There are things in family life that come back every year. These include children’s birthdays, Easter egg hunts or St. Martin’s Day. In December there is a bulk shipment for the following events: Advent calendar, Santa Claus, Advent wreath, Christmas gifts, baking cookies. There is always something to do. The motto for stressed parents is: keep things simple! This includes simple cookie recipes, a few gifts, and an Advent calendar that won’t break your budget on time or money. The simplest thing would of course be to buy a ready-made Advent calendar that contains chocolate, toys or cosmetic products for 24 days. But this is neither cheap nor imaginative. So here are some quick tips for your Advent calendar.
A DIY Advent calendar made from toilet paper rolls is quick and easy to make. But you should start collecting them early, because there must be 24 of them that you can’t quickly use up in a week. There are several ways to convert scrolls into an Advent calendar. You can, for example, hang them individually on a branch, on a hanger or on the banister of the stairs using a gift ribbon. Label the rolls beforehand, paint them or attach them with a number sticker. To prevent the gifts from falling, the ends must be folded and closed on both sides. If you stack the rolls you can create a small Advent tree. To do this, glue two rows together, each with two rolls, and paint them brown – this is the trunk of the tree. Above is a row with six, then five, then four, then three, then two scrolls – and at the top there is only one scroll. It is best to glue the rolls together with hot glue and paint them green. Previously, each roll should have a round piece of paper on one side with the number written on it. The gifts can then be placed on the back of the roll, which you can close with circles cut out of cardboard or tracing paper if you wish. Instead of a Christmas tree you can also stack the rolls to form an angel, a snowman or a heart. However, the Christmas tree is suitable for static reasons because it stands upright and does not need to be hung.
The easiest ways to hide small gifts are bags or small pouches. You can hang them on a string or on 24 eyelets sewn onto a large piece of fabric. Small gift bags with Christmas motifs (e.g. from Ikea) can also simply be placed on a shelf or cupboard. The downside: Children are tempted to drink. A good alternative are simple sandwich bags that can be closed with a gift ribbon.
Instead of coffee to go
A fun and very easy idea to make: convert 24 paper cups into an Advent calendar. You can paint them, decorate them with glitter and rhinestones or cover them with wrapping paper. To close it, you can drape a bag or simply some crepe paper inside and then close it with gift ribbon. Or thread a gift ribbon through a small hole in the bottom of the mug (tie it on the inside) and then hang the mugs upside down.
Small boxes
The Advent calendar made from small matchboxes also looks cute. There are many design options here. You can paint them with Christmas motifs, glue them with fabric scraps or decorate them with ribbons and small pom poms. Finished issues are available for purchase. The downside: There is no room for larger gifts. Small packaged sweets are suitable; But it’s even nicer to fill the boxes with cute messages (that’s why it’s not only suitable for children, but also for friends or partners). There are many suitable phrases: “It’s good that you exist” or “I will accompany you through thick and thin”.
Candlelight
With the Advent candle you kill two birds with one stone: you create a cozy atmosphere and at the same time have a simple but cute Advent calendar. All you need is a larger candle and a pen. Then label the candle with numbers 1 to 24 from top to bottom. The candle should be lit every day, but be careful: only let it burn until the respective date!
Crack the nuts
An Advent calendar made of nuts is a bit of a delicate job, but it will be beautiful afterwards. To do this, you must carefully open the nuts with a knife where they will then be glued together again. The next step is to paint the nuts with spray paint. After drying they are filled. Of course there isn’t much space in a nutshell, but if you search a little you’ll find little magnets, fun paperclips or hair ties. Then glue the bowls to close them (preferably with hot glue) and wrap them with ribbon on which you can attach the numbers. Walnuts fit well in a small basket.
This belongs
Some people find that filling the Advent calendar takes more time than creating it. Basically you have to ask yourself whether you would prefer to fill it with chocolate and sweets or with small toys and gizmos like erasers or pens. You can also alternate days or fill it with chocolate during the week and small gifts on Advent Sundays. Children also look forward to vouchers such as “bake biscuits together once” or “go to the Christmas market once”. It becomes more difficult, especially with teenagers, which is why many parents resort to ready-made Advent calendars. If you want to reduce consumption, you can also have the brothers open the door in turns.