Last minute advent calendar ideas you can whip up in under an hour!

Today’s the day, when you get to open the first little window, bag, trinket holder or box on your advent calendar. But you forgot to prepare one? Not to worry, let’s get straight to business. Options that are easy, you can use them again, and don’t break the bank or your back whilst you’re trying to pull it together.

1. Design Mom’s Easy, Reusable Advent Calendar

What you need:

• fabric
• circle stencil or bowl
• baker’s twine
• pinking sheers
• ornament hooks
• treats, sweets, little gifts, Christmas verses, activities to do as a family
• a textile pen you can use to add numbers to your bags

The DIY is fairly easy to follow: lay out the fabric, trace enough circles for all of the days and cut them out with the pinking sheers. Write the numbers on the bags, so when you gather the fabric it shows in the right place. Tie them up. Then display them in a basket, on a shelf or window sill. Or, using an ornament hook, hang the goodie pouches from branches.

2. Chalkboard or cork board with twine

Probably the easiest – attach 4 strings to the sides of your chosen frame, and with tiny wooden pins, attach 24 little numbered squares with some activities on the back. This way, you use up things you already have in your home, yet create an advent experience that you will cherish for many years to come.

3. Scandinavian inspired DIY advent calendar

• With muslin bags (that you can make out of old tote bags you no longer want to use)
• an evergreen’s tree trimming,
• number stencils and black acrylic paint

you can get yourself a simple yet scandi chic advent calendar in under an hour. Every sewer’s bag should include pinking sheers, and let’s face it, we have more than enough tote bags laying around the house than we care to admit – or use!- so this calendar should be a breeze. If you don’t want to bust out the sewing machine, simply cut the size you want and use hot glue to assemble them.

Then take your number stencils and stencil the numbers on the bottom right of each bag. You can do this by stamping the numbers too, if you have that. You can go ahead and tie them with a piece of string and alternate the length when tying to the branch.

4. Envelopes

Envelopes with personal messages, jokes, photos or a piece of scripture are a lovely idea when you lack space, time or supplies. You can store these in a small basket in order or glue them to a frame or even on some thick cardboard– whichever way you go, this option is a really affordable advent calendar.

Have you got this sorted? Did you opt for a store-bought option or made one yourself?