Ideas for making an advent calendar please!!

[SamJohnsMum]

My mum made one for me that is a large christmas tree with pockets into which she (and now my DH!!) put little sweets and pressies.

I am thoroughly selfish and want to keep this as mine, so what can I make for DS that will last as he grows up? I'm not very handy with a needle, so I'd like some alternative ideas!!

I intend to make one with those larger-sized match boxes, painted and covered with wrapping paper like a chest of drawers, with buttons as knobs on the drawers, when dd is old enough. When she's little we can put in sweets, little things, promises and suggestions for something to do for the day. When she is older she can help to make / suggest things for the drawers.

Or what about having a little figure from a nativity scene in each drawer - sheep, lambs, angels, sheperds, assistant sheperds, rabbits, the crib etc. Every day you could find another one to add to the creche, then on the 25th when he wakes up the baby is in the manger. (OK you could have a little chocolate in each one as well). You could get the figures from bought creches, animals from toy shops, small dolls, plasticine ...

Tescos has a kit to make the pocket one with felt. You can sew it or glue £4 looks quite nice.

yeah get one of them - then put lots of thorntons chocs in...and send it to me

racing snake beat me to it - was gonna say the matchbox ones.
Ikea do some that you can paint yourselves too

I've bought a book from Mini IQ that has pop out and make boxes. There's a hoop in the top so you can hang them on the Christmas Tree, we're going to get some nice cord and hang them from it on the wall.

If you want to make something yourself then it would be fairly easy to make something from felt that would be no sew or the match box idea - 5x5 boxes stuck together, papier mache with tissue paper and stick on pictures from cards or wrapping paper. You could get some little toys/ cake decorations to stick on the top and make a Christmassy scene.

Thanks for these ideas!!

Gigglewitch - I like the idea of the Ikea one you can paint yourself but I couldn't find it on their website - please could you point me in the right direction?

I made one last year as as school project with DD!

Not sure it will be of any use but you can see it here

Good luck!

Just looked at it - amazing!

Tesco has a felt kit I spotted today. It is a Christmas tree with pockets. You could always use if for an idea if you wanted to do somethng more personal.

Dingle, I love your calendar!

I usually hang a piece of string up in the living room with 24 bags on it (I have made these myself, but noted that you don't want to do this). You can buy small bags (i.e. party bags) in Lakelands and just tie them up with a piece of string.

I loved it as a kid and my kids love it.

Thank you for your kind comments. It was quite sad to make really. It was part of my DDs homework project and I can remember it struck me how poor her fine motor skills were when she still couldn't use the glitter glue.

It's things like that that stick in my little brain-I wonder if I will notice an improvement this year!

There are some good ideas here, I am going to make the match box one with my kiddoes

www.kidscraftweekly.com/advent_issue.html

I have got a big pack of felt and cut out and stitched 25 little stockings, its really east jsut to blanket stictch them together in nice gold or silver thread then i am going to put them in a line on a long ribbon and hang it accross the room.

[Charlee makes - note to ones self - READ OP FIRST she doesn't want to sew.]

Sorry!