Here’s What You Need to Know About Making Homemade Advent Calendars

Advent calendars are a festive must-have, and nothing quite beats the thought and personal touch of a homemade advent calendar.

Whilst you’d be hard pushed these days to find a brand that hasn’t brought out an advent calendar, nothing quite beats the sentimentality, thought and fun of a truly bespoke calendar – where each day is guaranteed to hit the mark.

Having made advent calendars for my family (all three generations!) for years, I know just how fun they are to create and how much joy they bring. But I also know the pressure of making each day special—and the challenge (and cost!) of filling 24 boxes or pockets.

So, here are my 10 top tips for creating fabulous homemade advent calendars your loved ones will adore—without driving yourself crazy or breaking the bank!  Plus LOADS of ideas for how to fill them.

10 Top Tips For Making Homemade Advent Calendars

These are my 10 must-know tips for making homemade advent calendars without breaking the bank, losing track, or going crazy! Trust me, this is going to change your thinking about homemade calendars completely…

Before we start, have you ever wanted to know why we have advent calendars to begin with?  Check out the history of this countdown tradition.

1. Tailor To Your Lucky Person

I know, I know, it sounds super obvious. But I mean more than just making sure it’s filled with treats they’ll enjoy.  Think about where to put your energy – what will your recipient appreciate most.

If you’re make a calendar for your little one, they are going to be far more excited about the contents than the presentation. Focus your efforts there unless you’re investing in an heirloom calendar to use year after year.

If it’s a calendar for your Great Aunt, it’s the personal touches that will matter. So save your pennies and spend more time being creative. Gather family photos, thoughtful poems, or handwritten messages from family and friends.

2. Set A Budget & Stick To It

This one’s hardly a surprise!

Even relatively low cost treats add up when you’re multiplying by 24. 

My recommendation: get a spreadsheet or phone note going straightaway and keep careful track.

There’s no need to add big treats every day unless you want. Splurge on a few items and fill the remainder of the days with handwritten jokes, homemade treats, and small sweets or chocolates.

Or do away with the gift under the tree and really enjoy the countdown instead. 

3. Only Buy A Calendar If You’re Planning To Reuse

Often people start making homemade advent calendars because they fell in love with a refillable design and so decided to give it a go.

Why not, of course!

But if you’re not sure you’ll be doing annual refills, there’s no need to splurge straightaway. Hold fire on investing in a calendar and go homemade instead (lots of easy ideas below that look just as wonderful).

4. Making The Advent Calendar

From stunning hand-stitched heirlooms to ornate wooden calendars and simple cardboard designs, there’s a fantastic selection of fill-your-own calendars available to purchase.

However, if you are naturally crafty then this is your opportunity to shine! 

Homemade calendars needn’t be elaborate. Any vessel for which you can gather twenty-four similar items is perfect.

A few of my favourite ideas:

• Take a set of old fashioned striped sweet bags.  Fill, fold over the tops and secure them with numbered wooden pegs and display in a wicker basket.
• 24 jam jars – matching or of various sizes, each frosted with mod podge and Epsom salts and all lids sprayed to match.  Fill and stack on your sideboard with fairy lights woven around.
• Toilet rolls stuck together to create a Christmas tree shape.  Fill each one and then cover them all in tissue paper and add numbers to mark out the days.  Your recipient will punch through the tissue paper lids each day to access their treats.
• Use a collection of fill-your-own crackers as the daily containers and display as a tree shaped pyramid or in a basket.
• If you are filling your calendar with lightweight treats or notes, why not use a wall Christmas tree as your display?
• Or even more simply, just attach 24 small envelopes with pegs to a string of fairy lights on the wall.
• See if you can find or save a previous year’s advent calendar box and redecorate as appropriate.

 Or for minimal work, but just as much magic:

Create a little sign, buy or make a small Christmas doormat or use the same festive tea-towel to wrap each day’s gift and pop a different treat out each night as you go to bed.  (Perfect for impatient little ones who struggle to stare at those unopened treats!)

5. Use A Calendar With Larger Containers If Possible

You know the calendars we’re talking about … they look gorgeous but the boxes or pockets are tiny. Nothing adds to seasonal stress like trying to find 24 different, thoughtful items that are the size of a thimble!

If you’re choosing or making a homemade advent calendar, do consider container size.  Advent calendars with larger pockets or boxes means more space for creativity without the need to take a ruler to the stores. Of course you’ll want to balance this with practicality and space.

6. Clever Hacks If The Containers Are Too Small

If you do end up with calendar boxes / pockets too small for your treats, here’s a few fun workarounds:

• Put a note in the advent calendar with the location of the treat instead (e.g. on the doormat, under the bed, etc.).

• Make it into a treasure hunt, with clues to help find the treat – an extension of the idea above making the countdown even more fun.

• Instead of written clues or locations, print out a photo of where the gift is hiding – a great option for little ones. 

• Create a combo calendar: place something little into the advent calendar – coin, chocolate or note.  And then on those days were there is a larger treat place a special box, piece of fabric or bag alongside which is magically refilled overnight.

7. How To Fill A Homemade Advent Calendar

Typically the biggest challenge with a homemade advent calendar: what to put inside.

Don’t worry – I have literally 100s of suggestions for you, with filler ideas from tots to teens, and for the adults too.  You’ll have run out of days before we let you down on inspiration!  I’ll share a few ideas for each below but there’s plenty more to explore too.

A few golden rules to keep in mind when choosing your fillers:

• Think festive. One of my favourite things about advent calendars is that it gives a chance to gift Christmas themed goodies in time to be enjoyed and used. By Christmas Day, we’re looking to the next year so have fun with all the cute little festive bits in the stores when thinking advent calendar.
• Be creative. No need to splurge on all shop-bought treats. Consider homemade filler ideas as well – they don’t have to be big or time-consuming. A Christmas playlist QR code, promise for chores or list of Christmas charade clues would all make brilliant fillers and don’t cost a penny!
• Spread it out. These are meant to be small treats so keep it that way. If you’re gifting a puzzle or LEGO set for example, break it up and gift across several days.  Want to do cookie baking? Gift cookie cutters one day, sprinkles the next, and then an activity for cookie baking time on day three.
• Add activities too. Advent calendar gifts don’t need to be physical. It can be great fun to add some activities in as well. Whether it’s as generous as a trip to the panto or simply let’s watch a Christmas movie, it’s all perfect for the advent calendar!
• Consider themes. If your lucky recipient has a particular passion, it can be fun to go for a themed advent calendar.  Leaning all in on baking, jigsaw puzzles, family photos, etc.  It’s sort of like creating a gift hamper but piecemeal over 24 days!

8. You Don’t Need To Add A Gift Everyday

You do not need to include an amazing gift every day to make a fabulous homemade advent calendar.

I know I’ve said it already but I don’t think I can say it too many times! By their very nature, homemade calendars are brilliant and your lucky recipient is not going to mind having a mixture of gifts and other filler treats.

Spread out bigger, more costly items and fill the remaining days with chocolates, handwritten jokes, messages, home-printed photos, etc. 

9. Don’t Forget To Include Special Days

Being able to mark any special December days is something that really sets a homemade advent calendar apart.

From birthdays and wedding anniversaries to exams or even the anniversary of a loved one’s passing: the calendar offers an extra special way to show how well you know your recipient, and that you truly care.

References can be as simple as a little gift tag wishing good luck or a tealight to offer a moment’s pause for someone special who is no longer around.  But of course, you can ‘Go Large’ for special occasions too (my sister’s engagement ring was tucked into her advent calendar on her birthday!).

10. Keep Track

Keep track of what you’re buying and which day you’re going to gift it.

It’s easy to lose track so a list is an essential when filling an advent calendar.  It’ll help avoid unintended duplicates, buying for too many days (you’d be amazed how often I’ve managed that!), and helps with budgeting too of course.

But also do think about what gift you’re going to add to each day.  Taking five minutes to check the diary can avoid the promise of cookie baking on a big work deadline day!

And my pro tip: take a photo of everything laid out in date order. That way you can refer back, particularly if there might be eleventh-hour tweaks.

Advent Calendar Gift Ideas

Whilst it can feel daunting to come up with 24 items to include in a homemade calendar, trust me when I say that once your creative juices get flowing it’s way easier than you expect!

Here’s a few ideas to get you started but I’ve got so many more to share so do check out my complete guide with 100s of advent calendar filler ideas.

Advent Calendar Filler Ideas For Toddlers

Such an exciting age with the magic of Christmas is just beginning to take hold.  Here’s some simple ideas for what to include in a pre-schooler or toddler advent calendars:

• Bubbles
• Jingle bells
• Christmas book
• Santa rubber duck
• Playdough
• Diecast car
• Christmas spoon
• Toy animals
• Christmas flannel
• Light-up Christmas spinner

Click button below for the complete list of 45 advent calendar fillers for toddlers.

Advent Calendar Filler Ideas For Kids

The most fun age to shop for! Here’s some fun ideas for what to include in a child’s advent calendar:

• Magic fire
• Magic snow
• Glow-sticks
• Christmas stationery
• Woolly hat
• Putty
• Christmas stickers
• Hot chocolate sachets
• Christmas game
• Indoor sparklers

Click button below for the complete list of advent calendar fillers for kids.

Advent Calendar Filler Ideas For Tweens & Teens

Keeping the magic alive for our tweens and teens is such fun. Here’s some ideas for what to include in a teen homemade advent calendar that won’t make them groan:

• Lip balm
• Mini frisbee
• Cable tidy
• Highlighters
• Gloves
• Reusable straw
• Face masks
• Coffee gift voucher
• Screen wipes
• Popcorn kernels

Click button below for the complete list of advent calendar fillers for tweens and teens.

Advent Calendar Filler Ideas For The Gents

If you’re looking to spoil the gent in your life, here’s some ideas for what to include in their homemade advent calendar:

• Beanie
• Christmas bottle stop
• Lottery ticket
• Koozie (can cover)
• Christmas underpants
• Charging cable
• Whisky stones
• Handcream
• Christmas cufflinks
• Mini backscratcher

Click button below for the complete list of advent calendar fillers for men.

Advent Calendar Filler Ideas For The Women

Need inspiration with fillers for a friend, sister, Mum, adult daughter, etc., here’s some ideas for what to include in a homemade advent calendar for women:

• Christmas nail file
• Hand cream
• Bath salts
• Slipper socks
• Pocket Christmas tissues
• Festive pen
• Christmas tree ornament
• Hair band
• Christmas car scent
• Miniature of their favourite tipple

Click button below for the complete list of women’s advent calendar fillers.

Dispelling The Homemade Advent Calendar Myths

I just want to take a moment to dispell some of the most common hesitations about making homemade advent calendars.  And believe me, as an early adopted and regular creator of several homemade calendars each year, I get it.

It’s Too Expensive To Make A Homemade Advent Calendar

Calendars come in all shapes and sizes.  Some of the most fabulous ones I’ve seen share a daily joke or activity to enjoy at home rather than physical gifts each day.  Don’t feel any pressure to go beyond your comfort zone – there is a calendar concept that’ll work at any budget.

It’s Too Time-Consuming

This project can be as eloborate or simple as you choose – there are no rules!

Make the containers or buy them.  Grab a basket and pop in 24 little bags with numbers written on the front. Give yourself one shopping trip to buy the bits inside and fill the rest of the days with messages or chocolates.

I Can’t Think Of 24 Items

It sounds daunting doesn’t it.  24 separate items on top of other gifts for the big day itself.  That’s what I’m here for!  In fact, you’ll end up wishing there were more days by the time we’re through

My mantra: advent calendars embrace all things festive. Christmas Day is about setting friends and family up for the new year.

Isn’t It All A Bit Excessive?

Yes, perhaps it is.  But I’ve seen first hand the pleasure homemade advent calendars bring and so think it’s worthwhile for sharing Christmas Cheer.

However if you’d prefer to spread your festive spirit a little wider, why not create a homemade advent calendar for your local carehome or children’s hospital?

Or a calendar full of suggestions for small acts of Christmas kindness, or with small coins included for your recipient to donate to a charity of their choosing.

The beauty of the homemade calendar is you can make it fit for you!

And there you have it!  One Homemade Advent Calendar conjured up and ready to be created.  Do share your design plans with us – I’d absolutely LOVE to know what you’re planning and celebrate your hard work!