DIY Advent Christmas Calendar Using Small Lidded Boxes
December 11, 2008
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DIY advent calendar using little cardboard boxes.
I had so much fun decorating these cute little boxes to make a customized advent countdown for our son years ago. They have held up beautifully for more than 15 years!
These mini advent calendar boxes can be filled with small toys and treats -- I'll share a list of items that will fit perfectly in these at the end of this post.
Our son is a little too old for these now (but still LOVES Christmas!), so I passed these onto my nieces to enjoy each season.
I found a bag of these boxes with lids at the craft store, and I like that they were in different shapes.
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To start, I painted the boxes and sides of the lids with this Christmas green craft paint.
Then I found some cute Christmas scrapbook paper and glued it onto the lids and around some of bases as well:
To get the perfect size, I just laid the lids on the paper and traced around them. Regular Elmer's glue works great, or spray adhesive.
After everything was dry, I used white foam stick on numbers to number 1-24 on each box. A vinyl cutting machine (like a Cricut) can be used for the numbers as well!
This part is not needed obviously, it's just a bit of fun bling!
To cut down on time, you could do the 12 days of Christmas instead of the first 24 of December.
The last part was by far the most fun! I gathered all kinds of cute holiday-themed craft supplies to decorate the lids:
I added more fun detail with Christmas sticky dots, stickers and foam stickers. Mine were self-adhesive, but you can attach just about anything with a hot glue gun as well!
When you're done, it's time to fill your advent with goodies!
Advent calendar filler ideas:
- Of course candies and smaller individually packaged treats like fruit snacks, etc.
- Gift cards are always fun! Even $5 would make anyone's day (young to old!).
- Small gifts like fun school supplies, jewelry, Hot Wheels and more.
- I love an activity advent as well. Mix in some fun family Christmas events like making hot chocolate and watching your favorite holiday movies, sledding, driving around to see Christmas lights...so many ideas!
Here's a fun Christmas activity printable to use:
Sigh. I love these! So festive and fun!
There are so many ways to use these small Christmas advent calendars!:
- Lay these out for the kids, or hide one each day each day around the house. If you use the Elf (man, I don't miss that! 😂), your Elf could gift one each day.
- Add magnets to the back and keep them on a large cookie sheet or the fridge.
- These small cardboard houses would be SO cute for this project! You could paint each one or just leave them as is.
- Those houses come with a string, so you could hang them throughout the Christmas tree for the kids to find every day. Poke a hole through the regular boxes to hang them with a hook in the tree or on greenery as well.
- Small boxes like these jewelry boxes with lids that would work as well. They could be arranged on a scrap piece of wood into the shape of a Christmas tree -- just glue or screw them in and the lids should still fit securely if you hang it up.
- Try the "punch" advent calendar idea. Instead of using lids -- tape, glue or rubber band tissue paper to the top of each box so the kids can punch through to find their treats.
See a round up of 35 DIY advent calendar ideas here!:
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That is absolutely the cutest thing I have seen- what a great idea! I am sick about your carpet- though, thanks to little boys- I too have carpet stain issues this week that will not come out! Must be the season!
ReplyDeleteI am going to go back and read exactly what you did to those containers- too cute!
Hey, you got it done before Christmas and that's what matters. I started one using an old cookie sheet and I got as far as painting it and covering it with scrapbook paper. Maybe I'll try to finish it since you have now inspired me!
ReplyDeleteHow stinkin caaauuute is that??? I LOVE it! Great job, Sarah...as always. I am so doing this next year!
ReplyDeleteI love it!
ReplyDeleteAnd who doesn't add bling to craft things?
Oh, that is so cute, I love it! I wanted to make one of some sorts this year, but I didn't get started soon enough. I'll definitely do it next year. Great job, and congrats on getting it all caught up!
ReplyDeletetooooooooooo cute!
ReplyDeleteThese turned out great! Absolutely wonderful...and really who is prepared to celebrate 24 days of Christmas...so unrealistic! lol
ReplyDeleteYou aren't the only one that is late with the advent calendar..I actually bought my kids those cheap ones at walmart with candy inside....after seeing all the cute and easy ones everybody has been doing, I am pulling one together today.
ReplyDeleteLove yours! My daughter is two and she loves everything christmas! Makes the holiday so much fun!
You did a great job! I love the numbers you used on them.
ReplyDeleteSo cute...good for you getting it finished...I think I would have lost my patience with it!:) The best part is that your son will be older next year and he will enjoy the whole thing even more!
ReplyDeleteYou make me look like such a slackard.......where DO you get all this energy?
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
LOVE IT! Can't wait to go shopping post-Christmas and takea dvantage of great deals for next year!
ReplyDeleteCuteness! What a great job you did!
ReplyDeleteSOOOO stinkin cute!
ReplyDeleteDid you use Mod Podge to glue the paper around the boxes? And did you paint the boxes, too?
ReplyDeleteyou did a great job! please remind me of this project next year!
ReplyDeleteOh how adorable! The glittered numbers puts them over the top. Just so great!
ReplyDeleteI love advent calendars/thingies. I love to look at them, see how people create them. The works! It's too fun! But for all that love, I don't have one bc I love way to many I don't know how I would decided which one to do. It's just my hubby and I right now and though I know he would love a little treat each day I just haven't made one. :) Maybe next year.
Love your calendar...even if it is 12 days late, hehe. Mine was 5 days late...what's a mom to do?
ReplyDeleteThese are cute. If is start now maybe I can have a set ready by 2011. (Just cause I'm a slacker).
ReplyDeleteOh how I am loving this lil project. I just LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteI love it!!!!! I'm even going to attempt it...next year!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, adoption papers in process. You can even name me if you want (no fruit names though, and try to stay away from airplanes and names of funky dead rock stars!). *lol* I do have to warn you, the hubby is seeking pretty generous visitation because ya know, there's the laundry and *stuff* to be kept up. But other than that, he's all for it.
*lol*
Better late than never....right? It looks fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteI love how your boxes turned out! They are SO cute! Best $18 you ever spent, right? :) Thanks for giving me a little shout out too! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
Very cute! And now you're all ready for next year too. By the way, love all the greenery!
ReplyDeleteI love this! What a great idea, I'll have to do this for next year. I don't have an advent calendar like that....My kids just bring home the chain from school....hmmmm...I better do something they will remember! So cute Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI like the advent calendar. I do believe those are apples on the garland. It was attached to the twig garland and I have had it for 7 or 8 years.....maybe even more.
ReplyDeleteI love the boxes idea for an Advent calendar! So inventive!
ReplyDeleteLove how it turned out!! i saw an advent calendar at target.. just like this.. but on the back of the boxes there were magnets and they attached to a a wreath shaped thing... you could use velcrow too.. i'm doin one, that's it......
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteLove the advent calender. It's really cute for your son. Happy B-day to him!
I have passed on the Christmas Spirit award to you! Come by when you have a moment. ~Melissa :)
i'm loving those glittery numbers. SO cute.
ReplyDeletethat looks so cute!!!
ReplyDelete