Inventive Advent Calendars!

When I was young, I used to love Advent calendars. Every Decmeber my mother would bring them home from Marks & Spencer (an English store that sadly no longer exists in Canada) and my brother and I would hastily take them up to our rooms and give them a place of honour on our dressers. Each day throughout the month of December, leading up to December 25th, we would open a little 'window' to collect our chocolatey prize. It was a tasty countdown to Christmas!

 

These days, Advent calendars have become extremely modern and creative! The blogs (and Pinterest) are full of ideas on creative ways to make your own Advent display, many of which are stylish enough to be housed in a kitchen or living room. I've gathered some of my favourites below. All were found on Pinterest, collected from numerous style blogs.

Create a rustic effect by using neutral tones  with pops of colour. On the left, simple brown paper bags have been stuffed with goodies and then hung on thick twine using clothespins. A chalkboard wall hosts the days of the month with a Merry Christmas banner written in chalk. Click here to see how it was made. On the right, a sectioned drawer is stood on its side and then filled with small, wrapped gifts, numbered for the days of December. Created by Jordan Ferney for Anthology magazine. Both calendars create whimsical displays on cabinets.

Remnant fabric has so many purposes. Like Martha, I always save remnants for use in other crafts. Here, small pieces of fabric have been used to create bunting, with each piece sewn to create an envelope with a button seal. This can be reused year after year, strewn across a mantel in place of stockings. I love the festive red fabrics but other colours could certainly be used. By Peppermint Pinwheel on Etsy.

Get creative by repurposing empty containers. On the left, a series of Pringles potato-chip cans have been decorated with festive wrapping and twine and the lids embellished with paper cut-outs and numbers. You could also use the lidded tubes for sale at the post office for this project. (This would be a great craft for kids!) By Queenvanna Creations. On the right, a series of clear jars were painted to mask the secret contents. The various shades of green paint that were used bring festive unity to the display. Use red twine as embellishment and plain gift tags with numbers written on them to denote the day of the month. Created by Brigitte.de.

Here is a style that Alexis Stewart might find very intriguing, with its muted palette and minimalist simplicity! Lidded cardboard boxes are perfectly spaced and mounted onto a painted board using screws. Numbered labels are then printed and wrapped around one side of the lid. When it is time to open the box, cut the label to reveal the day's surprise! Created by Shim & Sons.

Geometric paper orbs in gold, silver and white are hung from the ceiling with decorative twine. Each little 'box' contains a surprise! Created by Sanae Ishida.

Learn how to make this beautiful and unique advent calendar here, via The Marion House Book