Advent Calendar DIY

December is almost here! Isn’t this the month that always seems to both come and go so quickly? Too quickly? I’ve felt like this for years now, and feeling so caused me to think of something, anything I could do to savor it just a little bit more.

What I really found myself missing from holiday seasons spent as a child were those special moments that led up to Christmas. Baking cookies, watching a holiday movie, oohing and ahhing at the lights around town.

It just seems so much more difficult to get around to doing any of that as an adult, and for a while there, I was attempting to cram several holiday traditions into one or two nights the week of Christmas. Doing it that way definitely took away some of the magic.

And so, the solution I came up with was a simple grown-up advent DIY, filled with activities to do together rather than trinkets or candy. This takes just minutes to make, adds a bit of holiday cheer to our walls, and helps us create a few extra memories during the month of December.

DIY Advent Calendar

Things to keep in mind before getting started:

1. Choose a number of days you want to dedicate to partaking in this. Maybe you’re counting down from 25, maybe from 15, maybe from 10. Don’t feel obligated to over-commit, or you’ll feel burnt out instead of enthused!
2. Determine what kind of activities you want to fill your calendar with. Some examples: “Make hot cocoa.” “Go for a walk and look at the lights.” “Decorate the tree.” And so on.
3. Consider your schedule(s) and how that will impact the time and effort you can dedicate to each activity. I broke our activities up into two groups: “At home, for free” and “On the town, for a price,” then put the free activities we could do at home in the white envelopes and the activities that required us to spend money and leave the house in the colored envelopes. Our moods, budget, and time day-to-day then determine which envelopes we draw from. Feel free to substitute a few activities with a sweet treat or small gift for days where you’re running short on time!

Supplies

• Something to attach your advent to (a garland, a stick, a corkboard or chalkboard…)
• Envelopes, or small gift boxes or bags
• Stickers, pens, markers
• Twine, string, or ribbon
• Blank sheets of paper or notecards
• Tape, thumbtacks, or a small nail to secure project to wall
• Any other desired crafting materials

Instructions

1. Decorate your envelopes, or gift boxes or bags
2. Fill each envelope with an activity or treat.
3. Measure and cut twine, string, or ribbon to hold envelopes.
4. Secure envelopes to twine with clothespins or tape in desired order, then secure to the base of your calendar.
5. Hang calendar to the wall and you’re done!

More Inspiration

Here are some advent calendar DIYs I’m also swooning over. Would it be too much to make one for each room? : )

Click images for sources.

25 Advent Activity Ideas

Need some inspiration for what activities to fill your advent with? Here are some to get you started!

1. Decorate for the holidays.
2. Visit a Christmas tree farm or market, even if just to purchase a real pine garland or wreath for your door or mantle.
3. Prepare a meal from scratch together.
4. Create and listen to a holiday playlist.
5. Buy or make a holiday-scented candle and burn it throughout the month.
6. Watch a holiday movie.
7. Make a fancy hot cocoa.
8. Host a game night with family or friends.
9. Bundle up and go on a winter nature walk, or a walk downtown.
10. Take a drive or a walk around a neighborhood full of Christmas lights.
11. Attend a holiday community event (Fort Wayne friends: think The Nutcracker, Holiday Pops, Festival of Trees, and so on.)
12. Practice a “random” act of kindness.
13. Take a holiday portrait together.
14. Fill out and send holiday greeting cards (or create and send a JibJab!)
15. Make a gingerbread house or other holiday craft.
16. Bake Christmas cookies together.
17. Bundle up and go on a winter nature walk, or a walk downtown.
18. Go through old holiday photos together, or watch old home-videos of Christmas mornings past.
19. Take an evening to clean out your closets and donate ten items to charity.
20. Dress up and go out for a dinner – even if it’s nowhere fancy.
21. Facetime or Skype a friend or family member you won’t get to see for the holidays.
22. Concoct a holiday-inspired cocktail.
23. Pick out some new winter pajamas and have a pajama night in. No phones allowed!
24. Pop a special bottle of wine (or beer or sparkling grape juice) and indulge in a few sweets together.
25. Make a scrapbook of the last year that showcases your top memories.

What special activities would you include in your activity-focused advent calendar? We’d love to start some brand new holiday traditions and want to hear your ideas!

xo, Aly