DIY Simple Advent Calendar with Holiday Activities
My goal this year is to Keep Christmas Cozy.
I love the holidays and want to make memories with my family without getting wrapped up in the stress of making everything perfect, so this year I've created an advent calendar filled with simple, doable holiday activities.
I'm looking forward to having this countdown for the kids that will encourage us to connect and slow down.
And, BONUS, it's really simple to make.
Make this Clothespins and Ribbon Advent Calendar
You will need:
- 24 Wooden Clothespins
- A ribbon approximately 48″ long
- Glue
- Scrap paper in holiday colors
- Paper Numbers – you can download the numbers I used here.
- Holiday Activities or Conversation Starters to hang from you advent calendar. Need Ideas? You can find activities and printable tags in the Creative Christmas Countdown.
Tips for making your own activity tags:
Choose simple holiday activities, no need to complicate your month with a craft every day. The kids will be excited simply to spend time with you. Activities like “Go get the Christmas tree.” or “Have Apple Cider with Cinnamon Sticks.” are fun, but not overly complex.
And of course, if you don't use the printable tags here, you can just clip out rectangles of scrapbook paper and write on the back!
Making the Advent Calendar:
1. Glue your activities to the scrapbook paper to make a colorful backing. (Or as one astute reader mentioned – cut the scrap paper to letter size and simply print on the white side of the scrapbook paper.)
2. Cut your ribbon at an angle so you'll be able to thread it through the middle of the clothespins. Hold it over a flame briefly to keep it from shredding.
Then you'll thread 24 clothespins onto your ribbon, leaving about an inch between. This was the tedious part of the project, but it still didn't take too long.
3. Cut out and glue the numbers onto the clothespins.
4. Finally, cut apart your activities and arrange them over the course of the advent calendar, folding them in half as you attach them.
I took some care to note when it will be a weekend so I could put whole family activities on those days. It's helpful to make yourself a cheat sheet so you can remember what's coming up.
That's all! I hung mine using push pins.
Wishing you a joyful Christmas!
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Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.