Check out over 50 DIY Christmas Advent Calendars! From DIY, to store-bought, from Adults to kids, you are sure to find the perfect one for your holiday season!
I always create some different type of advent calendar–year after year I like to change it up. (it’s the crazy…or crafty in me!) I just love the idea of counting down for Christmas and getting the excitement up day after day! And with one quick peruse on Pinterest and you will see just how many freaking amazing DIY Christmas Advent Calendars there are! Seriously. This roundup could be 150 projects long! But I had to stop somewhere! Here are some of my very favorites!! Enjoy!
What to put in Advent Calendars
You don’t actually have to put anything with some of these calendars! The purpose is to count down to Christmas! There are a few that do that and only that like the paper chain and the Christmas jokes! But if you want to put things in your advent calendar, here are a few ideas!
- a little piece of candy!
- Fun Christmas activities (I have a free printable)
- Christmas Movies (Free printable! Just cut them up and add in what ones you want to watch.
- Christmas stories to read. One for each day!
- Christmas songs for each day.
- A puzzle. Divy up the pieces and let the person have a few each day
- A QR code for each day to open up a Christmas show or song or even SNL skit
If you want to put THINGS inside, here are some of our tried and true favorites
- Toys
- gift cards
- lego surprise packs
- Chapstick
- socks
- bath bombs
- gum
- Pens, crayons, or markers
- Nail polish
- zit patches
- Jerky
- Hot wheel cars
- Lotto tickets
- Friendship Bracelet
- Slime/playdoh
- Nail trimmer kit
- Rings
- Temporary tattoos
- Lotion
- Glow sticks
- Yo Yo
- Hair clip or scrunchie
- movie tickets
- keychains
- book
- perfume/cologne
- Face mask
- fidgets toys
- pencils or erasers
- buttons/pins
- stickers
- magnets
- mittens
- little hand sanitizer
- Pez dispenser
- sunglasses
- new phone case
- breath mints
- eyelash curler
- eye mask
- cup/water bottle
- nose strip
- scented gel pens
You can also use a nice generic numbered printable to tie onto each gift!
DIY Christmas Advent Calendar roundup!
Click on the title link to go to each project.
Grinch themed calendar
My favorite one! Such a cute way to count down December!
Paper village countdown
This is one of those advents that is so cute you don’t even have to use it as an advent!
Punchout Calendar
Hot cocoa advent
Wooden tree advent
These would be beautiful on your mantel!
Advent made from a dollar store pie tin!
Such an Inexpensive DIY! and it’s magnetic! You just move the magnet day by day!
Christmas tree shaped advent from Pretty Life girls
Some Cardstock and your electronic cutter (silhouette cameo or Cricut) and you can create this awesome tree calendar!
Christmas Movie countdown
Punch out
Kids will have such a blast punching out each day!
Candy Themed Calendar
If you are looking for an inspensive and easy Advent calendar-This one is candy and cling wrap! AND we used candy leftover from Halloween!
magnetic tree for kids
This one is a melissa and Doug tree on amazon! Still so cute and kid-proof!
Paper bags DIY Christmas Advent Calendar
Advent countdowns do not need to be expensive or hard! Fill bags, fold up and clip to a string! EASY!
Christ-themed advent
This isn’t a DIY one either- but I love the meaning behind it!
magnetic fridge version!
This is genius! Add a magnet on the back of little boxes and stick them right to your refrigerator!
Bucket sign
Spend one time making this cute bucket wood board and then you can easily fill it with different items year after year!
Scratch off Calendar
This countdown gives you hints of what’s inside the present!
Envelopes
Grab a package of envelopes and number stickers to recreate this! Perfect to pair with the list of Christmas activities.
Hanging ornament
fun Christmas countdown
adorable advent calendar
Gingerbread themed Advent
Boxes
Cute little boxes all wrapped the same!
Modern tree
I love how colorful and fun this one is! You, of course, could make it whatever color scheme you want!
Beautiful wooden version
A fun purchase on Amazon!
Advent printables
Just tie on to whatever gifts you want!
Hanging Christmas countdown
This would be darling on a mantle with a garland!
Felt advent
A little something in each little pocket!
Christmas carol countdown
Paper chain kids advent
A classic countdown! We made so many of these growing up!
canvas bag advent
Box Christmas countdown calendar
24 days of Jokes!!!
Easy and kids don’t end up with too much stuff!
Simple candle idea DIY Christmas Advent Calendar
I love this simple idea! Burn the candle down day by day! You could read a story while it melts!
Boxes–perfect if you have lots of different sizes!
Over the door hanger
A shoe hanger has 24 pockets! Coincident? I think not!
felted wall hanging sign
Beautiful drawers
Acts of Kindness
Christmas story countdown
Muffin Tin advent calendar
Fill up a muffin tin with fun ideas!
adorable Christmas tree advent calendar countdown
Create cones from paper and hide things underneath!
Balloon countdown!
Pop and see what movie you are watching for that day!
Simplistic Christmas advent countdown ever!
House countdown
DIY a wood house! You could paint it like a gingerbread house!
Kid’s Santa Version
Kids will love this printable! Add a cotton swab each day!
Christmas Movie list countdown
Colorful cone trees
Mini Tree advent
This is just darling! You could line these up on your mantle!
Stocking countdown
Book countdown
Wrap up your Christmas books and unwrap each one to read each night!
candy jars
I just counted out a candy for each day for each kid! Each day, eat a piece of candy!
fun Christmas countdown
Matchbox jar
Advent idea printables
Free printables with tons of ideas to use with some of these gorgeous advent calendars!
Big sign–
It would look so good on the wall!
a note a day! Love this!
Wreath advent Christmas countdown
Modern Ladder
Christmas ball countdown
Instagram picture countdown
stenciled bags
Star packages
Candy Cane countdown
Bucket sign
Diy wall hanging sign
Generic Countdown sign with free SVG
Toilet paper tube calendar!
matchbox countdown
Christmas lights!
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