Easy DIY Advent Calendars 17 Ideas

DIY Advent Calendars: 17 Creative Gift Calendar Ideas

Remember when unlocking an Advent door revealed a Christmas-themed picture? Or perhaps you had the advent candle wreath or garland as a tradition in your household or a daily candy fix.

The advent calendar is a twentieth-century innovation (1971 for Cadbury’s first chocolate calendar). Adults in the 21st century enjoy a daily treat before the Christmas festival. You may spend between £10 and £1,000 on a Master of Malt Old and Rare Whisky Advent Calendar.

All these are insignificant compared with the Diamond-a-Day calendar for £100,000. An adult advent calendar may contain anything from pork scratchings to lego.

Why DIY Advent Calendars?

Given the choice of artisan beers, gin, scented candles and beauty products, why bother to make an advent Calendar yourself? Handmade Advent Calendars win over lower budget versions because:

  1. It shows you invested effort and money in creating the activity.
  2. You can give more and spend less.
  3. You can tailor it to the recipient.
  4. It spreads joy for you and the person receiving it.

When you make your own advent calendar, it isn’t always more economical than buying one. The less you want to spend, the more thoughtful you need to be with the surprise you provide. But you can set a budget for the whole thing or on a per-item basis. You can produce a delightful grownup calendar filled for a minimal amount.

It would help if you started planning early; gathering supplies might take a while.

DIY Christmas advent calendar ideas

Wow The Presentation

Is the typical chocolate-filled advent calendar getting too predictable for you? A classic Christmas advent calendar has bespoke packaging, so plan your presentation. Prepare to spruce up your holiday season with the best of this year’s creative advent calendars to make yourself.

Box Advent Calendar to Fill

Box Advent Calendar to Fill


If your budget and time permits, you can find a ready-to-fill calendar to decorate yourself. Everything from a stack of drawers to fabric pouches. The initial outlay can be as much as buying shop-bought, but you can reuse them again.
The disadvantage of a pre-made calendar is the internal space limits the present size.

DIY Advent Calendar Ideas

When thinking about ways of creating your calendar, you have plenty of DIY ideas and options:

  • Keep it simple–wrap each tree ornament with standard Christmas wrapping paper with stick-on numbers or attach gift tags. You can keep them in a basket, stocking or decorative paper bag.
  • Explore packing materials. Craftspeople source their tissue paper, muslin bags and cardboard cartons cheap in bulk. Shop where they do.
  • Create your own–mini containers and envelope pouches. Craft them with fancy paper, washi tape, hot glue, burlap or fabrics. You can go for a simple bag or luxurious heirlooms.
  • Forward planning-toilet paper rolls are great containers for little gifts. Wrap each with patterned papers and ribbon for a hanging advent calendar option.
Decorate your own Wooden Advent Calendar
DIY Wooden Advent Calendar with Drawers includes number embellishments

How Do I Make A Homemade Advent Calendar

Despite the expectation and excitement, there must be a goodie inside. Your budget, time and skills determine what you use in the individual envelopes for advent calendar contents ideas. The 24th needs to be the greatest, and a hero prize or two amongst the others helps. A handcrafted oak bottle opener or aromatherapy jewellery is lovely for your Christmas countdown to end advent with a pleasant surprise.

Tiny Budget DIY Ideas

Simple advent calendar envelopes or brown paper bags are inexpensive. A combination of the following 17 ideas lets you package 24 mini surprises for the family:

Alternative DIY Calendars

Countdown Trivia Style

Each morning hang a new question or puzzle to solve for your Christmas tree advent calendar activities. These look cute in folded colourful paper in a glass jar with number stickers. You can produce them yourself, download a printable template or buy a pack of questions or a book.

This fun idea may have a Christmas, literary, movie, or another theme.

Origami Designs

Origami Activity Afternoon

You can build a model or give a mini tutorial and the right-sized paper for completion by the giftee. You can access easy tutorials for free online or invest in a book. Start with an easy design for the first numbers and work up to the most complicated for Christmas Eve. You can theme it with Christmas designs or general entertainment.

Sweet Treats

Most recipients appreciate repackaged sweets, pick-and-mix, chocolates, or nutritious snacks. If you enjoy baking, you can bake little treats, think cookies or a muffin with a Christmas theme.

Excellent packaging for kids’ sweets includes burlap bags with ribbon or numbered vessels.

Tiny Toys and Puzzles

Most grownups enjoy a return to childhood. The prizes need not be keepers. They provide a bright spot in the grey days leading to the Christmas festivities. You can find a bulk load of small things like metal puzzles and wedding favours for an affordable price.

Card Advent Calendar

Moderate Budget

A moderate budget opens up your DIY advent calendar idea possibilities. If you have crafting skills, you can create calendar content, but source supplies once you settle on the theme.

Why not consider getting crafty and saving money?

You can buy crafters kits from Hobbycraft or components for their handicraft of choice. Most hobbyists already own the tools they need, but there is always gadgets and materials. It’s personal, fun, and practical, but do your homework to avoid giving an oil painter watercolours.

Good Ideas

Use A Theme Or Interest

A theme makes putting together a DIY Christmas countdown calendar much easier. Pick a general theme or something tailored to your loved one. To start you off with some inspiration and how to find small affordable keepsakes:

  • Gardening: seeds, labels, thread, flowerpots, hand tools, garden decorations, gloves and accessories.
  • Outdoor workers–thermal foot coverings, hand warmers, chapstick, cup-a-soup, gloves and hats.
  • Office workers– quirky desk accessories, fancy paperclips, executive playthings, fancy teas and snacks.
  • Bakers-cookie cutters, cake decorations, flavouring samples, and other equipment.
  • Foodies–exotic ingredients, herbs, spices, jars, and tins of hard-to-source foods.
  • Bathing–bath bombs, rubber ducks, soaps, scented candles, face cloths and body scrubs.

Simple DIY advent calendar themes might be based on a colour, animal, or material.

DIY Bags For Advent Calendars

Spread A Bigger Piece Over December

Some larger things lend themselves to repackaging into something bigger. Good examples of these suggestions are:

  • Jigsaws–you can get them custom printed.
  • Lego kits–for the inner child.
  • Nativity scenes.
  • Plastic models.
  • Dolls House.
  • 3D Puzzles.

It helps if you put in the extra effort to ensure that each day is a complete step in completing the entire project. On the first day, you may have to include glue and a tool kit, depending on your choice. With this type, they have the fun of creating the finished pieces for the period leading up to December 25th.

lego kits for christmas advent calendar gifts

DIY Lego Advent Calendar

Amazon sells pre-made versions with themes like LEGO, Disney, and Star Wars. If you want to do it yourself and save money, choose a small seasonal set towards a winter village. It’s so clever that it will cost you nothing if you already have lego! Follow this homemade lego advent calendar tutorial.

General Object

Small stocking filler items also work for the advent countdown. You can spread a pack of light-up Christmas socks over two days and split up packs into parts. Once you get into it, you can look at repackaging everyday bits as fun stuff.

There is a surprise every day, which means not every item has to be big, bold, and memorable. It’s about showing the recipient you know them, including Marmite on day three will have them smiling. Anything distinctive shows that you spent effort on them.

What Can I Put In An Advent Calendar For Adults

You can build a stunning package if you do not have holiday budget restrictions. Assuming you’re not giving diamonds, classic advent calendar fillers might inspire you.

Thoughts include all the standards but with a bigger budget to play with:

  1. Craft beers.
  2. Alcohol.
  3. Coffee beans.
  4. Luxury teas.
  5. Clothing.
  6. Jewellery.
  7. Accessories–wallets, purses, silk scarves.
  8. Gourmet foods.
  9. Useful gadgets.
  10. Entertaining games and puzzles.
  11. Books.
  12. CDs, DVDs, and games.

You can still choose a holiday theme; add some trivia questions and homemade goodies. For the experience, it is the thought that counts more than the price tag. Advent boxes are more intimate than other Christmas gifts because you only go to the effort for friends and family.

small numbered boxes

Speciality Advent Boxes

Some years are landmark years–your first Christmas as a couple or the year your partner retires. An Advent box is a good way of showing how much another person means to you. These perhaps echo the life event that your girlfriend is sharing or experiencing.

It can contain glass Christmas tree ornaments or love poems with heart-shaped chocolates. The college student away from home will welcome luxury foodstuffs for a change from pot noodles or a supply of stockings with fun games.

More Ideas For Advent Calendars

Make it Unusual, Make it Yours

Creating, giving, and receiving a calendar is magical for adults or kids. The commercial world is happy to match your needs with a pre-packed offering on a theme. But the daily gesture to a loved one lends itself to joy and laughter.

Making small boxes for kids and adults shows you care, but leave the geese, swans, and French hens in the farmyard.

Are you looking for a Hero Souvenir?

Are you looking for that big surprise piece in your collection of ornaments or the star of Christmas Eve? Consider some of our exquisitely handcrafted goods from here in the UK. Wood rings, stylish cuff links, aromatherapy diffuser pendants, wooden jewellery and elegant pens.

Consider our expertly turned ideas if you want to give your heart this Christmas.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *