The holiday season will be here before you know it. And one of my favorite ways to count down the days until Christmas is with an advent calendar.

Opening up a little surprise each day builds so much excitement and anticipation leading up to the 25th. Plus, making your own advent calendar allows you to personalize it.

In this post, as a professional custom advent calendar printing manufacturer, I’ll walk you through exactly how to make an easy, DIY advent calendar that you can reuse year after year.

Why Make Your Own Advent Calendar?

You can certainly buy pre-made advent calendars at stores. Many of them are great.

But when you DIY an advent calendar, you get to control what goes inside. Fill it with tiny treats tailored to the recipient. Or use it as a countdown to fun Christmas activities.

Making an advent calendar yourself also allows you to customize the look. Match it to your existing holiday décor for a cohesive feel.

And if you use quality materials, your homemade advent calendar can be reused again and again. Getting excited yet? Keep reading to learn how.

Advent Calendar Materials

One of the great things about DIY advent calendars is that you likely already have most of the supplies on hand.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Cardboard Boxes or Gift Boxes

Start collecting small cardboard boxes now. Amazon shipping boxes, jewelry gift boxes, or even matchboxes work nicely.

You’ll need one box for each day leading up to Christmas, so 25 total. If you’re short on boxes, wrap small gifts to fill in the gaps.

Paper or Gift Wrap

To unify the look, cover each box in the same wrapping paper. Choose a Christmas pattern or seasonal color scheme.

Scrapbook paper, shelf liner paper, or even reused gift wrap does the trick affordably.

Double-Sided Tape

Nothing too fancy needed here—regular double-sided tape secures the wrapped boxes together.

Ribbon

Ribbon adds a pop of color while conveniently covering the seams between boxes. It also makes your advent calendar festive and gift-like.

Number Stickers

Use number stickers, permanent marker, or printed labels to designate each box 1 to 25.

Filler Items

The fun part! Tiny treats, toys, jewelry, or anything else small gets tucked inside the boxes. More advent calendar stuffer ideas later.

Now gather your supplies and let’s make your advent calendar!

How to Assemble Your Advent Calendar

With your materials gathered, you’re ready to DIY an advent calendar in just 5 easy steps:

Step 1: Wrap Boxes

Start by wrapping each small box or gift box in your paper of choice. For a uniform look:

• Use the same paper or coordinating designs
• Wrap boxes neatly with tight, crisp folds

Wrapping the underside isn’t necessary since it won’t be visible.

Step 2: Arrange Boxes

Once wrapped, arrange your boxes how you’d like them displayed. While a single row is common, get creative with the arrangement.

Some popular advent calendar shapes include:

• Christmas trees
• Wreaths
• Snowflakes
• Gingerbread houses

Play around with different designs that fit your style and space. Just make sure the boxes are in numerical order.

Step 3: Affix Ribbon

Hide the seams and add holiday cheer with ribbon!

Measure out pieces of ribbon long enough to cover each seam with a couple inches extra. Then, adhere ribbons vertically between boxes with double-sided tape.

Ribbon placement varies slightly depending on your box arrangement:

Line Arrangement:
Simply center ribbon over the seam between boxes.

Shape Arrangements:
Aim the ribbon toward the center point or shape up the arrangement like spokes on a wheel.

Use the same ribbon throughout or alternate colors and patterns.

Step 4: Add Numbers

Designate each wrapped box’s place in your countdown with stickers, marker, or other number embellishments.

Place numbers prominently on the visible portion of each box within your arrangement. Number boxes 1 through 25 in order from left to right or top to bottom.

Step 5: Fill Boxes

Now for the fun part—filling each numbered box! Refer to the ideas below for stuffers.

When filling, don’t overstuff. Boxes still need to easily close once wrapped up.

And that’s it—you just assembled your own custom advent calendar!

Creative Ways to Fill Your Advent Calendar

With so many options, filling your DIY advent calendar gets fun and creative.

Use an overall theme or mix and match for variety. Here are some inventive advent stuffers to surprise and delight each day:

• Gift cards
• Candy or chocolate
• Small toys and figurines
• Stickers
• Hair accessories
• Gift wrap bows
• Bobby pins and hair ties
• Earrings
• Bath bombs
• Keys to holiday activities
• Holiday bookmarks
• Mini ornaments
• Finger puppets
• Temporary tattoos

Get the kids involved too! Have them draw pictures or craft small gifts to hide inside.

You can also tuck in fun activities to do together like:

• Drive around looking at neighborhood Christmas lights
• Bake and decorate holiday cookies
• Make paper snowflakes
• Watch a Christmas movie with hot cocoa

However you fill it, a DIY advent calendar kickstarts the holiday season with charm and anticipation.

Display Your Homemade Advent Calendar

Another benefit of DIY advent calendars? You get to choose exactly how and where to display them.

First, set your completed advent calendar in its designated home. Common places include:

• On the mantel
• A bookshelf
• Entryway table or console
• Kitchen counter
• Bedroom dresser

Wherever you prefer!

Next, accent your advent calendar to really make it shine. Try:

• Setting coordinating Christmas decor pieces around it like nutcrackers, decorative bottles, or tiny trees
• Outlining it with fairy lights

However you showcase your homemade advent calendar, it becomes a focal point filled with the magic of Christmas!

Wrap Up

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling crafty and excited for the Christmas season now!

Making your own advent calendar takes a bit of effort up front. But the payoff of holiday build-up and anticipation makes it so worth it.

Plus, your DIY advent calendar transforms into a gorgeous Christmas decoration sure to be admired by all.

Set a reminder on your calendar and start collecting boxes now! What theme will your advent calendar take on this year? Share your plans and get inspired ideas from others in the comments below!