Easy Personalised Envelope Advent Calendar
I thought I'd share this advent calendar with you this week. I've been making them for my sons for the last 4 or 5 years and even made one for hubby last year.
Because you've made it yourself, it can take as much or as little time to put together as you like. You can tailor it towards your recipients likes, for example you could put in miniature drink bottles, stationery items, jewellery, candles, sweets, biscuits, toys or collectables. As long as it's not too big anything goes!
My children are into Lego, so I buy a small Lego set and split the pieces between the 24 days and they make the item as they go and have a completed set by Christmas. I also put in a small chocolate and a fun task to do for the day.
(Sorry about the photo's - it was really tricky to get a good shot where you could see the whole calendar)
Click the link below to find out how they were made.
You will need:
- 2 metres of ribbon
- 24 envelopes - either bought ones or made ones
- labels
- software to design labels
- printer
- white photocopier paper
- items to fill your advent calendar
- Stapler, safety pins or needle and thread
- Create the countdown labels to go onto your
envelopes. Like the photo below – use
free clipart from the internet to decorate them appropriately. I use Microsoft Word to create my labels and
if you need a guide you can find it here.
- If you are using bought envelopes, then stick a label onto each one of the 24 envelopes needed for the advent calendar
- If you are making envelopes – make 24 envelopes of the size that your advent gifts will fit in. I used a pack of 12 x 12 scrapbook card (each one cut down to 11" by 11" to make a C5 envelope) and We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board. Then stick your labels onto the front of each envelope.
- Create ‘to do’ activities - a different activity for each day. For example you can find children’s Christmas word searches or colouring sheets as free resources online that can be printed and put into the advent envelope.
- Or you could choose tasks like ‘wishing everyone you see today a merry Christmas' or 'sing Christmas carols'. Print them off or write them. Then cut them up, so each one can go in it's separate days envelope You can edit my example in this google drive document
- Fill your advent envelopes. Each one with a small chocolate or sweet, the ‘to do’ activity of the day and the small gift. Seal each envelope as you go.
- I then attach the envelopes along a piece of ribbon that I hang on their bedroom door. I attach them to the ribbon with staples or safety pins but if you were worried about using them for young children you could put a couple of stitches in the top of each one. Or you could leave their envelope at the end of their bed each day.
For my boys I buy a small Lego set as the gift (part of their Christmas gift). I print the instruction manual off the Lego website and split the pieces up so they build a little bit each day. By Christmas they have a fully built item to play with. (If there are not enough pieces in the Lego set to split 24 ways then you could split it 4 ways and just put them in a particular day of the week – ie a Saturday treat.)
As they remove and open the envelope for that day, it then reveals the one for tomorrow
Ta - Da! A personalised advent calendar.
