When I was little, my brother and I had advent calendars. They were just paper and we tacked them up to our basement door in the living room. But I loved opening up those flaps every day and seeing the picture and verse inside. I still have my advent calendar and treasure it!
Advent calendars are one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I have about four and would gladly spend all day opening up those lovely little doors, flaps or boxes! I started looking all over the internet for more advent calendars to add to my growing addiction collection. And as I looked, I found some great ideas for what you can put inside your advent calendar:
- a Scripture that tells the story of Jesus’ birth
- a small piece of candy
- an ornament
- a charm (that could be made into a bracelet or necklace)
- a piece of paper with an activity (ie. “let’s make Christmas cookies” OR “we’re going Christmas light watching tonight!”)
- a clue to an activity, craft, story (that’s kinda what we’re doing. I put in a sticker of a king yesterday because we read Isaiah 9:6-7)
- a small toy
- the title of a Christmas story to read
Now, are you ready for the calendars? I seriously get giddy looking at these pictures! I’ve linked each one to the blog, tutorial or store so you can make/buy/mail one to me! Please click on them, there’s more pics on each one!
1. The Box. I’ve been wanting one of these for awhile. And I just happen to get this one at Thanksachristmas from my sister-in-law. I adore it. This is where I’m putting the verse or picture of what we’re doing for our “jesse tree“.
2. The Best One I’ve Ever Seen In My Life. Do you see what this is? GUM! She just decorated the outside of gum…like Dentyne Ice or one of those in a blister pack. What a fun gift for kids to make their friends!
3. The Recycled One. It’s just made out of paper bags! How cute is that?!
4. The Muy Expensive One. I found this in Pottery Barn Kids and I ADORE IT!
5. The One You Get To Destroy. I discovered this at Thanksgiving as a way to used leftover Halloween candy. Such an easy idea—put candy inside, glue a piece of tissue paper on top and let your kids bust it open! You need to click on this one, there’s some great pictures!
6. The One I Wish I Had Come Up With. Can you tell what this is? It’s a MUFFIN PAN! With little magnetic covers over it! Just scrapbook a square and put it over each little muffin hole. What a fabulous idea!
7. The EASY One. Envelopes. Hung up with clothespins. My kinda craft! I think this is the perfect one for putting scriptures or activities in.
8. For the Uber Talented. Quilted, etc. etc. You pull an ornament out of each box and hang it on the tree! So cute. But I got an idea from this one…just attach buttons to anything and hang ornaments on it. How cute would that be? Even on a plain sheet. Or a garland. You could buy ornaments and just hang them up until each button was used.
9. The Other Magnet One. I love this whole magnet idea—scrapbooked magnets on a cookie sheet! Clever, indeed!
10. The Modern Box One. This is way cute. Small little boxes (maybe matchbox, jewelry boxes, etc.) with small covers (I think some of these are playing cards!). Then just stick them to the wall in any pattern and open the box on the appropriate day. You have to click over to this blog because she’s got tons of sweet pictures of it.
11. The Mitten One. My sisterchick, Kristen made this for me (and Lydia) last year at my sisterchick party. It’s just mittens with numbers made from sticky ribbon (is that right, Kristen?) It’s only got 12 numbers on it, for the 12 Days of Christmas. But since I don’t really know what that is (outside of a really annoying song), I use it as a birthday countdown. Lydia’s birthday is 12 days after Christmas. The only bad thing is now I’m going to have to come up with a countdown for Asa’s birthday. Pirate ships, perhaps?
12. The Recycled One Part 2. Now this one is really recycled. The circles are old Christmas cards and the little “box” underneath is milk tops! I think this one would be really fun to make!
13. The Pirate One. Yes, you read that correctly. A pirate advent calendar. I really do not get the connection. But how could I NOT include this on on my list?!
See my 2009 picks for best advent calendars!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, so many good ideas. I saved the quilted one and I’m going to bribe/coerce/ask my mom to make it for my girls for next year
Twitter: courtp
December 4, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I love all these examples! I have it in my mind to come up with one that includes scripture, advent readings/devos, fun Christmas activities, and felt nativity dolls that can be played with (on a magnetic board?). Of course, I haven’t gotten past the early planning stages and most likely won’t create this for at least 2 years!
Twitter: courtp
December 4, 2008 at 2:30 pm
…oh! And I’m liking your Jesse Tree element… I might need to work that in, too!
Very crafty….lots of neat ideas…..
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this post! I LOVE all the ideas. When I was little we had a Tree with an ornament for each day and a Nativity Scene with one character for each day (of course Baby Jesus was day 24.) I wanted to buy/make one this year for my family but I waited to long. I plan on making one for next year. Thank you for all the great ideas!! What a fun thing to collect too!
These are all great, but I like #2 best. Simple and fun.
We had one kind of like the Pottery Barn one that my Grandpa made when we were growing up. It was a wooden Christmas tree that you hung little bitty ornaments on. My sister and I took turns hanging the ornaments. Christmas Eve was Santa and Christmas was baby Jesus, so we always got one or the other. It was a sweet tradition.
My DH and I saw some of the box ones at Target the other night. They have one shaped like a church that was really neat and he liked a lot.
Twitter: staci
December 4, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I’ve never really been into advent calendars, but I think I’ve found a new tradition!! I just LOVE these!! So cute!
Those are all adorable!!! I have one that was a gift from years ago that the kids love. I may make one of these this year.
These are fabulous ideas! Could make some in my classroom! Thanks for sharing! Happy TT!
AMANDA! Look at THIS!
http://whipup.net/2008/12/04/creative-advent-calendars/
Love it! The one with all the bags is the cutest!
All excellent ideas! Thanks a bunch!
LOVE this–I stumbled it!
I had never heard of an advent calendar until about three years ago. I feel so silly, now, since not only are they everywhere, but everyone seems to have had one since they were little. What the heck where my parents doing?!
I love all of them, esp. the pottery barn one!!
Those are so cute! I want to go out and make one right now. they are so cute and what they are and what they represent.
Twitter: DiaperDiaries
December 8, 2008 at 11:08 pm
These are fantastic!!
This was an inspiring list. . .It’s really late in EST right now, but I want to make and advent calendar immediately. Thanks for jazzing up our homeschool week. And the whole blog is super fun!
I have to tell you, this was my first year with my sons on Christmas (they are almost 9 and almost 7), because they’ve always been with their Dad.
It was a surprise (I found out on Thanksgiving) that they would be with me, so I was a little behind in trying to find our first Advent calendar!
I’ve blogged the result, but I wanted to say “Thank You” for inspiration for next year!
Twitter: clisty
October 20, 2009 at 5:59 pm
going to link to this post. Cool idea-rs ya got here.
I have the Pottery Barn Kids house advent, but for the three years Ive had it I still cant remember to use it each day.
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I love the ideas you posted. . . I have had many advent calendars over the years, usually the little paper ones with scriptures, but this year, I am making a felt one like the pottery barn one for my family to use every year. Just FYI: The twelve days of Christmas are very important as they represent the 12 days between the Birth of Christ and January 6th, when we (Christians) celebrate the arrival of the three kings and delivery of the gifts of the Magi. Thought you might like to know.
Thanks again for the inspiration!
Peace in Christ,
Elizabeth
I absolutely love the #1 idea…..the box. I would really like to do this for my Grandchildren next year. Did you make the box, buy the box and yes I realize this post is 2 years old but, do you think there is any chance of finding this if you did buy it?
These are great! I have one from Family Christian store that is a picture of the manger scene with lots of hooks on it and 24 boxes underneath….it is all made of wood. In each box is a little ornament with a person/animal to put on the hooks. My kids get so excited to see what is in each box!
Thank you for putting all the ideas in one place! there are so super cute ones!
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