One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is that of the mad dash to the advent calendar each morning in an effort to beat my brother at opening the little paper door which revealed a small piece of chocolate. My parents always bought a new calendar each Christmas season and it is a tradition we started with our daughter as well. Driven by the memories of those waxy little pieces of chocolate, we have purchased our advent calendar in the the past, but this year I have decided I would like to make our own calendar and fill it with treats and and small toys.
Images courtesy of (from left to right): mrprintables.com, morningcreativity.com, thefoxandstar.co.uk
When I started looking for DIY advent calendar ideas, I also started learning more about the origins of the calendar itself. The tradition of advent calendars dates back to the mid-19th century with the first printed advent calendars being produced in the early 1900s. Advent calendars mark the days leading up to Christmas and start on the 1st of December. Each day, a little door or window with the date on it is opened to reveal a small piece of chocolate, a picture, or Bible verse. These days, as advent calendars have gotten more elaborate, you can now find them filled with small gifts or toys as well. What began as a simple and generally flat calendar, started to transform into 3-dimensional free-standing calendars shortly after WWII where little towns or villages could be assembled from cardboard with doors to open each day. Traditional doors and windows have now been replaced by library pockets, treat bags, and even woodland creatures that open up to reveal treats! Ready to create your own DIY advent calendar this year? Check out these 25 advent calendar ideas that are perfect for the crafter who loves paper crafts, and there are even printable options if you find yourself in a time crunch!
25 DIY Advent Calendars
Image courtesy of fynesdesigns.com
Image courtesy of northstory.ca
Toilet Paper Roll Advent Calendar
DIY Toilet Paper Roll Calendar
Christmas Countdown Fortune Cookies
Image courtesy of thepaintedhive.net
Falling Stars Paper Bag Advent
Image courtesy of powerful mothering.com
Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Mini Envelope Christmas Advent
Free Printable Advent Calendar With Bible Verses
Printable Town & Houses Advent
What is your favorite Christmas candy?
I started scrapping in 2006 and was quickly addicted!I was an avid scrapper until late summer of 2010 when we started our adoption journey, at that point I was overwhelmed with paperwork (and emotions!) and I had to put something on the back burner in my life but I knew I would eventually come back to it.
We welcomed our daughter home from China in December of 2011 and a few months later I found my groove again and pulled out all of those supplies that had been tucked away.
I started out scrapping again doing traditional layouts, but at the beginning of this year I jumped into Project Life and I love it!
When I’m not scrapping I am usually spending time with our daughters which means library time, going on walks, thrifting (they love it as much as I do!) or watching Kung Fu Panda for the millionth time.I also have an Etsy shop Panda Eight Designs where I sell scrapbooking flair that I design.
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