Reusable advent calendar

[latrucha]

I'm looking at those wooden reusable advent calendar's online. It's very hard to tell which are nice.

Has anyone got a nice one they can recommend? I'm looking for one nearer £20 than £40.

(and then what do you put in them ....?)

Ta!

[MayDayChild]

Got one in Disney last year. Put sweets hairclips cars pair socks pocket money toys £1 coin
They love it.
Apparently santa's elves are responsible.

[MamaPizza]

I'm in the same dilemma at the moment and wanted to start a thread. The ones online all seem so small, but haven't found any in the shops. Any recommendations so I can view them first and get an idea of the real size?

(hope that is ok OP, not hijacking just getting more ideas)

[latrucha]

No probs.

[hambo]

here
I bought this from the most fantastically talented lady who quilts and sews beautiful intricate advent calenders with pockets with cute hand made things in each one...sorry cant type what I mean - take a look!

[Barbeasty]

I have this which DH and I have shared for a few years.

I put a chocolate in each bucket, and then something as a small present. Most popular are the miniture whiskeys I put in for DH. Also the little lindt chocolate figures fit nicely. Then the figures for our nativity crib go in there.

I looked at the wooden ones, but the drawers always seem very small, and at least with the buckets you can put things in that stick out if they're a bit too big.

I have just made a Christmas tree calander for DD, a little bit like the ones in hambo's link. It's made of felt, and the decorations stick on with velcro. We had one when I was little and it lasted years.

[LordOfTheFlies]

I have a gorgeous Thomas Pacconi one from QVC , I've had it for years at least 6-7 years.
There's a resin Christmas tree about 12" high with 24 tiny hooks.It has a rotating stand that you turn to play music
There's a handpainted 'cupboard' with 24 compartments and a decoration in each.
We put a few chocolate coins in too.
(My DC will inherit it when I'm gone.They can have alternate years )

[latrucha]

Hi Barbeasty!

I think Daniel ight go to town with the buckets (by which I mean pull them down and try to eat them) but it's cute.

Ooo I'm getting creative urges. Can you describe the felt tree a bit more? Are the decorations the numbers?

[Tolalola]

I made one from red gingham last year. It was really easy - basically just 24 red drawstring bags with red felt numbers glued on. Then I hung them on a bit of branch that I spray painted silver and we called it the advent tree.

I found a cheapo farm playset with lots of animals and stuck an animal in the appropriate bag each day. The tractor I saved for the last day.

DS was almost 3 and he loved it. We'll definitely be doing it again this year.

[Barbeasty]

Hi LaT.

Now you mention it, I suspect the buckets might cause problems this year. We tie it to the bannisters, which makes it the perfect height for Ruth to reach through as she climbs upstairs and steal the chocolates. I'll have to think

The decorations aren't numbers, they are felt cut out to shapes (candles, presents, crackers, baubles and stockings) glued to card and then a bit of velcro on the back. There are corresponding bits of velcro on the tree so they can be stuck in place. Numbers might work well though. Or numbers on the tree which are covered by the decoration.

I have made a sheet of felt with numbers on (written in glitter glue!) with velcro too so the decorations can be stored there and taken in number order. This was mainly because I couldn't work out how to make pockets!

I have a couple of photos, so I'll see if I can stick them on my profile.

[Flisspaps]

We bought two felt Advent calendars from Poundland in 2005 and expected to perhaps get two years use out of them. They're being hung up again this year - not bad for something we thought would fall apart pretty much straight away.

[FromMilanToMinsk]

I have a wooden one from Aspen & Brown, in white and blue - similar to this year's model.

I think it's lovely and the kids love it. I put stickers, water balloons, maybe a toffee, that kind of thing in it. Last year they got a piece of Lego each day that built to a model.

[DrinkYourWeakLemonDrinkNow]

I noticed some lovely wooden and cloth ones in TkMaxx the other day.

[latrucha]

Well, I was just getting enthusiastic about making one but I do like that aspe and Brown one. Hmmmmm

[latrucha]

Poundland sounds pretty good too, although I never find the amazing things in there that people on MN post about. I guess that's what you get for living in wild West Wales.

[latrucha]

Thanks for the photos Barbeasty. it looks Fab. I'm back and all inspired to do my own again!

[coldcomfortHeart]

Thanks hambo!

[latrucha]

Juat had a balmy five minutes thinking about quilting one myself.

Mad.

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

My Mum has just bought DS a lovely wooden one from costco. Think it was about £25-30.

[PorkChopSter]

A (decorated) wooden board with hooks would be ideal. I have 3 cloth pocket ones - every year there is a selection of presents that don't fit and a pile on the floor underneath in the morning.

[follyfoot]

We use cotton cash bags in bright colours (very cheap but look very festive), with the date written on in glitter glue - though you could easily sew or wonderweb some fabric numbers on. We fill them, tie them with gingham ribbon or Christmassy ribbon and then peg onto some twine. They look lovely and festive.

[gushofbloodtothefloor]

We got <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=fabric+advent+calendar+tree&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=L5Hpym-PPcKVFM:&imgrefurl=www.vermontchristmasco.com/product/1244/fabric-advent-calendars&docid=pC1w4Pu6W4d18M&imgurl=www.vermontchristmasco.com/images/uploads/kb8910-l.jpg&w=262&h=375&ei=ycSlTtfGFoWr8AOMuqjWBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=293&vpy=119&dur=1219&hovh=269&hovw=188&tx=110&ty=184&sig=101626570008370845172&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=103&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">this one last year and it is gorgeous. Got it from an ebay seller. The little presents go in the pockets, and I put a chocolate coin in the odd one, and 'promises' (like "make xmas biscuits") in the others. I can see it lasting years.

[carernotasaint]

There is a wooden Santa lorry advent calendar in the Christmas 2011 Red Direct catalogue (the catologue is a little mini one that came free with the November issue of Red magazine) though you could try the Red Direct website and see if its on there.Its £20 and the part where the load would go if it was a real lorry has little doors on it to put the chocolates in. Its on page 53 of the catologue and is 30cm by 14cm by 10cm and is in the traditional Christmas colours of red and green.