recrafted :: Advent Calendar

For some time I’ve been meaning to make an advent calendar. Last year I wanted to make one with activities in lieu of chocolate, but never got around to it. This year I toyed with the idea of making a felt Christmas tree with felt decorations that the kids would put on the tree every day for advent. That felt tree never materialized on it’s own. huh.
On the weekend I decided that I’d come up with some sort of advent calendar before December 1st. I had only 1 requirement, it had to be free. There is nothing like a cardboard box and left-over wedding paraphernalia to get you going.

It’s very sparkly. Certainly more sparkly than I would have liked, but my wedding colors were blue and silver and I have a lot of silver and blue ribbon laying around. I would have made all the numbers blue except, well, I ran out of blue glitter glue.

In each little watchbox there are two jelly beans and a little note with an advent activity printed on Christmassy paper. The first day of advent the activity was to make advent chocolates for the calendar, which we DID do except, well. We failed. Miserably. I had bought jelly beans on sale to decorate the future gingerbread house so instead of chocolates, the kid’s get jelly beans. They seem pleased.
Now I have two problems – 1. finding a place for it that Callum can’t reach as he’s taken to helping himself to jelly beans as he sees fit and 2. Having enough energy to actually DO the activities every day til Christmas.
…and again I apologize for the craptacular pictures. I never seem to be around during decent light.
ETA:
The activities in lieu of chocolates is an idea I stole from Fearthainn’s friend. There are some fantastic advent ideas on the internet and I do mean fantastic. In case you’re looking to steal some activities my are:
1)Make advent chocolates; 2)Make Christmas Cookies; 3)Go to the library and search for Chrismtas books; 4)Donate something to the Food Bank; 5) Have lunch with Great-Grandma; 6)Family Skate Day; 7)Make Gingerbread Dough; 8)Decorate Gingerbread House; 9)Write Letter to Santa; 10)Get Picture with Santa; 11) Attend a Chrismtas Party; 12)Go to the Bethlehem Walk; 13)Family Walk; 14)Make Christmas Cards; 15) Stargaze; 16) Make Snow Globes; 17)Family Musical Jam Night; 18)Watch a Christmas Movie; 19)See the show A Very Sticky Chrismtas; 20) Go to Milner Gardens; 21)Donate a toy to a toy drive; 22)Build a snowman; 23)Go and admire the lights; 24)Make Cinnamon Bun Dough for Christmas morning
I’m giving myself a lot of lee-way here too. I have all the activities written on my calendar so I don’t hit a day and think “oh shit, I’m supposed to make cookie dough TODAY?” I’m also allowing myself the opportunty to move activities around, or rewrite them as I see fit. The activities are supposed to be things that both represent what Christmas means to me (basically crafting and giving) and let us do things as a family. I conveniently incorporated things we’re already committed to as well. And I wanted the kids to be a part of the donating process that is why I have two days dedicated to donating both food and a toy. They’re probably too young for that, but it’s both a lesson and an activity that is easy for me