The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to start prepping some festive projects! One of my favorite things to DIY every year is an advent calendar. Not only are these useful for counting down to Christmas, but they also make great decorative pieces.
In this post, as a professional custom advent calendar printing manufacturer, I’ll walk you through exactly how to sew an advent calendar from start to finish. I’ll share sewing tips for all skill levels, from total beginners to more advanced sewers. My goal is to make the process as easy as possible so you can have a handmade advent calendar ready for December 1st!
Why Sew an Advent Calendar?
Before we dive in, let me quickly explain why sewing your own advent calendar is such a great idea:
- Make Use of Scraps: An advent calendar is a fantastic way to use up your leftover fabric. Dig into that stash and pull out any holiday prints!
- Customize to Your Style: Since you’re making it yourself, you can create an advent calendar to match your home decor perfectly.
- Save Money: Buying a pre-made advent calendar can get pricey. Sewing one is much more budget-friendly.
- Family Keepsake: A handmade heirloom that you can break out holiday after holiday!
Let’s get to the project! I’ll walk you through two different methods – one using fabric yardage and one for sewing squares.
Fabric Yardage Method
If you want to make a more traditional looking advent calendar, starting with fabric yardage is the way to go. Here’s what you’ll need:
Materials
- 1 yard of main fabric
- 1 yard of cotton fabric for pockets
- Thread to match main fabric
- 24 buttons, beads, or other small embellishments
- 3/8″ dowel cut to width of calendar
- Ribbon for hanging
Instructions
Follow these steps to sew an advent calendar out of a single piece of fabric:
Step 1: Cut Fabric Panel
Cut your main fabric into a large rectangle. A good size is 36″ wide x 45″ tall.
Step 2: Make and Attach Pockets
Cut your pocket fabric into strips, hem them, then stitch them onto your main panel:
Repeat this process to divide the long pockets into individual spaces.
Step 3. Add Embellishments
Sew a button, pom pom, or other embellishment onto each pocket. This marks the numbers for your advent calendar.
Step 4. Finish Calendar
Finish your advent calendar by adding a channel at the top for your dowel rod. Then insert the rod and tie on ribbons to hang.
And just like that, you’ve sewn your own custom advent calendar!
Square Method
If you’d rather piece together fabric squares for your calendar’s pockets, this second method is just as easy.
Materials
- Fabric squares in holiday prints
- Background fabric
- Dowel rod
- Ribbon
Instructions
Follow these simple steps:
Step 1. Sew Squares
Cut 24 fabric squares the size you’d like your pockets to be. Hem them by folding the edges under 1/4″ twice.
Then topstitch around all 4 sides.
Step 2. Arrange and Attach
Arrange the squares how you’d like on your background fabric and pin them in place. Stitch around 3 sides of each square to secure them.
Step 3. Finish Calendar
Add your dowel, ribbon hanger, and embellishments just like with the first method.
And that’s it – you’ve sewn your very own advent calendar out of fabric squares!
Advent Calendar Sewing Tips
Now that you know the basics behind these two advent calendar sewing methods, here are some extra pointers:
Use Interface Fusible Web – Ironing on interfacing to your fabric adds stiffness to help the pockets hold their shape nicely.
Try Pre-Quilted Fabric – The batting inside pre-quilted cotton makes sewing the squares together a breeze. No hemming required!
Add Clear Pockets – Sew in an extra see-through pocket to hold notes or other flat items.
Personalize It – Embroider names or dates onto each pocket. Gets everyone excited to open their special pocket each day!
Make it Reversible – Sew two panels together into one double-sided calendar for displaying in a window or doorway.
Get Creative with Shapes – Hexagons, circles, triangles…the options are endless!
DIY the Dowel Rod Pocket – Simply fold over the top of your background fabric twice and stitch in place. Easy!
Wrap Up
Hopefully you now feel confident in your advent calendar sewing abilities!
What I love about this holiday project is that you can fully customize and personalize it to suit your style and space. Plus, it makes for a treasured family keepsake you can use for years to come.
Get your favorite fabrics out and see what inspiring advent calendar you can stitch together. Need any help with the sewing steps above? Let me know in the comments!
Happy holiday sewing, friends!