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!
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How-to Ideas (1–10)
Advent calendar made from milk cartons
It’s an advent calendar where you open rooms made from milk cartons one by one.
Cut the milk cartons to the same width, arrange them into the shape of the design you want to make, and glue them together.
After placing candy or small toys in each room, attach a lid to each one.
The key is to use a sturdy material like cardstock for the back to keep the shape from collapsing, and a light material like origami paper for the front so it’s easy to tear open and take out the contents.
The classic, stable option is to make it in the shape of a Christmas tree, but incorporating other Christmas motifs could be fun too.
Paper cup advent calendar
This is a simple advent calendar that counts down to Christmas using paper cups filled with treats.
Fill each cup with sweets, attach a lid and a number, and arrange them in a triangular tower like a Christmas tree.
Paper cups actually hold more than you might expect, so you can pack in enough treats to delight children—that’s another plus.
Let the excitement of Christmas drawing near and the joy of the treats help overcome the slight sadness of the tree’s shape changing as days go by.
It could also be fun to lean into the Christmas tree theme by wrapping the cups with green construction paper.
No-sew felt stocking-shaped advent calendar
When it comes to Christmas, stockings are the classic thing to hold presents, right? This advent calendar uses felt stockings as little containers, strung up like a garland to create the calendar.
Felt stockings are easy to make and you can choose any size you like.
Unlike store-bought advent calendar boxes that can be too small, these can hold larger items, so it’s especially recommended if you want the freedom to pick any kind of gift! Since you make it just by cutting and gluing, it’s an advent calendar that’s easy to try even if you’re not good at sewing.
Ideas for how to make it (11–20)
Advent calendar exclusively for Tirol Chocolate
An Advent calendar that looks like a book, cleverly made using Tirol Chocolates.
First, create a sturdy base out of thick paperboard to serve as the book cover, then arrange boxes on the inside that can hold candies with numbers written on them.
Since it’s designed to fit Tirol Chocolates, the neatly aligned squares are a key feature.
After that, just place a Tirol Chocolate in each box to finish.
It’s also important to plan the finer details, such as the design of the cover and the boxes, or how to decorate if you don’t have boxes.
Aim for a festive design that builds excitement as Christmas approaches.
Advent calendar of tissue boxes
This is a simple Advent calendar made from an empty tissue box.
By using a pre-existing box, you don’t have to build one from scratch, and the result is sturdier—that’s the key point.
Use the tissue box as the base, place cut pieces of toilet paper rolls inside, and cover those spots with large calligraphy paper sheets labeled with numbers.
To build excitement for Christmas, it’s important to focus on the design: draw the numbers in a Christmas-inspired style, wrap the whole thing in Christmas-themed wrapping paper, and so on.
Embroidery Advent Calendar
An advent calendar that feels like a tapestry, made by sewing pieces of fabric together.
It uses panel fabric and builds individual pockets, giving it a soft look that’s a major feature.
Because you place treats in the numbered pockets, it can be used year after year, which is also appealing.
The pocket section works on its own, but if you layer fabric and leave a margin around the edges, you can add ornaments and other embellishments—so try exploring different variations.
Envelope Advent calendar
An advent calendar where you open the contents each day leading up to Christmas: if you use envelopes designed specifically for holding items, you’ll have less worry about things spilling out.
If you use plain envelopes, you can draw directly on them and make numbers or other designs stand out more.
Once you’ve finished the design, put in some treats, thread a string through a hole made with a punch, and you’re done.
It’s common to hang them like Christmas-themed ornaments.
Since hanging too many in one place can make it heavy, it’s best to divide them into several groups.