5 Ways to Craft Your Own Advent Calendar

Published on Sep 23, 2024

5 Ways to Craft Your Own Advent Calendar photo

Advent calendars are a cherished tradition that adds a touch of excitement and anticipation to the holiday season. Crafting your own advent calendar not only makes the countdown to Christmas more personal but also offers a creative way to get into the festive spirit. If you're looking to make your own advent calendar without breaking the bank, here are five imaginative ideas to help you get started.

1. Traditional Paper Envelope Advent Calendar

Materials Needed:

  • Small envelopes or paper bags
  • Craft paper, markers, stickers, and glue
  • String or ribbon
  • Optional wax seal for that traditional look

Steps:

  1. Decorate each envelope or paper bag with festive designs using craft paper, markers, and stickers.
  2. Number the envelopes from 1 to 24.
  3. Fill each envelope with small treats, notes, or fun activities.
  4. Attach the envelopes to a string or ribbon and hang them in a prominent place.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Utilise scrap paper and leftover decorations from previous projects to keep costs down. You can also make your own envelopes from patterned paper or old magazines.

2. Recycled Box Advent Calendar

Materials Needed:

  • Small cardboard boxes
  • Wrapping paper or paint
  • Gift Tags

Steps:

  1. Decorate the boxes with wrapping paper or paint them in festive colours.
  2. Number each gift tag and attach them to the boxes.
  3. Fill each box with small treats or messages.
  4. Arrange the boxes in a festive display or stack them to create a pyramid shape.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Repurpose old matchboxes or small gift boxes that you have lying around. This is a great way to recycle and save money on new materials.

3. DIY Felt Advent Calendar

Materials Needed:

  • Felt sheets in various colours
  • Scissors, needle, and thread or fabric glue
  • Fabric pens or cut-out numbers from the felt too

Steps:

  1. Cut out small felt shapes to use as pockets, these could be in fun festive shapes like stockings, Christmas trees, or stars.
  2. Sew or glue these shapes onto a larger piece of felt to create pockets.
  3. Number each pocket and fill with small surprises.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Use scraps of felt from other projects or purchase felt from discount stores.

4. Mason Jar Advent Calendar

Materials Needed:

  • Small mason jars or glass containers
  • Paint or decorative paper
  • Labels or tags

Steps:

  1. Decorate the mason jars with paint or wrap them in decorative paper.
  2. Number each jar and fill with small treats or notes.
  3. Arrange the jars in a festive display on a shelf or table.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Reuse jars empty jars, upcycling glass containers is both eco-friendly and cost-effective.

5. Santa Hat Advent calendar

Materials Needed:

  • Red and white fabric or old Santa hats
  • Paper and pens or gift tags
  • Pegs and string

Steps:

  1. Number the labels 1-25.
  2. hand the string somewhere you can enjoy the decorations.
  3. Peg a tag to each hat and hang the hats along the string.
  4. Add little gifts to each hat.

Budget-Friendly Tip: Use old Christmas cards to make gift tags. Choose your favourite pictures and cut around them then use a hole punch and string to make unique tags.


Creating your own advent calendar is a delightful way to add a personal touch to the holiday season. These DIY ideas not only offer a fun and creative activity but also allow you to craft a memorable and budget-friendly countdown to Christmas. Whether you choose to use paper envelopes, recycled boxes, felt, mason jars, or something else, the effort you put into making your advent calendar will make the holiday season even more special.

Share your own advent calendar creations and ideas with us! We'd love to see how you've crafted your way to a festive season. For more craft inspiration and resources, visit The Buzzard’s Nest and discover more ways to make your holidays memorable.

Happy Crafting and Merry Advent Season! 🎄📅

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