Does anyone do their own advent calendars/boxes?

[chicagomum]

My sister has given us a lovely wooden chest with little drawers for each day of december (for dd almost 4). Before anyone points out that december starts tomorrow I KNOW. Have found a few bits to put in as a start, but its all chocolate and sweets. The whole reason we have it is so its not one of the prebought ones that means choclate every day. The problem is I can't think of anything else to put in. Any ideas? It needs to resonable cheap (obviously) and fit into a drawer about 3 inches cubed. TIA.

what a nice idea

pennies
little photos of people who love her
stickers
cherries
teeny origami flower or bird if you know how to make them

(want one am jealous)

I do this. My parents got a calendar with little pouches for each day from Lidl last year. Mine are about half-and-half chocs and other things, but I have two dds and the pouches are quite small so it's a bit limited. I have put in some little tree decorations for them to hang on the tree once it's up (so in the later days), hair bobbles/clips, stickers, marbles. Last year we got some tiny Christmas-themed magnets which went down well.

Have fun!

we have one and this year it has little plastic wild animals in - I got a tube of them from Woolworths for £4.99. Have done dinosaurs and farm animals the last 2 years, and ds1 and 2 - 4 and 2 now, love them.

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Have a few chocolatey things etc so she will get one of those tomorrow and whilst she is at nursery I'll hit woolies for the rest.

Dh is filling up ours as we speak with chocolates

But then we have fabric ones with pouches

We've got one from Lidl's this year. I'm hoping it'll be a success. It certainly looks prettier than the cardboard ones that just get stacked on a shelf and become a pain.

I hadn't thought about putting in anything other that sweets - what a good idea! Everyone has already said the things I was going to suggest...I know Asda and Woolworths do little packs of things to put into party bags. Might be worth a look.

Obviously its to late for this year, but here are a few avaliable advent boxes

or these

this has reminded me to get dd1's out - sadly this year she has a prebought choc and cardboard one!! BUt I would love to buy/make one each for the dds that they can have year after year.

We have a fabric advent calender, which I have just filled up with chocolate this evening.

What's wrong with a little chocolate everyday?

Do like the ideas for the little boxes tho - maybe next year!

I made a fabric nativity one when ds was a baby -looks a bit tatty now but just getting it out. Now got to start assembling 2 Playmobil ones . dh said he'd do them tomorrow as he's out late tonight - yeah right ! Also got 4 (yes 4!) from grandparents, probably choccie ones.

oh aye will have to remind dd13 to get her playmobil one out. dd and ds will love that dont know where we going to put it though.

Mil has a lovely wooden one for the kids she just puts a chocolate coin each cupboard.