Homemade advent calendar for my little family

[TabbyMcTats]

Normally we get the kids a Lego/choc calendar each and we buy each other an advent (booze/toiletries) but we end up with a lot of tat! This year I’d like to make a family one, and have an old White company calendar box I can use that has various sized drawers. Ive booked the panto, and a train ride. Any ideas that suit us all? DC are 13 & 4. Would like some food items too (but drawers are small!)

That first Covid year I made one for my daughter who was living alone. I had an old glossy box advent calendar. I did use some of the drawers for small things but it was hard to find 24 small enough gifts to fit so instead I wrapped them up and labeled them with the number and in the drawer which had to be open first I put a clue. Eg a Christmas candle - the clue was some musical notes and “it’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas” I can’t remember all of the clues but you get the picture! I got small things and a few bigger things and of course linked them all to Christmas. There was a snowflake cookie cutter, a candle, Christmas coffee, Christmas bubble bath etc. She loved it.

I have just got enough mini bubble baths to make my dad a bubble bath advent - there are 3 for 2's in boots, an 8 pack of Molton Browns on Amazon, and some in next and from Etsy.

Possibly most wouldn't fit in your doors though - I am 20 years into making advents for DH and really wishing I had something with bigger bags! Lots of socks (I can do one rolled sock per day), ties, cufflinks but he no longer wears suits to work so I now tend to aim for 12 'things' plus chocolates and scratchcards - a lot of the things are personal to him - rope weight for tree work, niwaki mini sharpening stone and oil, always a tree dec involving his hometown, our pets or a food he especially likes, keyrings are good but not every year. USB drive, lip salve, sometimes hankys or travel toiletrys.

for kids you could do blind bags or bitty pops or felted animals but I guess that falls under tat. Giant biscuits from costas (bourbons and custard creams) and hot choc spoons or bombs are the only really kid friendly food items I can think of unless you go santa pez or the standard christmas chocolate. For adults balsamic pearls or individual posh chocs?

We use notes for lots of things.
Look under the tree - new Christmas pyjamas.
Movie night - name the film and have popcorn etc.
Hot chocolate after school.
Drive or walk around the Christmas lights.
£10 to choose items for the food bank.
Let’s go choose a new decoration for the tree.
Family games night.
Christmas market - we go to one at our local national trust place.
Baking.

DD also liked things like earrings, hair bow, lip balm, mini perfume, nail polish etc.

We also did things like bath bombs, leaving a note with instructions about how to make various Christmassy snacks such as hot chocolate bombes, reindeer pretzels, elvish yoghurt (basically Greek yoghurt, honey, Xmas sprinkles and edible glitter spray)

https://kidsactivityzone.com/reindeer-pretzels/

Ours is very low key, it was started when my eldest was 2ish and it became tradition. It has tiny drawers so had to get creative.

8 drawers contain Christmas/winter jokes, 8 contain a small treat for each of us (a single sweet, chocolate coin, an almond) , 8 contain a family 'activity'- this can be a bigger treat like seeing a show or visiting the Grotto (too old for that one now :)), as well as simple days in such as Christmas tree decorating; making Christmas chains, writing Christmas cards, going to see Christmas lights in the neighbourhood, baking gingerbreads, watching a Christmas movie with hot chocolate, having a 'Christmas' themed playdate or disco with a few friends. The activities usually coincide with weekend days ;))

For the past few years the children have been in charge of supplying the 8 jokes as well as suggesting activities (that preferably dont cost a fortune).

Quite simple, but works here.