DIY Advent Calendar

The diy advent calendar was a major project on my holiday to-do list. There are so many lovely advent calendars on the web that they inspired me to make my own. I took inspiration from this calendar I found on Pinterest and tried to keep it at a minimal budget. Altogether, it cost me less than $10, and I love the way it turned out!

The window was a $1 garage sale find over the summer. The pockets were made by cutting down small paper sacks and stitching three sides together. The numbers were stamped on with white ink- Studio G brand found in the dollar bins at many craft stores. I stuffed the pockets with candy and hung them up with some mini clothespins found at Hobby Lobby.

Since I had shopped my own craft stash for most of the supplies, the only purchases I made included the candy-around $3 a bag, and the mini clothespins- $3 at Hobby Lobby for a pack of 24.

Here's how to make your own!

DIY Advent Calendar Tutorial

Supplies:

Large old window/picture frame
Twine
8 paper lunch sacks
Thread
White ink for stamping
Mini clothespins
Candy/treasures for filling pockets

Tools:
Scissors
Sewing machine
Staple gun with staples
Number stamps

For the window:
Cut four pieces of twine to the width of your window and knot at each end. Staple into place, with the staple gun, on the inside of the frame using the knot to keep the twine in place.

For the pockets:
Cut each paper sack down into 6 squares (enough for 3 pockets). Don't worry about making them all the same size- just make sure you have 2 matching pieces for each pocket. With a zig zag stitch, sew each pocket on three sides leaving the fourth side open.

Stamp numbers 1-24 on the pockets. If you don't have number stamps, you could also hand paint the numbers. Allow to dry.

Stuff the pockets with treasures or candy. Attach six pockets to each piece of twine with the mini clothespins.

Hang and enjoy!