Reusable Advent Calendars. What have you got and what are you going to put in it this year?

[CheekyFucker]

Hi,

I have 3 hanging felt Advent Calendars with little pockets. I am hoping to upgrade this year as they are looking rather tired.

I have DD(12) DS(8) and DS(6) - also looking for inspiration.

In the past we have had fancy chocolate, Playmobil Nativity broken down into sections, various activities (utterly exhausting) make up and perfume for DD (shockingly expensive), and decorations for the tree (do not need any more ever).

Thank you 😊

We did a wooden one from hobbycraft last year. Bought laser cut disks for the kids to decorate and glued them on as baubles.

Will fill with choc and possibly the odd Lego figure.

@TiddlesUpATree I love the decoration on yours!

Lots of great ideas, thank you everyone.

Unfortunately the nearest Poundland is 200 plus miles away over open seas. Hence my appreciation of AliExpress.

@NotPennysBoat I have exactly the same problem. We have a GLTC house, which is beautiful (and pre-dates children) but the little doors are shallow and small.

I found Lindor chocolates fit in ours, if you resort to chocolate again. The other things I've used are knock-off Pandora charms (cost me a dollar each - about 50p - from a market stall) and last year I got a smallish Lego set and broke that down into tiny sets. That was a good idea but turned out to be a total pain in the arse for all concerned.

I think this year I'm back to chocolate, so I'll just have to keep my eyes open for small things. Post if you get any better suggestions!

I was looking at the Aldi ones they are due in on 2 Nov. I would like to put a mix of things into them like sweets, chocs, bath bomb, match attax but I am worried that the drawers will be too small to fit stuff that the kids would like into them. Does anyone know if these things would fit?

I decided to start doing this last year for my DPs DD6 to make it "our" special tradition. I got a light up wooden calendar from Matalan and spread out a few pound coins and sweets then bulked up with hair bows, stickers etc. Anything too large for the drawers was hidden, and a clue put in the drawer instead. So the mini Hatchimal egg was in the egg holder in the fridge and "the night before christmas" was wrapped and innocently wedged on our bookshelf. She LOVED this, and her dad played along helping with the clues. This year, similar ideas with money and sweets, but i have ordered decorations for her dolls house from Amazon - so mini door wreath for 60p, santa hats for dolls, mini tree etc. So her own little house will be decorate by Christmas [santa]

I also bought v cheap bracelets off Amazon and then Xmas charms so each DD had a charm in each drawer every day. Went down v well (DD 5 and 8). Cost about £5 for both together.

I also one year bought one of those play books With the characters and play at in the back. The Xmas one had Xmas tree decorations.

I'm thinking Poundland stationary this year. Or tiger. My eldest has got far too much of a sweet tooth for sweets. I'm trying to teach her treats don't have to be full of sugar . Do they all go through that stuff their face stage?!

Ours has tiny drawers and we also used to put clues in them to find the days gift.

I'm doing this but I'm going to limit the influx of new tat by some days where existing Xmas stuff gets put out, books, their Xmas bedding etc. Their Xmas tops will be another day, some days will be choc / consumables and some days xmassy activities / days out ( Xmas baking day / visiting 🎅) if whatever doesn't fit they'll be a clue as to what where it is. It's the first year in trying it but I'm hoping it turns into a lovely tradition

@Yousee this is lovely! What a great SM you are

We have one with small wooden drawers. I put a chocolate in each, something like a Kinder Choco Bon Bon, or a chocolate coin etc. But then I also add little handmade notes with activities for us to do:

• Visit the Christmas markets
• Make a Christmas wreath
• Bake mince pies
• Christmas trip (ice skating, panto etc etc)

There isn't one in every day as it would be far too much to do, but my 12 year old daughter really enjoys the surprise.

I'm struggling this year as also need to find activities that suit my 12 year old daughter but also my 1 year old son!

We have a fabric one I made for DH before kids, we share it now, and that one just fits quality street type chocs, some pockets are big enough for two though, and the others will fit a choc and a chocolate coin. For the kids my DIY approach now involves string with numbered/decorated pegs, and I attach sweets directly, or in small paper bags. Over the years we have done Lego people and Playmobil animals - stocked with disassembled bundles from eBay. Sometimes just sweets, or a mixture of sweets and little presents, recently mostly kawaii stationery and maybe a couple of Lego blind bags (you're never too old for those). The peg and bag method means nothing is ever the wrong shape to fit.

I made one for my ds when I was pregnant. I made sure it had large enough pockets. This year I've got mini playdoh pots and shape cutters and tools cost me less then £10. I also put a large chocolate or sweets in the weekend pockets. My ds absolutely love's his advent calendar.

TK Maxx had some fabulous ones last year and I'm kicking myself that I didn't get one! Hoping they'll have some again this year.