27 DIY Advent Calendar Ideas and What to Fill Them With

The Christmas spirit is tangible long before the holiday, with some putting up their trees before Thanksgiving while others keep things more lowkey with a DIY Advent calendar to start their countdown.

Each year, retailers big and small drop their version of the Advent calendar, filled with anything from makeup products to miniature jams or holiday-shaped cat treats for your pets. As if the idea of Christmas and all its splendor isn’t enough to get you excited, you get to unwrap a tiny present each day starting on December 1st.

Plus, they’re suitable for a range of ages and species, depending on what's in them. But, they can get a little spendy depending on their contents, and attempting a DIY Advent calendar just might be the Christmas craft you didn’t know you needed. 

While at first the Advent calendar might seem like just another push for sales (or an excuse to eat chocolate every day) the history is far deeper and more special. NPR reports that DIY Advent calendars originated in Germany with religious roots. They didn’t necessarily include daily gifts but rather items like candles, chalk marks on walls or hanging up a new devotional image each day.

While many things have changed since the tradition made its way to the U.S. and beyond, it’s still possible to hold onto that spirit of excitement and anticipation for Christmas, especially with some of these great DIY Advent calendar ideas.

Your month-long countdown doesn’t have to include a treat or a token, it can simply be a beautiful representation as the days pass by bringing you closer to Christmas. 

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• 27 Festive DIY Advent Calendar Ideas
• 9 Advent Calendar Filling Ideas for Kids
• 9 DIY Advent Calendar Filling Ideas for Adults

27 Festive DIY Advent Calendar Ideas

1. Pretty Winter Scene

Since your DIY Advent calendar is going to be something you see and use every day for at least a few weeks, you want it to be beautiful. Bring a winter wonderland indoors with this DIY Advent calendar idea.

To ensure your creative vision comes to life, check out art classes near you or even online art classes to hone your craft and create a beautiful facade for your month-long treat box or countdown. 

2. Tiny Christmas Village

If you’re going to make a DIY Advent calendar, you might as well go all out. Paint and decorate a bunch of tiny birdhouses and nestle (or permanently fasten) them into a faux tree. Fill each one with a tiny gift of your choice and open one each day. You can go as traditional or whimsical as you want. 

3. Photo Bucket List Calendar

Combine the best aspects of a DIY Advent calendar with a bucket list or scavenger hunt. Create your own or print out a free template for a month of photo prompts. You’ll need a neat little Polaroid camera to instantly print your photo each day. You’ll love the satisfaction of completing each daily challenge (like going sledding, making paper snowflakes or baking Christmas cookies). 

4. Mini Pouches or Bags

Sometimes simplicity is the best when it comes to DIY Advent calendars, and this one is more about the surprise hidden inside than the outward presentation. Make or buy mini pouches or bags with numbers one through 24 on the outside. Hang them on hooks or thread them through a holiday ribbon and enjoy your daily treat inside. 

5. Sewed On Pouches

Drawing inspiration from a classic storage solution that drapes over your closet door and holds your shoes, you can create neat little pockets for a DIY Advent calendar. If you’re a whizz with the sewing machine, using your material of choice, create 24 small pockets along with other sewn-on trinkets or personalizations. This works great as an advent calendar for small children, filled with little toys.

6. Rainbow Ombré Bags

Add all the colors of the rainbow to your DIY Advent calendar by dying little muslin bags. You can mix the dyes yourself with something as simple as food dye, or you can hand paint them. Then, attach them to a board or wall to double as some festive decor. 

7. Little Paper Houses

It’s become quite popular to display neat little ceramic villages in your home around the holidays and you can make use of this trend while also making a DIY Advent calendar. Use cardstock paper to cut and assemble tiny little homes. Don’t forget little windows that light up with tea lights to make it extra cozy! You can add a new home to your tiny village each day or set them all out and store a tiny gift inside. 

8. Felt Nativity Advent Calendar

The world of crafting with felt is nearly limitless and the best part is, it’s affordable and pretty mess-free. Make a DIY Advent calendar in the classic nativity theme that showcases a festive countdown to Christmas day. No glue is necessary to add a new number to the path from Nazareth to Bethlehem. 

9. Magnet Calendar

If you, like many, have a magnetic fridge in your kitchen, it ends up being the perfect focal point for an easy DIY Advent calendar. Make your own fun paper cut-outs or use a free online template and fasten them to some little magnet strips from the craft store. Let your kids add a new one each day until the big day! You can do this in a tree pattern, or all over the place. 

10. Paper Ornaments

Even the kids can help to create this DIY Advent calendar using the most basic supplies. Paper, scissors and a bit of string are all you need but you can always use paint, glitter or any other special supplies you like. Make little paper ornaments in festive shapes and each day, hang the number in a row (or on a mini tree!) to help with your countdown.

11. Felt Tree and Ornaments

Once you make this felt DIY Advent calendar, you’ll enjoy it year after year. Along the outside of a big square, you can store a fun cut-out that corresponds to a number. A big green tree in the middle waits to get one new ornament each day until it's fully decked out. 

12. Pastel Painted Mini Houses

Get a little crafty with your leftover cardboard boxes and with a bit of patience, you’ll have a set of 24 adorable pastel houses for your DIY Advent calendar. You can also use pre-made boxes, then add some soft-hued stripes and a gold sticker with the number on each home. Display them together on a temporary floating shelf and put goodies in each one. 

13. Mini Boxes

There’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple for your DIY Advent calendar and these adorable little boxes are still plenty festive. Your favorite craft store is bound to have a package of these foldable cardboard boxes that get even cuter with a colorful pom on top and a sticker or drawn-on number on the front. 

14. Colorful Felt Calendar

Sometimes a DIY Advent calendar looks suspiciously similar to a regular calendar and that’s OK. With some scissors and felt glue, you can cut and paste together a colorful calendar. Don’t forget to make some festive add-ons to mark off each day!

15. Paper Christmas Light Bulbs

Not only is this DIY Advent calendar perfectly festive but it doubles as Christmas decor! With a little time and patience, you can make craft-paper Christmas lights and attach them to a string. Each paper bulb houses a tiny present to enjoy each day. 

16. Tiny Stockings

Whether homemade or collected over the years, you can show off your mini stocking collection that doubles as a DIY advent calendar. Hang them up one at a time on a little wooden tree or along a garland. A tiny gift inside is optional. 

17. Acts of Kindness

The holiday season is about so much more than present and this DIY Advent calendar is a great reminder. All you need is a few clothespins, some paper and envelopes and a string or ribbon. Create a list of random acts of kindness with your friends, partner or even your kids. Place one in each envelope and randomly number them. Pin them to the string and complete one each day. 

18. Little Paper Bags

The little bags in this DIY Advent calendar are more like open-top slots but they sure look festive. Using a big piece of poster board, cut out a variety of square and rectangle shapes and sizes and fit them on the board. Use colorful paper and add fun little bows, only gluing down three of the four sides. Number each one and fill it with the sort of little gift you can slip in there, like a candy cane or new lipgloss.

19. Hanging Boxes

This DIY Advent calendar is certainly unique with a touch of whimsy. Using rustic twine and tiny little brown boxes, dangle your numbered boxes from a homemade piece of driftwood accented with some Christmas garland. 

20. Woodland Animal Envelops

Your kids will love to help create this DIY Advent calendar using paper and glue. With 24 envelopes as your canvas, cut and layer different colors of paper on top to make a happy fox, a snowy deer or a curious polar bear on your envelopes. Get creative with the animals you choose and you can always mix in a tree or two so your display isn’t too chaotic. 

21. Wreath Calendar

There are several ways to put your own spin on this DIY Advent calendar idea and all you need is a wreath as your base. Using a faux greenery wreath means you can re-use this calendar year after year. Using wire, hot glue or any combination of similar items, affix 24 tiny boxes around the wreath. Just make sure to leave the opening accessible for adding little presents!

22. Christmas Tree Cutouts

Half-DIY Advent calendar and half-centerpiece for your table, this countdown to Christmas is uplifting and easy to create. Cut out 24 paper tree shapes from craft paper and make sure you have a little stand to present each one. The numbers can be on the front of the tree or the bottom of the stand and each day you write a nice note about something you’re grateful for. 

23. Pegboard Calendar

If you have a spare piece of peg board, you have the easiest backdrop for a couple of DIY Advent calendar ideas. You can go with classic circles in a variety of colors or you can make little hanging stockings out of felt or paper. Add any sort of festive calligraphy for numbers and hang them one at a time in the shape of a tree. 

24. Glittered Cones

This glitzy DIY Advent calendar looks best on a large fireplace mantle, dining table or even on your kitchen counter. Have fun crafting glitter-coated cones in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Fasten a small square somewhere near the bottom with a number on each one and hide a small gift under each makeshift tree. 

25. Repurposed Shoe Organizer

If you’ve got a spare shoe organizer or you’re just looking for a DIY Advent calendar on a budget, all you need is an over-the-door shoe organizer and a few craft supplies. Whether you want to hand paint, use markers or stencils to number one through 24, you’re left with an easy vessel for storing little treats. 

26. Punch Out Christmas Tree

This DIY Advent calendar for kids will be something they look forward to every day. First, glue some red solo cups to a poster board in the shape of a tree, ensuring you have exactly 24. Then, stretch red and green paper napkins over each cup, securing them with a rubber band (after you’ve put a little gift inside). Carefully use a Sharpie to write a number on each napkin and you’re done.

27. Little Popcorn Bags

Red and white striped bags made of wax or parchment paper may be slightly reminiscent of the circus but also surprisingly festive for Christmas. Make your own or buy these striped bags and scroll a number on each one. Affix it to a ribbon with a clothespin with a little goodie inside for a rustic and fun DIY Advent calendar. 

9 Advent Calendar Filling Ideas For Kids

1. Fun Socks

Kids are known for losing and quite possibly ruining socks regularly, so you can’t go wrong with a pair or two of fun fresh socks to fill your kid’s DIY Advent calendar.

2. Special Stickers

Even if your kiddos aren’t into painting and pottery, there’s something about a fresh pack of stickers that is both exciting and tempting. Plus, this advent calendar-filling idea for kids is pretty cheap and can easily be customized to their interests. 

3. Hair Clips

For your daughter, some new hair accessories are the perfect small token to place in your DIY Advent calendar. Whether colorful new scrunchies or some artsy clips, it’s always nice to get some new hairstyle pieces. 

4. Mini Jellycats

Jellycat plush toys are the hottest thing on the market in terms of stuffed animals and they double as one of the best advent calendar-filling ideas for kids. Stick to the miniature ones for the advent calendar though so they fit in your small box or pocket. 

5. Playing Cards

For tween and teens, they might be getting into card games with their friends so a fresh deck or two of playing cards makes a great advent calendar-filling idea for kids. Choose a deck in a fun theme or bold color for extra points. 

6. Christmas Candies

There’s nothing wrong with good old-fashioned candy for your DIY Advent calendar fillings. Whether a couple of chocolate bells or a miniature packet of special edition Christmas sour candies, kids always love a sweet treat. 

7. Slime

The kids these days love their slime and it comes in just about every color you can imagine. Some even include glitter, sparkles or little beads. This mysterious goo is the perfect DIY Advent calendar filling for kids that will entertain them for hours. 

8. Figurines

From action figures and G.I. Joes to Barbies and princess dolls, you can’t go wrong with a new figurine as a DIY Advent calendar filling for kids. Many of these dolls also come with accessories to help you fill the other boxes or pockets. 

9. Cookie Cutters

If your kids can’t wait for holiday baking, make their week with a bunch of special cookie cutters that make the best DIY Advent calendar fillings. Trees, stars and snowflakes are pretty standard but you can get even more creative with options like Santa, a mini gingerbread man or perhaps a sleigh. 

9 DIY Advent Filling Ideas for Adults

1. Specialty Teas

A herbal tea sampler sounds pretty heavenly when those frigid temps hit. This DIY Advent calender filling idea for adults will be the little treat you look forward to each day, whether you enjoy starting or ending your day with a cup of tea. 

2. Mini Toiletries

It’s a true sign of adulthood when you are excited to open toiletry products but this isn’t just about a mini Jergens from Walgreens. For a more luxurious DIY Advent calendar filling idea for adults, stock up on some mini perfumes or colognes, high-end body washes or body creams. 

3. Artisanal Jams

If you know someone who loves to start their morning with a piece of toast or a croissant slathered in jam, then a selection of miniature artisanal jams could be the best DIY Advent calendar filling for adults. Popular brands like Bonne Maman make their own advent calendar but you can make your own with other mini jars like honey, Nutella or peanut butter for more variety. 

4. Foodie Bites

This is a broad category but you can have so much fun shopping for these DIY Advent calendar filling ideas. Think along the lines of mini packets of special seasoned salt, hot sauces or artisanal marshmallows to start with. You can also throw in a few sample-sized spice mixes. 

5. Workout Supplies

You might not be able to fit a set of dumbbells in your tiny advent calendar box but there are other wellness-inspired DIY Advent calendar fillings for adults that they would love to get. Think along the lines of headbands, water bottles, workout bands, a new Apple watch strap or a sampler of a new electrolyte powder.

6. Custom Ornaments

At least one of your DIY Advent calendar filings can be a specialized ornament. Whether it signifies your first Christmas together as a couple, baby’s first Christmas or just their name, it’s always nice to get a new ornament. You can even go the homemade route and wind up with nice DIY Christmas gifts too. 

7. Cooking Supplies

If you know someone who loves to cook, there are tons of festive holiday cookware items that they would love to receive. Things like a seasonal rubber scraper, a dry mix for the best crepes or a new apron would make for great DIY Advent calendar filling ideas. 

8. Mini Coffee Goodies

For the highly caffeinated person in your life, there are tons of special coffee goodies you can use in your DIY Advent calendar. Think along the lines of a new ceramic mug, a travel mug, miniature syrups in a variety of flavors and maybe a couple of chocolate-dipped marshmallows for an extra treat. 

9. Jewelry

No, it doesn’t have to mean custom diamond-encrusted pieces from your local jeweler. A nice pair of gold hoops or a cute monogram necklace from a local boutique will still be a nice surprise to find in a DIY Advent calendar. For men, cuff links, a simple bracelet or chain or even a new watch band are great options. 

Waking up each morning (or waiting until after dinner) to pop open a box or turn over a number on your Advent calendar is such a fun Christmas activity for kids and adults. It’s a great way to fill that long gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas with a small bright spot each day. Especially if you live someplace that gets cold and gray, the simple act of crossing off a day or opening a tiny treat is enough to keep your spirits high on the way to Christmas.

Whatever your style, budget and skillset, there are plenty of DIY Advent calendar ideas (and fillings) to suit you. Plus, it’s a great creative outlet in those dreary winter months.

For even more fun Christmas ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!