and hang them with clothes pins to a string across your mantle place. Then you fill each one with whatever you like and in the 25th one have something for everyone! (11/18/2007)
By iloveharrypotter
My mother made a tree out of wood. This tree was about six feet tall. Then she'd actually wrap little things (like candy bags, etc) and staple them to her tree. I have three sisters, so this worked very well for us. (11/19/2007)
By Lilith
You can draw a Santa face on a piece of construction paper. Glitter it up for more color. Make Santa's beard into 24 little circles. Each night glue a cotton ball onto one of the circles. Nice and cheap- and by Christmas, Santa has a full beard! (11/29/2007)
By Kim
Just get match boxes or any other little boxes and ask them to paint it or cut out pictures to glue on there. Then fill the box with a small cookie.
You could also have a nativity set that you give a part of it each day prior to Christmas. Then on Christmas give them a present with baby Jesus inside. Then tell them the story about Jesus. (12/02/2007)
By Hannah
I'm actually looking for one exactly like in the movie "deck the halls". Watch the movie if you think you can make that email me. It's in the very beginning. It's beautiful, but instead of opening for gifts, it swivels with what do do that day. (12/20/2007)
By MARIANNE B
I make quilted advent calendars for the grand kid families. Now I am being asked to make for great gk families. I use ideas out of make it for Christmas and or wood patterns that can be made out of fabric. (07/05/2008)
By GMA JO
I am wondering if the lady who makes the Christmas Trees is still making them, as I would be interested in one. I have been looking for ages for one. I have tried to email her but the email keeps bouncing back her old email was talontedk8 @ aol.com. I really hope you can help. (08/07/2008)
By Christine
I'm trying the same thing as you. My plan it to create a big house, decorated for Christmas, with 12 windows on each side, and a grand front door for Christmas Day. Just make Christmas day special and then 24 can be arranged in any way. Would love to hear what you decide. (10/13/2008)
By Dennis
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