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!