Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Christmas Advent Calendar

If you are planning to buy an Advent Calendar to count down the days until Christmas Day, this is the time to start shopping!  I am saying that because per my experience, it's usually impossible to find such a calendar by the end of November (unless you buy online and are willing to spend big bucks on express shipping). 

And if you are creating your own Christmas Advent Calendar and you have limited free time like me, you should start right about now.  I always start too late and I can't complete the project on time or I couldn't get the items I want on time to make it.   So this year I am starting super early in order to get it right!

I remember one year I started the project so late (it was a felt Christmas tree with felt pouches for each day)  I ended up using a stapler to hold the felt together instead of sewing them with stitches.  But thank goodness, my boy still thought it was the prettiest tree EVER!

This year I am not really making my own Christmas Advent Calendar but it will be a semi-finished product that would allow me to customize it to my liking!  It will be a tree made of wood!  I bought it at Michael's Craft Store with their 40% coupon which was a real bargain!


It has 24 numbered compartments.  I know my boy and all his cousins love to paint so this project is also meant to be a craft activity for them.  Each box is small but it can hold a candy and probably more knick knacks.  A few boxes had rough edges so a little sanding would do the trick.


The tree can stand by itself thanks to a wood plank on the back.


The tree is plain bare wood without any color.  You can therefore paint it the way you like it.  To show you an example of the final product, here below is a painted tree from the Michael's Craft Store website.  They have a page HERE describing the project instructions.

Photo Credit: Michael's Craft Store

I think the above version is very tame.  I expect the kids to go wild with the colors and their own personal drawings and that's what will make it so special to them!  I love how you can completely customize the tree to your own liking just with some paint :)

How about you?  Did you plan to buy or create a Christmas Advent Calendar this year?


 

9 comments:

  1. how fun is this!! I would love to do an Advent Calendar. Maybe next year, if I find the time! Do you know what kind of goodies you will put inside the compartments? Advent Calendars were one of my favorite holiday things to look forward to when I was little!

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    1. Oh yes I already know what I will put in the compartments! I will post about it today :)

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  2. Its a wonderful project, I barely remember to flip the paper version from November to December ;p I will just rely on everyone else's calendar to keep me on track LOL

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    1. Thanks Jane! I used to be like that until I had children. Now I just have to check the calendar all the time or I'd miss their school events or doctor appointments!

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  3. No, I have no plans to buy or make an advent calendar, but I do have fond memories of the ones my mom bought when I was a child, which had a piece of chocolate for each day. Boy, were they yummy! :-) Thanks for the memories, Jane Cherie! xo Jennifer

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    1. Glad I made you think of those yummy chocolates! I didn't grow up having any advent calendar but my boy and nephews love it so I do it for them!

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  4. Oh I love this!!!! And have found so many ideas on pinterest, but Im not that crafty and I prefer to spend my free time with SF so Im not sure if I should make something. I heard of this idea to buy 24 books (cheap ones), wrap them and then each night from 1 December your child chooses one wrapped book and that is their story of the night. I love this idea, and might be what I will do. I am contemplating to put the numbers (1-24) on there as we are in the process of learning to count, but not sure if that will take the fun out of it!

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    1. I love that book advent idea. It's actually something I'll do this year and I have already gathered all the books I need. I didn't have the time to take pictures of them yet but I hope I'll get a few spare moments next weekend to start on that :) I think adding the numbers on them is fine too (as long as they don't know what's the content, it will still be a surprise!)

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  5. Que bonito es, te quedó bien así pintado. Este año no lo voy a comprar, otros años si, pero ya es tarde.. Lo mismo lo hago yo, ya se verá. Un beso

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