The holiday season will soon be upon us. And for many families, making an advent calendar is a beloved tradition to count down the days until Christmas.
An advent calendar is a fun, festive way to anticipate the holiday season. As each day passes in December, you open a little flap or drawer to reveal a small surprise like a piece of candy, toy, or note. Some calendars even have little activities to do like bake cookies or watch a Christmas movie.
In this comprehensive guide, as a professional advent calendar printing manufacturer, I’ll walk you through different ways to how to make an advent calendar for the holiday season. Whether you want a simple paper version, a showstopping fabric calendar, or something in between – I’ve got you covered.
Easy Paper Advent Calendars
Paper advent calendars are a cinch to make and highly customizable. Let’s start with some simple paper-based advent calendar ideas.
Envelope Advent Calendar
Supplies:
- Colored envelopes
- Double-sided tape
- Scissors
- Treats and goodies
To make:
- Gather 25 envelopes in festive colors like red, green, gold, or a Christmas pattern. You’ll need one envelope for each day leading up to Christmas, plus one for Christmas day.
- Arrange the envelopes in a Christmas tree shape and secure them to the wall using double-sided tape. Make sure envelope #1 is at the top, and the rest descend in order to Christmas day at the bottom.
- Fill each envelope with a small holiday treat, gift, or note. Little toys, stickers, candy canes, and more make great envelope stuffers.
- Each day of December, let a child open the next envelope in sequence to reveal the surprise inside.
The stacked envelope tree makes for a simple yet festive paper advent calendar!
Paper Chain Advent Calendar
Supplies:
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Ribbon, string, or twine
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Treats and goodies
To make:
- Cut strips of construction paper about 3-4 inches wide. You’ll need 25 strips total.
- Punch a hole on both short ends of each strip about 1/2 inch from the edge.
- On strip #1 write “1”, strip #2 write “2”, etc until you reach 25 for Christmas day.
- Attach the paper strips together end-to-end with ribbon by threading it through the holes to create a long paper chain. Make sure the numbers are in order.
- Hang your paper chain advent calendar and have kids remove one link each day in December. The inside of each link holds that day’s treat!
The paper chain advent calendar adds a fun pop of color while keeping track of the countdown.
Fabric Advent Calendars
Moving onto advent calendars you can sew, here are my top picks for beautiful handmade fabric advent calendars.
Patchwork Fabric Calendar
Supplies:
- Fabric squares at least 3″ x 3″ (you’ll need 25)
- Ribbon
- Sewing supplies like thread and needles
- 25 mini gift boxes
- Treats and gifts
To make:
- Sew together fabric squares into a 5 x 5 grid. Leave the edges raw for a patchwork look.
- Sew a loop of ribbon to the corners on the back to use to hang the calendar.
- Glue a mini gift box to each square, using craft glue or hot glue.
- Number boxes 1-25 using a permanent fabric marker.
- Fill boxes with surprises! Little beauty gifts, toys, or candy make great advent calendar stuffers.
The patchwork fabric advent calendar makes clever use of pretty printed fabric. Feel free to get creative with the fabric patterns and textures!
Stuffed Christmas Stocking Calendar
Supplies:
- 25 mini felt stockings (or fabric to DIY them)
- 25 mini clothes pins
- Twine or ribbon
- Scissors
- Craft glue or hot glue gun
- Treats and surprises
To make:
- Gather 25 mini stockings. You can find these premade, sew your own, or repurpose doll stockings.
- Hot glue a clothespin along the top back of each stocking. Make sure the clamp part sticks up above the stocking edge.
- Number the clothing pegs 1-25 with a permanent marker.
- Fill stockings with goodies an surprises!
- Arrange twine in two parallel lines and loosely space out the numbered stockings. Let the clothespins hold them in place.
As you unclip and remove each stocking, the mystery inside is finally revealed. The stuffed stockings make for an extra cute advent calendar!
Other Fun Advent Calendar Ideas
Here are more unique advent calendar options to spark your creativity:
Snow globe advent calendar
- Use mini snow globe ornaments to reveal surprises
Toy train advent calendar
- Arrange mini toy trains and fill the cars with treats
Wine box advent calendar
- Adult version: Mini wine or liquor bottles behind numbered flaps
Wooden block advent calendar
- Laser cut or paint wooden block numbers to form towers
Magnetic advent calendar
- Affix numbered magnets to the fridge or oven
DIY advent wreath
- Hang goodies on an evergreen wreath with hooks
If you’re not feeling crafty, you can also buy an advent calendar. Many stores sell premade calendars with treats or beauty products behind the doors.
Advent Calendar Tips
Here are some handy tips when preparing your homemade advent calendar:
- Make it reusable. Consider fabrics, sturdy papers, and containers you can reuse yearly.
- Get kids involved. Crafting the actual calendar itself kicks off the holiday excitement!
- Fill surprises early. You don’t want to be prepping calendar surprises on December 1st!
- Mix up the surprises. Candy, toys, crafts, and scavenger hunts keep things interesting.
- Store it properly. Keep your handmade calendar safe so it lasts for seasons to come.
Count Down to Christmas in Style
However you choose to craft it, making an advent calendar is a beloved way for both kids and adults to anticipate the most wonderful time of the year.
With these easy advent calendar instructions, you’re sure create a festive centerpiece that provides a little burst of joy each day until the 25th.
Now get your crafting cap on and how to make an advent calendar unique to you and your family! The holiday season will be here before you know it.