73 Best DIY Advent Calendar Ideas For Christmas
Want DIY advent calendar ideas to suit your home and family? Here are 73 homemade advent calendars for adults and kids that you can easily make yourself.
There’s something special about crafting your own, tailor-made advent calendar. The variety of these ideas means that you’ll find an advent calendar with a personalised touch to suit your home.
This list of 73 of the best handmade Advent calendar ideas that go beyond the ordinary. From beautiful photo calendars to engaging jigsaw puzzles, and heartwarming acts of kindness. There’s a little something for everyone.
Take a moment to explore each idea, and who knows, you might find the perfect inspiration to craft your own handmade Advent calendar this year.
73 Handmade Advent Calendar Ideas
Photo Advent Calendar
Create a personalised photo Advent calendar with 24 photos that reflect your family’s year. Hang them up to relive memories and celebrate the holiday season.
A Kiss A Day
Make a new Christmas tradition with a Hershey’s Kiss advent calendar. Decorate the kisses with yarn and a homemade topper, to hang up for fun countdown to Christmas.
Reverse Advent Calendar
This reverse advent calendar is a meaningful way to make the holiday season more special. Teach children about the importance of giving back to the local community.
Easy (and Gorgeous!) DIY Calendar
Gift a jigsaw. This is a simple and interesting way to gift a jigsaw and give a little activity for each day of Advent. Here’s how to make it for the best giftee experience.
Family Advent Ideas
Start a new holiday tradition with your family by doing one activity each day in December such as making Christmas cards or baking special cookies.
Printable Advent to Colour
Make the countdown to Christmas a memorable and exciting experience for kids with interactive advent calendar ideas, including printable activity cards.
100 Activities Calendar
Create a cute Advent countdown calendar with socks, ribbon, and mini clothespins, featuring 100 Christmas activities for the family to enjoy together.
Christmas Paper Village
Make an easy DIY Christmas paper village for adults or kids. With printable gingerbread houses and Christmas trees to hold small items like bath bombs and nail polish.
Kindness for Kids
Help your kids spread kindness and cheer with this 24-day advent calendar filled with fun and easy acts of kindness that focus on giving rather than receiving.
LEGO Advent Calendar
Create a fun and festive holiday season with these 16 DIY LEGO advent calendar ideas, including Santa’s elf, Christmas bell, and gingerbread man.
Kids Christmas Countdown
This DIY advent calendar is a fun and affordable way to count down the days until Christmas. Fill each bag with small toys or treats such as hair bows.
Acts of Service
Consider doing random acts of kindness and service, such as leaving a sweet treat on a neighbour’s doorstep or sending a handwritten note to a friend. Find more ideas here.
Toilet Paper Tube Advent Calendar
Create an inexpensive DIY advent calendar using toilet paper rolls. Fill it with small gifts and decorate it with paint and numbers to make it look like a Christmas tree.
Family Time Ideas
This printable advent calendar includes 25 days of activities for young children, older kids, teens, and adults. Making it a fun way to count down to Christmas and spend quality time with family members.
Fun Advent Calendar You Can Make Yourself
Make your own personalised, homemade advent calendar with felt shapes. Add a special touch to each day’s piece to make it a meaningful family craft.
Book Advent Calendar
Create a new book Advent calendar by collecting and wrapping 25 Christmas books, labelling them with tags, and placing them in a basket for a special kind of advent calendar.
Magnetic Advent Calendar Wreath
This Advent calendar comes in wreath form, and is also magnetic – which makes it easy to store once Christmas is over. Children will love opening a new tin with special treats every day.
Advent Calendar to Colour
Try a free Advent calendar to colour, featuring 24 cute images of Christmas animals to colour each day until Christmas morning.
Advent Calendar With A Dictionary
This pretty advent calendar uses an old dictionary and prints vintage images on each page and filling them with small treats and Christmas-themed activities.
Advent Traditions
Family holiday traditions are a great way to make memories. Learn how to keep family holiday traditions fresh and interesting for everyone in your family.
Fabric Advent Calendar
Fill this DIY fabric Advent calendar with whatever surprises work for your family: gift cards, activity ideas, quotes or scriptures, and even little toys. Find out how to make it.
Santa Advent Calendar
One of the best family activities is this great idea to countdown the 25 days to Christmas with Santa’s beard. Use cotton balls to add to the picture until the big day.
Preschool Christmas Countdown
These Preschool Christmas craft ideas are filled with lots of craft inspiration for toddlers and preschoolers.
Book Christmas Tree
Create a fun and unique book advent calendar by wrapping 25 books in green and red wrapping paper, using command hanging strips to hang them on the wall.
12 Day DIY Advent Calendar
This Christmas countdown features 12 cups full of candy that kids can break each day as Christmas gets closer. Or turn it into a chocolate advent calendar as another great option.
Snowman Countdown Printable
Matching the cotton balls to the pre-drawn circles on the printable is a good idea for working on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination for children.
1o Ideas
Celebrate the holiday season with these fun Advent calendar ideas for your family, including child-specific calendars and adult-oriented calendars.
DIY Acts of Kindness
This random acts of kindness Advent calendar, features 30 cards with creative ideas for small acts of kindness and gift-giving, perfect for families with kids of all ages.
Printable Advent Calendar For Kids
Create a fun and engaging Christmas advent calendar for your kids by printing out a free printable template and colouring a new Christmas ornament each day.
Printable Advent Calendars
This bundle has activity cards for Bible readings, acts of kindness, as well as blank cards for customisation. Enjoy a meaningful family tradition with a no-fuss calendar.
Advent Calendar Felt Craft
Create a fun and non-candy DIY Advent calendar with felt ornaments and a Christmas tree, perfect for a family tradition or gift idea, with easy no-sew assembly.
Wooden Advent Calendars
This DIY advent calendar, made from leftover wood and decorated with vinyl numbers and a wreath, is perfect for counting down the days until Christmas.
Kids Crafts Calendar
Check out a list of 24 handmade advent calendar ideas for kids, including activities, crafts, and gifts, with a focus on simplicity, creativity, and family traditions.
DIY Advent Calendar (from muffin tin)
Create an interactive and fun advent calendar for your family this holiday season with upcycled materials and kindness-themed activities, all for under $9.
Foraged DIY Advent Wreath
Learn how to make a beautiful foraged DIY Advent wreath using upcycled plates, baking soda, and copper fittings, to celebrate the countdown until Christmas Day.
Santa Beard Countdown
This Santa Beard Countdown printable is a wonderful way to count down to Christmas, where kids can add a cotton ball to Santa’s beard each day.
Reusable Christmas Advent Calendar
This reusable advent calendar uses simple crafting supplies like card stock, foam board, and hot glue, while also including a tutorial for assembling and decorating the pockets.
Wooden Adult Advent Calendar
Create a unique advent calendar for adults by cutting out a Christmas tree shape from plywood. Then drill and decorate with 25 bottle caps for each day of the Advent season.
Calendar with Paper Houses
This free printable advent calendar lets you feature cosy Christmas scenes, or use it as a photo advent calendar to display favourite Christmas memories.
Origami Shirt Calendar
You can make a fun and quirky advent calendar by folding a mini origami shirt bag using various materials such as paper or fabric, and decorating it with numbers.
Calendar with Paper Houses
Create a stress-free DIY advent calendar with paper houses and a wooden shelf, perfect for small gifts and fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.
DIY Advent Calendar That Makes a Statement
A beautiful DIY advent calendar using a large canvas, paper mache boxes, and various craft supplies such as paint, scrapbook paper, and embellishments like buttons.
Printable Advent Calendar Village
This festive Dutch-themed advent calendar village with paper gingerbread houses, includes a free printable template for all 25 houses.
Printable Advent Calendar for Kids
This printable template makes it easy to create a Santa Beard calendar that will keep your kids excited for the holiday season.
Fun Advent Calendar Activities
Create a fun and memorable holiday season with activity-based advent calendars that cater to all ages, featuring a mix of traditional and new fun ideas.
Calendar with Ribbon and Burlap
Have so much fun DIYing your own advent calendar with ribbons and buttons, marking the days until Christmas with a fun and meaningful activity for the whole family.
Chicken Wire Advent Calendar Wreath
This chicken wire Advent calendar wreath has little envelopes that you can pick off. Plus they share a strategy for when multiple children use the same calendar.
DIY Reusable Advent Calendar
Here’s how to make your own DIY advent calendar with small gifts, hot chocolate, and sweet treats for a fun and memorable way to celebrate the Christmas season.
Easy Advent Wreath Craft
Create an Advent wreath craft for Christmas using a metal bundt pan and floral foam blocks. With step-by-step instructions to assemble and display the wreath.
Wood Snowman Advent Calendar
This fun wooden snowman advent calendar features a cute snowman face and removable nose that reveals a special surprise each day.
DIY Advent Calendar
This DIY advent calendar with small white paper bags, printable numbers, and festive ribbon can be filled with little activities or small gifts for a fun holiday season.
Christmas Countdown
Make this easy Advent calendar with mini brown bags, hot glue, and magnets. Incorporate ideas such as reading Christmas stories and making hot chocolate.
Wall Mounted Advent Calendar
This DIY wall-mounted advent calendar filled with small gifts and treats, using wooden boards, nails, and a star as the centerpiece.
Washboard Decor
Create a unique calendar using upcycled materials like washboards, and add personalised touches like handmade origami shirts.
Tiered Wooden Houses
This wooden house advent calendar is an impressive creation filled with Christmas lights and treats. Check out the step-by-step directions and materials list.
Advent Calendar Ladder
Use a vintage ladder and decorated muslin bags, with ideas for little gifts or treats to fill each bag.
Kraft Paper Gingerbread Man Advent Calendar
The guide includes step-by-step instructions for making 48 gingerbread men with a cookie cutter. Hang them on a door or wall using bakers’ twine and craft pegs.
Advent Calendar Using Tin Cans
This Christmas countdown calendar is made using upcycled tin cans. It works for a rustic look that fits well with a farmhouse or industrial vibe. Fill it with daily treats and cheesy Christmas jokes.
Advent Calendar from Fabric Scraps
Create your own upcycled advent calendar using fabric scraps, trims, and buttons, with a wooden dowel and hot glue, to make an ornate calendar with a vintage feel.
Vintage Christmas Countdown Board
Make this Christmas countdown board using old ornaments, books, scrap paper, and materials, with a colourful vintage look.
DIY Kids Advent Calendar
Make a fun and memorable DIY kids Advent calendar using a pizza pan, construction paper, hot glue, and magnets. This activity can be used yearly.
Wooden DIY Advent Calendar
Learn how to build a classic, wooden DIY advent calendar with 25 cubbies, using materials like cedar wood, plywood, and featuring a stained and painted design.
Advent Calendar for Couples
Make a relaxing advent calendar for couples with 24 small activities to do together during the month of December, with customisable gift tags to fit your interests.
Easy Christmas Countdown
Create a quick and easy Christmas Advent calendar in 30 minutes, using supplies you already have on hand. Include service activities and family-oriented activity ideas.
Little House Advent Calendar
Make adorable paper houses to fill with treats out of paper, card or even an old book. Simply cut them out and fold and glue them together.
Story Book Advent Calendar
Wrap up 24 Christmas story books, and let your children pick a new one each to read together at bedtime.
Modern Advent Calendar
This modern Christmas tree advent calendar shows you just how to connect with your family with twenty-five activity ideas during one of the busiest times of the year.
Book Advent Calendar
Every day starting on December 1st, unwrap and read one Christmas book together as a family. The excitement will build as you countdown the days til Christmas.
Farmhouse Advent Calendar
This farmhouse advent calendar fits right in with the rustic style and it is simple to create. You’re going to love this easy Christmas wooden advent calendar idea.
Boho Advent Calendar
This simple tutorial create one of the most beautiful handmade advent calendars. Just make a yarn tassel wall hanging, which is easy to create, for your own boho advent calendar.
As we wrap up this list of 73 DIY Advent calendar ideas, I hope you’ve found inspiration to craft your own Advent calendar.
And while you’re in the spirit of decking the halls, consider handmade decorations for other areas of your home. Whether it’s adorning your tree with handmade ornaments, or experimenting with DIY wreaths.
Wishing you a holiday season filled with warmth, and the joy of handmade traditions.
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Hi there! I'm Rachel Bowyer, a passionate DIY enthusiast with a knack for transforming the old into something beautifully new. With a deep love for furniture painting, refinishing, and the art of crafting. I've been documenting my DIY projects and restoration journey since 2018. I specialise in techniques like decoupage, stencilling, and decor transfers. Join me as we explore the world of creativity and home improvement, one project at a time.