Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner? Me either! To help you keep track of your Christmas countdown I’m sharing a fun little DIY Advent Calendar tutorial with you.
As a child I can remember the excitement each morning as I pulled back that little door to find the sweet chocolate treat hiding inside, while eagerly counting down the “sleeps” until Santa arrived. And to be honest, my love of the Christmas countdown has never disappeared.
It’s actually how my husband proposed to me. A few years ago, just before December, we had been out running errands and I was eager to pick up an advent calendar. I ended up talking myself out of it, thinking it was kind of silly for a grown woman to still look forward to counting down the days until Christmas with a chocolaty treat.
To my surprise, one evening shortly after that day Nick pulled out an advent calendar (still in the grocery bag and wrapped in cellophane) and declared we could share one. We were already a week into December so we had to play catch up, each taking turns opening that tiny little door to get our treat. We had finally caught up and were on December 6th, and it was my turn. I popped open the little flap (after proclaiming I was stuffed and couldn’t possibly eat another chocolate) and couldn’t believe my eyes. Inside, instead of a chocolate, was the most beautiful and exquisite engagement ring I have ever seen. After a few tearful moments I was finally able to get out the words “YES!” and we immediately celebrated with our family and friends, a few bottles of champagne and the story of how Nick stealthily pulled the whole thing off.
But enough story telling for one day, let’s get back to this fun family project. This is our first Christmas with our daughter, so I have been busy planning new traditions and incorporating old ones. I wanted to create a Christmas countdown or advent calendar that we could bring out year after year, so I created these sweet little advent bags. They are perfect for hiding tiny treasures, sweet treats or little cards with Christmas activities you can do as a family.
Originally I planned on hanging these advent sacks on our Christmas tree, but on a whim I decided to string them on the garland along our stairs, they looked so beautiful and classic they had to stay.
Christmas Countdown | Advent Calendar Tutorial
Supplies:
- 24 small fabric bags (I used bags made from muslin)
- Number stencil
- White fabric paint
- White iridescent glitter (fine)
- Paint brush
Instructions:
- Lay your stencil over the bag in the right hand corner and light dab with paint.
- Remove stencil and lightly sprinkle glitter over the wet paint.
- Repeat with numbers 1 through 24.
- Allow paint to thoroughly dry before hanging.
Have fun adding a special treat or activity to each bag. You’ll be creating a family tradition and creating sweet memories that will last a lifetime.
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