I am so excited to share this fun and free printable advent calendar with you today! And, at the end of this post, you will see links to 22 other GORGEOUS Christmas printables! We have you all set to add some fun (and free) new decor to your Christmas home this year! We love bringing you little pieces of our holiday homes to enjoy with your families.
I have been wanting to create an advent calendar for a couple of years now, and I finally got to it this year! When I was a kid, I loved those little ones with the candy in all of the slots. I wanted my babies to have something fun to be excited about each day too. It is no secret that I love vintage typography and that is the direction I went with these. I love vintage Christmas!
I wanted to incorporate a couple of different activities into my Christmas advent calendar: activities written on the cards inside of the envelopes, as well as a little ornament for my Ella to put on the tree in her room each day. It was pretty easy to put together, so I hope you enjoy it if you decide to make one too!
To make your DIY advent calendar, you will need:
First print off the cards and envelopes in the FREE PRINTABLE HERE. I printed them onto a creamy white linen textured cardstock (8 1/2 x 11) that I found at Craft Warehouse. Any craft supply or scrapbook store should have a selection to choose from. Then, cut out all of your pieces.
To make your envelopes, follow the pictures below.
1. Fold the first side, using the top indent as a guide. 2. Fold the other side using the other corner of the indent. 3. Fold the bottom up. 4. Glue down all of the flaps.
Next, write your activities on one or both of the cards and stick them inside of your envelopes. Confession: I am still working on compiling my activities! I hope you will help me think of some more!
I used an old ladder that I got at a local antique store for $15 to hang my advent, but you could use so many other things such as a big, empty frame, an old window, or simply just tack it to the wall. First use your pushpins to hang the ribbon. The spacing of my ladder looked best with 4 envelopes per step, so I spaced my ribbons accordingly.
I collected small dollar store bells, along with tiny cookie cutters, and little vintagey sisal trees and mini glittery Merry Christmas signs from the craft store.
Then I just hung my envelopes with the mini clothespins. Note: big clothespins are too top heavy to use, so you will need to find smaller ones. These aren't those teeny-tiny mini ones you have probably seen, but they are still small. The trick is to first hang all of your envelopes to get your spacing right, and then to go back with your ornaments and add them where you want them.
I think these envelopes could be used for so many other things too. I think they would be really cute gift tags as well.
So here is my question for you! I hope you will help me by sharing your wonderful ideas here with everyone in the comments! What Christmas activities would you put in your advent envelopes? What are your traditions?
And here are a bunch more amazing Christmas printables for you! These girls are so talented!!
Free Printable Vintage Christmas Advent Calender from Ella Claire
Printable Glitter Christmas Sign and Gift Tags from Yellow Bliss Road
The Names of Jesus Isaiah 9:6 Printable from Nest of Posies
Joy to the World Christmas Printable from The Lily Pad Cottage
God Bless Us Everyone Printable from Sweet Cs Designs
Red Buggy Christmas Printable from Craftberry Bush
Joy to the World - Vignette and Printable from AKA Design
Simple Christmas Wrap with Printable Gift Tags from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
DIY Printable Christmas Village {Anthropologie Inspired} from Thoughts from Alice
Keep Warm and Drink Cocoa Printable from Top This Top That
Cookies and Milk for Santa Printable from It's Overflowing
The Most Wonderful Time of The Year Printable from Making Home Base
Ten Minute Holiday Vignette with Free Printable from The Chronicles of Home
Christmas Mantel with Free Printable Banner from Just Destiny
Free Christmas Stag Printable from Rooms for Rent
Christmas Mantel and Free Printable from Town & Country
Cocoa and Cookies Party from Migonis Home
Hot Chocolate Bar and Free Printable from Finding Silver Pennies
Elf Movie Free Printable from Eclectically Vintage
Free Christmas Printable from My Sweet Savannah
Sleigh Ride Printable and DIY Canvas Sign from Clean and Scentsible
Free Christmas Printable from City Farmhouse
Fun snowman printable and DIY frame from Jennifer Rizzo
Kathy A
Activities I would include would be: *setting up the Nativity set. *Having a work bee to thin out toys for less fortunate kids (before the new batch comes in. *Making sugar cookies for gifts for friends, teachers, neighbors, local nursing home (make some sugar frees, too). Put some in the freezer so there are some left for Christmas.*Make the dough the day before to make the baking/decorating session easier. *Make some quick breads for gifts.*Make dog biscuits for the dogs of your acquaintance and some for the local shelter, too.(my favorite cooky cutters besides the bones include Halloween cats, a fire hydrant, and dogs! Have older kids find the recipes online and shop for the wheat flour, parsley, etc. *Have the kids make a handmade ornament for grandparents, god parents, etc. with school photos, handprints, etc. that shows their growth over the last year. *Make some fudge for gifts and home!*Make some green Rice Krispy treats, cut them out with Christmas tree cooky cutters or cut in triangles to make trees.
Kristen Whitby
I love all of these beautiful Christmas traditions! Your home sounds like such a happy place.
Nicki truesdell
I used this last year and loved it so much I'm doing it again this year! Thank you!
Heather
I LOVE this! I cannot wait to get mine finished... after searching for just the right sized vintage ladder to hang mine on, I found the cutest handmade tobacco stick Christmas tree at a Christmas fair. Yay!
I do have a question... what is the name of that font? I gotta have it! 🙂
Heather
I love the design of your advent calendar. We used this last year with burlap hung on a branch as the backdrop. It worked out really well and I've been able to repurpose it for this year too! The envelopes I can use again which saves some work. It would be great if you had a PDF with just the cards to save paper. I don't want to do the exact same activities as last year.
Thanks,
Heather
Nicki truesdell
You saved my Christmas fun! I have five children and some years I do such a good job of fun activities, and other years they fall flat. : ) I was determined to get an activity countdown done this year, and I wanted it pretty and easy. I just so happen to have an empty frame with chicken wire behind it and a little plaid ribbon and greenery. It will be perfect for me, and fun for them! Going to print right now. : )
Lyndsey
Love this. Have just discovered it and you on pinterest! Definitely going to try and re-create. Some of our advent christmas traditions will be -
1.) Toast marshmallows on the log burner
2.) Decorate the christmas tree
3.) Sing Christmas carols
ThinkPink
Thank you for the envelops template! That was exactly what I needed. Though my final result looks different 🙂 https://thinkpinktravelpink.blogspot.ru/2014/12/2.html
kelly @ thelilypadcottage
SO gorgeous! As always, everything you do is just vintagey perfection!
Jen
Love this so much!!! I will be making this!!!xoxox Jen
Danielle
Kristen, love this soooo much! It is so pretty and also gives the true meaning of Christmas - snuggling and enjoying time with our little ones. x
Lucy
So beautiful ! Thank you so much..xo
Alice W.
I love, love, love this. So perfect!