Handmade Advent calendar ideas: stylish ways to decorate
In December, there’s the Advent calendar that lets you count the days until Christmas.
You open one box or paper bag each day and enjoy the countdown to Christmas.
You can buy ready-made ones, but many people might prefer to make their own if they’re going to the trouble, right?
In this article, we’ll show you how to make Advent calendars using a variety of materials, as well as how to display them.
Using supplies from 100-yen shops, you can easily create one by hand—so give it a try!
How-to Ideas (1–10)
Kit Easy! Advent Calendar
Good news for those who aren’t great at crafts but want to make an original Advent calendar! If you use an Advent calendar kit sold at 100-yen shops, you can create an Advent calendar that looks store-bought without any of the hassle of cutting or gluing.
You can choose and put in the gifts yourself, so you can make the calendar exactly the way you like.
It’s also highly recommended as a gift, since you can give it without worrying about how polished the final result looks!
Advent calendar made with 100-yen shop lumber
A must-see for those who are serious about DIY or want to give it a try! It’s an advent calendar made of wood that looks just like a toy box.
The white wooden box is decorated with the words “Merry Christmas,” and when you open it, it turns into an advent calendar that radiates the warmth of wood.
Inside, there are small trees and reindeer ornaments, making you feel as if you’re peering into the world of a picture book.
The amazing part is that all the materials needed to make this calendar can be found at a 100-yen shop.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to take on a full-fledged DIY advent calendar!
The classic! Tetra Pak advent calendar
If you want to enjoy an Advent calendar with minimum effort, I recommend a tetra pack-style Advent calendar.
A tetra pack is a triangular paper carton originating in Sweden.
Make containers like tetra packs using origami, hang them on the wall like a garland, and you’ve got an easy and stylish Advent calendar! While Advent calendars are often box-shaped, with this method it’s also very easy to put everything away.
It’s a great approach for first-timers making an Advent calendar!
Nordic-style advent calendar with drawstring pouches
Let’s try making a handmade advent calendar that counts down to Christmas day by day using only items from the 100-yen shop.
By choosing chic, natural colors and textures, you can create a stylish, Scandinavian-inspired calendar.
Prepare bags made from natural materials, such as burlap, and fill them with small gifts or chocolates—one for each day.
Line up the bags in date order, and it’s complete.
Tie on a few handmade Christmas ornaments here and there to make it even more charming.
Incorporating natural elements like pinecones or driftwood is also a lovely touch.
Tree-style advent calendar made from scrap materials and tissue paper flowers
It’s an advent calendar shaped like a Christmas tree that’s fun to display and to open! It’s made by stacking tubes filled with little gifts into a tree shape.
Amazingly, these tubes are reused toilet paper rolls.
It’s great that you can make such a cute advent calendar while recycling, isn’t it? The usual box-style advent calendars are nice, but one you can enjoy as a decoration is our top pick! Give it a try and make one yourself.
Advent calendar of Santa outfits made with origami
Speaking of Christmas presents, Santa is an essential figure.
His bright red outfit leaves a memorable impression, as if it lights up Christmas itself.
This is an advent calendar that incorporates Santa’s outfit design.
Make little bags from red origami paper, draw lines with a black pen to create the belt, and use white stickers to represent the buttons.
The vivid red look is festive, so it blends in naturally as a decoration on the Christmas tree—that’s a key point.
You could make every date a Santa, but if you make only Christmas Day a Santa, it might heighten the anticipation for the big day even more.
Origami bag Advent calendar
For those who love origami or are good at it, here’s a recommended way to make an Advent calendar.
First, create small containers out of origami.
There are many folding methods, but if you’re putting things inside, it’s best to make three-dimensional ones.
Then place the little gifts inside, use string, and hang them on the wall! Since origami is known worldwide as part of Japanese culture, this is also a great idea when you want to give an Advent calendar to people overseas.
It’s a meeting point of Western and Japanese cultures.