Homemade advent calendars

[Mustbethewine]

I usually get my DC (10 & 8) Lego advent calendars but I feel they're loosing interest in them so I decided I'm going to gift wrap 24 individual gifts for them instead but I'm not sure what to gift.

I've started compiling a list of gifts and so far I've jotted down pyjamas, Cadbury's selection box and a mug, I need 21 more ideas. Has anyone ever created their own advent calendar, and if so what did you gift?

Thanks in advance.

I don't think any child needs 24 presents in the run up to Christmas.

Sorry, that was a bit blunt. I was just wondering how it would be different from whatever you would plan to put in their stocking?

I'd just get them a chocolate one.

Hot chocolate, book, dvd, hat, gloves, scarf, tube of sweets, bath bomb.

I have handmade advent calendars with tiny pockets. My kids have things like; a Christmas pencil, hair clips, Santa badge, chocolate Christmas lolly, small toys, a Lego mini figure, etc... nothing big though.

I remember when a German friend had made me an Advent calendar ( one of those with a coat hanger) but I didn’t realise what it was & opened all the presents together! Bless her, she was really upset.

I do an 'experience' advent calendar for my children, admittedly they are younger but I think it's a lovely tradition. We have things that are already planned like panto, Christmas get together with friends, Christmas lights at NT place and them free things like walking to see the local houses Christmas lights, switch on day in town, baking gingerbread, church christingle/carol service and then I reuse their Christmas books from last year and wrap them for some days as they will have forgotten about them! Some days are 'pick a chocolate from tree/chocolate coin'.
It started as I didn't want my just one year old having a chocolate every day but still wanted to do advent!

Made a ply advent calendar in 1996, we still use it now. Christmas tree shape, painted green with baubles, 24 gold hooks, each with a velvet drawstring bag with a little gift.

Going to use it for our new grandchild this year

Maybe add some 'things to do' eg visit Xmas lights,

I do this for dd (she will be 28 this year😳) but used to do it for both children. I set a strict budget for the whole thing and some days they get promises or a really nice sweet, others they get a little gift or a coin, others they get something nicer. She still loves it and the daily gift goes on her Instagram.

Thank you so much! Definitely going to add some day out to the list and some more chocolate and books.

I made a advent calander for my ds and I normally have a theme each year, this year its Harry Potter, last year was hot wheels. It helps me to get things rather than a random selection of things. For this years Harry Potter theme I've got sweets, pez, card games, stationery, stickers and a lighting bolt bath bomb. I try and keep it to under £30 otherwise it can start to add upp very quickly.

I did an advent calendars for my niece and my sister last year, these were ordinary calendars that I did via a photo calendar program and then I added stickers with various tasks to brighten the day or small 'pockets' with tiny chocolates (for the niece) or cosmetics samples (for the sis). It was just a DIY thing and I didn't expect them to really like it but they both were over the moon . There are plenty of services like photo-calendar-software.com or www.shutterfly.com/calendars where you can make calendars with your own design and then add small items to it after the printing.

Give, not gift.

I’m making a homemade fabric one and will put a chocolate in to each pocket. Personally I think a load of presents before Christmas Day spoils the treat, and it’s Advent until 25 Dec, which is about patience and waiting. But it’s your choice.

One year I did a mix of mini bathbombs, tiny chocolates, and small gemstones (these were very cheap from a local crystals-and-incense kinda store), so he got one item a day.

The second ‘homemade’ one was a Pokémon card a day.

We also do the reverse advent, where you donate or do something for charity, and this year I think we’ll just do that with a standard chocolate advent from supermarket.

@VestaTilley don't be a dick. Picking up on others' language usage makes you look ridiculous.

Sweets/choc in my son's advent calendar.

I also add notes to tell him how wonderful he is: good at sharing, helps his friends, kind to animals, perserverance in his sport (if he isn't last, he's penultimate, but doesn't lose heart), that type of thing that's specific to him. He has kept all these nots in a little jar and reads them from time to time.

Last year I stole quotes from the twitter account of Thoughts With Dog, eg " I like to leave as much of my hair around the house as possible. it is my confetti, i am a party", and "hello, it's me again, i love you" written in my left hand (i'm right-handed) and signed by our dog. Total plagiarism but my god did DS laugh! I shall do the same this year, inventing some of my own.

I tried putting activities in one year, but we were so blody exhausted with school and work that making biscuits, crafting or even driving round looking at lights was just not going to happen.

He's had two themed calendars as gifts, one Lego one Playmobil, but he was a bit 'meh' about them. Me too, to be honest, so many bits were rubbish or got lost.

He's 10yo.