DIY Advent Calendar

by Victoria Armijo on November 11th, 2013 | No Comments »

This easy and fun DIY Advent calendar is something that can be done with the kids as a family activity during the holidays.

Advent Calendar

Materials Needed

24x24 pre-cut piece of plywood (mine is about 5/8" in thickness)
28x28 piece of burlap
Staple gun
1/2" brass hooks (if hanging boxes)
Boxes or envelopes
Drill
Ruler or tape measurer
Craft or wood glue
Wooden letters
Paint or glitter

I got these great glitter boxes at Wal-Mart in the holiday baking section. They came in a pack of six, so I bought four packs plus one special Santa hat for the 25th day of December! You could use anything like envelopes or small gift bags.

Instructions

Step 1

Cover the piece of wood with the burlap. There are many different tones and colors of burlap, so pick one that will match your holiday decorations in your home. Use the staple gun to cover the entire front area of your plywood. Don't worry about the back being perfect, it will be on the wall so it will not be in view.

Step 2

Attach your hooks to the plywood. The easiest way for me to do this was to measure each box and then measure how far apart I wanted them. Once I knew that I wanted them five inches apart from top to bottom, I laid down some string to show me exactly where each row would go. Then I needed each box to be four inches apart left to right, so I laid down a measuring tape to show me exactly where each hook would go. According to my measurements each hook would be 4 inches apart so I would insert a hook at the 2", 6", 10", 14", 18", and 22" points. At those exact points following my row of string I drilled holes in the wood, being very careful not to go all the way through. Insert your hook and rotate in until tight.

Step 3

Add Numbers to your calendar. Rather than printing, I used a calligraphy pen and on small white squares wrote numbers 1-25, then I glued them on using tacky glue.

Step 4

Add little fun activities for each day of your Advent calendar and maybe even a small special treat! Below I have included a printable list of activities you can do with your family.

Advent Calendar Activity Ideas

Step 5

Make it personalized by adding a monogram or family name at the top of your Advent calendar.

Step 6

Decide where you would like to locate your Advent calendar.If you are hanging, add some tulle and staple it on the back, and then tie a ribbon. This gives the illusion that the calendar is hanging from the tulle. I have set the 25th day Santa box on the table that sits next to the Advent calendar, but I think I might end up hiding it the night before for a little Christmas morning scavenger hunt.

What is the one thing you are looking forward to during the holidays?

Victoria is a wife and mommy of two amazing little girls, and their lives are surrounded with homeschooling, arts and crafts, ballet, sports, and family fun! Her hobbies consist of reading a good book while drinking an amazing cup of coffee, blogging, homeschooling, being a sports and dance mom, going to the gym whenever possible, and cooking allergy-safe foods for her family! Visit her blog at ABC Creative Learning and follow along on her journey of homeschooling, food allergies, and family life. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+.