Filed Under: DIY Projects, Motherhood //
Advent Calendars are a huge hit in our house. We break it out every December and enjoy the countdown to Christmas as a family. In the past, we’ve always used a store bought chocolate advent calendar. Although those are nice, there are so many ways to turn your advent calendar into a meaningful holiday experience.
Thankfully, I recently created an activity based advent calendar with my MOPs group! It was such a fun way to bond with fellow mamas and get into the holiday spirit! And honestly, it was a really simple process.
So, if you’re looking to amp up your holiday advent calendar this year, here’s how to do it in 4 easy steps.
Materials:
Staple gun/staples
Writing utensil (we used a Sharpie)
Start by evenly spacing your four ribbons across the canvas. Wrap the ribbon around the back and staple with the staple gun along the wooden edge.
I used a 3/4 inch ribbon and spaced them out about 3-4 inches.
Next, grab your envelopes and get creative using your washi tape! You will have 6 envelopes per row. I recommend choosing 4-5 different pattern styles and alternating them through all 24 cards.
Once you have styled the envelopes, label them 1-24. This will be easiest if you lay them out on your canvas in the order you want first.
The best part, fill in your calendar! I personally thought about our *rough* December schedule before filling in the envelopes. This way I could do simpler things on days we were busy and more elaborate things when we were free. For example, I made sure we wrote a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve and read a Christmas story the day we had a holiday party.
If you’re looking for advent filler ideas that go beyond physical gifts, check out my post: 45 Thoughtful Advent Calendar Filler Ideas for Families!
For the final step, use the miniature clothespins to clip your envelopes to the ribbon! You will have 6 envelopes per row, so I suggest starting in the middle of each ribbon and working your way out to make them even.
** A couple of my clothespins broke. With these envelopes I was able to easily hang the flap over the ribbon without having to fasten it down. If you do that, I recommend keeping it away from the littles and just pull the card down for them on that particular day.**
Finally, hang your calendar and admire your hard work mama! Your family will have a blast as you countdown to Christmas with your advent calendar!
Filed Under: DIY Projects, Motherhood //
Advent Calendars are one of our favorite holiday activities! Starting December 1st, we bring the advent calendar out of the basement and my toddler excitedly pulls out the first task. Each morning is a mystery on what special event we will get to do that day.
There are so many different types of advent calendars you can do! Here I have listed 45 ideas on how to fill your advent calendar for this upcoming holiday season!
***This one would depend on where you’re located and the weather***