52 DIY Advent Calendars to Make Your Christmas Countdown Special
Celebrate with 24 days of surprises!
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As soon as December 1 hits, the unofficial countdown to Christmas begins. Make the most of your holiday season this year by crafting one of the cutest DIY advent calendars. These ideas are fun to create, and you can be sure your kids will love unwrapping a new surprise every day leading up to December 25. Best of all, some of these calendars will even inspire your family to embrace the true reason for the season by performing little acts of kindness.
If you're new to this fun Christmas tradition, here's what you should know: Christmas advent calendars are creative tools used to track the days from December 1 to December 24 in preparation for the big day. Believe it or not, the first-known advent calendar was created in 1851 with nothing more than a few chalk lines. But by the 1950s, it had taken on a new look, and the idea of revealing candies and toys was introduced.
Now, advent calendars can be pretty much anything if you put your mind to it. On this list, you'll find chocolate advent calendars, printable advent calendars, and cute toy advent calendars for kids. Many of these projects also double as DIY Christmas decorations. If you're a Christmas fanatic and want to make this year's celebrations more special than ever, read on to learn how to make an advent calendar of your very own.
Christmas Countdown Wood Tree
This elegant wood tree offers a chic and minimalist way to count down to Christmas. You'll use chalkboard paint for the tree so you'll have the option of using a printable countdown number or drawing the dates on with chalk.
Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois.
Christmas Village Tree with Advent Gifts
Why make an advent calendar when you can make a whole advent tree?! Decorate unfinished wood bird houses, fill them with tiny surprises, and nestle them into a mini Christmas tree for your most festive countdown yet!
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Kindness Advent Calendar
Get into the true spirit of the season with this kindness calendar filled with ideas for small but significant good deeds. Each day you'll do things like deliver candy canes to neighbors, draw holiday chalk art with friends, bake cookies for others, and more.
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Photo Challenge Advent Calendar
This one is like an advent calendar and Christmas bucket list in one! It challenges you to do a different fun holiday activity every day, like go sledding, host a gift wrapping party, and make paper snowflakes. Then, take a photo of each activity and display them around your home.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Hot Cocoa Tree Advent Calendar
Who doesn't love to cozy up with a mug of hot cocoa during the holidays? This advent calendar tree is made out of hot cocoa packets, so you'll have a cup for every day of your Christmas countdown!
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Christmas Home Advent Calendar
They say home is where the heart is and that's never truer than at Christmastime. This printable calendar features a lovely home decked out for the holidays and with little doors and windows you can open.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Muslin Bag Advent Calendar
Craft a simple yet cheery advent calendar using numbered muslin bags stuffed with sweet treats, small treasures, or heartfelt notes. Hang the bags from some greenery with baker's twine for an added festive touch.
Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois.
Printable Sticker Advent Calendar
If you don't have time to craft this year, opt for this printable DIY advent calendar featuring a blank gingerbread village scene and coordinating stickers to add each day leading up to Christmas.
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Elegant White Advent Calendar
This silver advent calendar doubles as decor! You can reuse it every year, too.
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Rainbow Ombre Advent Calendar
Bring some pops of color to your Christmas decor with this vibrant advent made from muslin drawstring bags painted in all shades of the rainbow. Hang them on a board or a wall and let the countdown begin!
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Christmas Advent Paper Houses
This Christmas advent village will bring some charm to your holiday décor. There are plenty of ways to personalize the houses, too. You can dress them up with snowy glitter on the roofs, paint on fine details, or add twinkling fairy lights.
Get the tutorial at Delia Creates.
Felt Nativity Advent Calendar
This felt Nativity advent calendar tells the beautiful story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. A free printable pattern makes it super easy to craft.
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Matchbox Advent Calendar
To easily create this adorable calendar, wrap some matchboxes in vintage-inspired Christmas paper and attach them to a cookie sheet. A patterned ribbon on top makes the perfect finishing touch!
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Tea House Advent Calendar
How cute is this tiny DIY tea house?! The design is easy to print and fold, and you can see your variety of teas through the little doors and windows. If you want to take this a step further, tape daily Christmas activity suggestions to each packet.
Get the tutorial at Delia Creates.
Magnetic Advent Calendar
Bring some Christmas magic to your kitchen with a fun magnetic calendar for your fridge! Add this blogger's adorable printables to a set of magnetic spice containers, then arrange them in the shape of a Christmas tree or star.
Get the tutorial at Somewhat Simple.
Tree and Ornaments Advent Calendar
The more Christmas trees, the better! Your kids will love spending the days leading up to December 25 adding adorable ornaments to their own special tree. Watch as it grows with decorative, festive cheer.
Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.
Mini Box Advent Calendar
Fill these playful, pom pom-topped boxes with little treats and prizes for a daily surprise for your little ones. Place them on cake stands or a buffet table for a colorful display.
Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois.
Mini Houses Advent Calendar
We love a pastel color scheme for Christmas! Hand paint house-shaped boxes and add a sprinkle of fake snow on top to create your own little holiday village.
Get the tutorial at Sugar & Cloth.
Beverage-Filled Advent Calendar
Whip up all of your favorite Christmas cocktails with a little help from this beverage-filled calendar. Stock it with 24 tiny bottles of your favorite spirits, or even mini wine bottles!
Get the tutorial at Feast + West.
Felt Nativity Advent Calendar
Bring a splash of color to your Christmas décor with this vibrant nativity calendar. It looks even more whimsical when paired with coordinating bottle brush trees.
Get the tutorial at Lovely Indeed.
Rebecca Ravee Norris is a freelance writer with a decade's worth of lifestyle media experience. Based out of the Washington metropolitan area, she covers everything from beauty and wellness to style and celebrity news. She is a graduate of George Mason University and has a B.A. in Media: Production, Consumption, and Critique, along with a minor in Electronic Journalism. When she's not writing, she can be found with her beloved Jack-Chi, Cash, working through reps at the gym, dreaming up her next home decor project, testing a new recipe, getting lost in the pages of a book, or catching up on her favorite shows.
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