December is upon us, which means we are *officially* on the road to Christmas. An advent calendar is a great way to get in the holiday spirit and count down the days until the big guy (aka Santa) makes his appearance. If you had grand plans to put together an extravagant calendar but got distracted by all the post-Thanksgiving Day sales, don’t fret! You can tackle these DIYs in no time. Keep scrolling for 25 easy DIY advent calendars you can make on December 1.
1. Advent Treat Bags: Use bright printer paper to fold up a basket full of treat bags for this colorful advent calendar. Fill each bag with a small treat and seal with a strip of washi tape. You’ll find yourself racing home each day to open up the next bag of sweets. (via Fox and Star)
2. Wall Tree: Thin strips of velcro hold this adorable advent calendar up on your wall. Place a tiny trinket in each one and wrap them all up. Now you can rip through wrapping paper every day until Christmas and have fun + festive wall decor. (via Brit + Co)
3. LEGO Duplo Advent: This Christmas countdown is perfect for your little LEGO-maniac and is super easy to put together. All you need (besides the LEGO figurines) is a handful of paper straws and the free printable numbers. Write a fun activity on the back of each one and get ready to go out and enjoy the holiday season. (via Jacks and Kate)
4. Modern Wall Advent: You can hang this colorful advent calendar on your wall with washi tape, put them on your tree like ornaments or string them up as a garland. One thing is for sure: It will become an instant statement piece no matter where you put it. (via Minieco)
5. Flair Advent Calendar: Step up your flair game with this quirky calendar. If you make this, you’re guaranteed to have the coolest Christmas countdown on the block, as well as the best pin collection. (via Studio DIY)
6. Paper Ornament Advent Calendar: Deck out your mantel for the holidays and start a new family tradition at the same time. This double-duty decoration will be the center of attention all month long. (via Oh Happy Day)
7. Plastic Animal Advent: Spray paint 25 plastic animals and give them each a red pom pom nose. The figurine toppers are almost better than the sugary treats hidden inside the boxes. Almost… (via A Bubbly Life)
8. Christmas Countdown Candle: This minimalist calendar is perfect for small spaces or your desk at work. Cross off a day every morning when you light it and the sweet smell will keep your spirits up all season. (via The Merry Thought)
9. Advent Calendar Town: You can put together an entire village in an afternoon thanks to this free printable template. Place things like bottle brush trees and tiny reindeer under the boxes so you’re actually adding to your town every day. (via Brit + Co)
10. Easy Envelope Advent: If you’d rather fill your calendar with family activities like going out to look at Christmas lights, then this simple advent calendar is for you. The small envelopes are just the right size for a slip of paper and directions to your next festive destination. Divide up the numbers between each person in the house and have everyone contribute something to the calendar. (via Rosehip)
11. Modern Hexagon Advent Calendar: This geometric calendar gives off a luxe look without the added price tag. Transform ordinary hexagon favor boxes with wood grain and pink paper accents. Then fill and hang with double-sided tape in a formation that best fits your space. (via Oh Happy Day)
12. Printable Advent Calendar: Run to your local office supply store and get this printed as an engineering print for just a few dollars. Glue a mini clothes pin to each square and let dry before hanging small toys or details for a fun outing. Hang the entire thing with strips of washi tape and admire your work. (via Confetti Sunshine)
13. Brown Box Advent: Fill up your cork board with this cute calendar. Attach the boxes with pushpins on the inside so you can take it down after the holidays and put back up all your pictures and to-do lists. This one is great for your apartment since it won’t take up any extra space. (via Hey Look)
14. Dinosaur Advent Calendar: Turn plain plastic dinosaurs into this super cool advent calendar with help from your trusty DIY BFF: spray paint. Place each one atop an envelope containing directions for a holiday activity the whole family will love, like snuggling up for your favorite Christmas movie (complete with snacks and hot chocolate, of course). (via Boxy Colonial)
15. Treat Bag Advent Calendar: String up this cute advent calendar on an empty wall for a big impact. Create two big rows or three smaller ones. Whatever your room requires, this calendar is sure to deliver. (via Oh Happy Day)
16. Craft Board Countdown: Grab a plain craft board and turn it into a beautiful ombre advent calendar. Write your activities directly on the board and pin the dated circles on top. Feel free to change up the color to match your existing Christmas decorations to make it feel right at home. (via Spark and Chemistry)
17. Colorful Advent Calendar: Hang festive treat bags from a wooden dowel and you’ll have an adorable decoration and a ton of fun adventures to embark on over the next month. Put the bags in a random order to make searching for the right one a little more exciting. (via A Subtle Revelry)
18. Winter Advent Calendar: Spread these tiny green trees out across your mantel for an instant winter wonderland. They will print in three different sizes and are all great for stashing small after-dinner treats. Decorate your trees or leave them plain. Either way, you’ll be glad you made them. (via Willowday)
19. DIY Branch Advent Calendar: Head outside and find a nice sturdy branch for this budget-friendly project. You’ll have such a good time looking at your new advent calendar and discovering the surprises in each brown bag that you won’t ever want Christmas to end. (via Third Floor Design Studio)
20. Bookish Christmas Countdown: Put a literary spin on your holiday countdown this year. Individually wrap 25 Christmas books and write the date to be opened on the front. Mix in small board books with longer chapter books to make sure everyone has enough time to finish their favorites. (via Modern Mrs. Darcy)
21. Printable Mountain Advent Calendar: Believe it or not, you can make this entire calendar in just a few hours. String up the envelopes in various lengths so that none of them overlap. Each pocket is big enough for a small piece of candy or instructions for a holiday adventure (try a scavenger hunt!). (via Curbly)
22. Instagram Advent: Admire your favorite Instagrams from the past year and count down to Christmas at the same time. Made with an empty picture frame, twine and mini clothes pins, this stylish calendar is one you might want to leave up all year long after all the pictures are turned around. (via Card Store)
23. TP Roll Advent Calendar: Put those empty toilet paper rolls to good use with this modern Santa calendar. Once you place your treats under each cardboard roll, finding out what’s under the next one will soon be the best part of your day. (via The Crafty Swedes)
24. Christmas Countdown Calendar: This magnetic advent calendar is one decoration you’ll look forward to pulling out each year. And when your friends comment on how cool it is, you get to tell them all that you actually made it. (via The Anchored Soul)
25. Mini Forest Advent Calendar: How adorable is this take on an advent calendar? Mini paper cups make an ideal base for your paper trees. Fill each cup with tiny trinkets or yummy treats. Place the finished trees among your yearly holiday village display and watch your decorations come to life. (via Ebabee Likes)
Which calendar will you make to count down to Christmas? Snap a picture and #britstagram so we can see!
