We have the best collection of DIY advent calendar crafts to countdown to Christmas in fun and creative ways. These ideas for Christmas Advent calendar projects are great crafts for kids of all ages and make fun holiday family activities to do together. Let’s find the perfect DIY Advent calendar for your family!
You’ll Love these Advent Calendar Ideas
Ahhhh, the anticipation and the countdown to Christmas! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. And it does not have to last only that one day. In fact, I think the best part of Christmas is the Santa countdown.
Related: We have 25 days of Christmas activities for kids
Magical Christmas Countdown Calendar
While it may not make Christmas come faster, it will be a ton of fun for everyone. Here are 30 super fun ways to countdown to Christmas with your family with Advent calendar ideas you can make. Pick a DIY advent calendar craft to mark the days until Christmas…
DIY Advent Calendar Ideas to Make
Being able to visually countdown to Christmas with one of these homemade advent calendars will save you from answering…
“How many more days till Christmas?”
…a million times.
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1. Chalkboard Boxes DIY Advent Calendar
Create tiny black boxes and number them with the days till Christmas! Each filled with a fun surprise or a hint to a family activity. This will let kids know how many more days till Christmas without having to ask!
2. 24 Christmas Books Countdown
Wrap 24 Christmas-themed books, one for every night as a count down to Christmas. Give your child or children one a night to open–it’s an educational advent calendar!
–>We love this book Advent calendar you can buy!
3. Printable Advent Calendar
A really easy way to start counting down to the holiday is download and print this printable Advent Calendar. This printable is super cute and again will answer that question of “How many more days till Christmas”.
4. 24 Days of Book Gifts
Alternately, wrap up books in Christmas wrapping paper and countdown numbers on each one. It doubles as a decoration for the mantle, too!
5. Countdown to Christmas with Kindness
Start by printing our random acts of Christmas kindness list. Do 24 random acts of Christmas kindness–such a good lesson for kids to learn! Here’s an idea to get you started: candy cane bombing!
Christmas Countdown Ideas
6. DIY Advent Calendars
Get a plank and wood glue numbered clothespins to it – then you can use those pins to hold brown paper packages tied up with string! Each package has a special gift or tradition!
7. DIY Advent In a Jar
Make a DIY Advent Calendar with a pompom jar! Attach a fun family activity with a slip of paper to each pompom in your jar! Not only will you spend family time together, but your little ones will have something to do everyday so they’ll know how many more days till Christmas.
How many days until Christmas answered!
8. Make a Forest Of Cones for an Advent Calendar
Countdown the days to Christmas with this forest of cones! It’s a great craft to do with the kids and this post contains a free printable!
9. 24 Christmas Stockings to Countdown to the Holiday
Hang 24 Christmas socks and tuck an activity in each one! No sewing involved, promise. Printables are included in the instructions on this post!
10. DIY Mini Tree Calendar
I love the simple, classic look of this mini tree calendar – each box has another trinket to remember the season.
11. Make a Give Thanks Advent Calendar
How about these cute paper boxes made from grocery bags and filled with surprise treats for your little ones?
A Christmas Countdown to Make Christmas Magical All Month Long
12. DIY Giant Snowflake Advent Calendar
Christmas clouds! Sew little gifts into circular pieces of colorful fabric, and hang below the cloud! Use wire hangers to form them. Your kiddos get to open a gift each day!
13. Craft an Advent Tree
Create an advent tree on the wall! Hang little gifts, snacks and ornaments from it for each day.
14. DIY Christmas Book Advent Calendar
Wrap Christmas books and let kids open one each day until the holiday. Make it a family tradition by reading them aloud to your kids.
15. Make a Vintage Christmas Countdown Calendar
Print cards with a fun family Christmas Activity that you can do together. This Vintage Christmas Countdown Calendar is easy to throw together quickly.
16. DIY Ping Pong Ball & Toilet Baby Tube Advent Calendar
Ping Pong Ball & Toilet Paper Tube Advent Calendar — such a cute (and EASY) way to re-purpose toilet paper tubes!
Countdown to Christmas Ideas
17. Make a Santa’s Beard Advent Calendar
Give Santa’s beard a haircut every day until Christmas! This is super cute, but will require supervision for little kids.
18. DIY Treat Bag Advent Calendar
Make treat bags with all of your kids’ favorite goodies inside!
19. Advent Treat Bag Kit
Or try this treat bag which includes a free printable for wrapping! Perfect for xmas countdown!
20. Make a Snowman Christmas Countdown
Put together this adorable paper chain snowman countdown! Remember making paper chains for birthday parties?
21. Simple Advent Calendar You Can Make
Put sticky countdown numbers onto simple cardboard boxes with activities to do each day inside.
22. DIY Christmas Envelope Countdown
Countdown envelopes–each one filled with flat gifts (like coins, stickers, temporary tattoos and more!)
23. Christmas Card Advent Calendar Craft
Put cards on a tree with a holiday activity for the whole family to do each day! This one of the simplest Christmas countdown ideas on this list.
24. DIY Christmas Activity Jar Advent
The coolest advent jar I’ve seen so far! I am making this FOR SURE. Plus her ideas for each day are really good. There are so many Christmas countdown games and Christmas countdown activities in each box to do as a family.
25. Make a Snowy Forest Advent Calendar
Create a mini-forest of beautiful Christmas tree countdown cones! This is one of the cutest Christmas countdown crafts. Plus, not only will it tell you how many more days till Christmas, but it can be used as a festive counting game as well.
More Ways to Countdown to Christmas
26. DIY Adorable Christmas Countdown Clock
This amazing snowman countdown clock. Your family will use this for years!
27. Grow A Candy Cane to Countdown to Christmas
Oh I love this idea: have your kids grow a candy cane! This post shows it in three stages but I bet you could stretch it to several more days and have a full-grown candy cane by Christmas! Magic!
28. DIY Christmas Countdown Wheel
Make a wheel with clothespins and numbers! It’s simple, but super cute and doesn’t require a ton of materials. It is one of the best ways to tell how much time till Christmas.
29. 25 Christmas Scriptures to Countdown to Christmas
Print out this list and read a passage of Scripture every day to remember the reason for the season! This is one of my Christmas countdown family traditions.
30. DIY Wood Advent Calendar
DIY Clothespin tree (as tall as you!) Pin paper bags filled with wonderful things onto each one!
31. Download & Print a Nativity Printable
Here is one our faith-based fun Christmas ideas: add something or someone to the Nativity scene every day! This is a great way to teach your child about your faith and the story of Jesus Christ.
More Advent Calendar Ideas for Kids
Get started on your advent calendar so you can be ahead of time. It will only be a few weeks before everyone starts asking “How many more days till Christmas.”
Christmas Countdown Apps
- Jolly St. Nick comes alive in your phone or iPad with this free Christmas Countdown! app.
- Use this Christmas Countdown app which unwraps a little gift each day!
- Your Christmas Countdown app can be personalized for counting fun.
Christmas Countdown FAQ
Yes, there are quite a few Christmas countdown apps in the app store. My favorite has 25 mini games with a holiday theme. There are also Advent calendar apps that play music each day, allow you to keep memories for next year, have a traditional Advent calendar feel of opening doors each day or tell a story. Most are free with in-app purchases.
Traditionally an Advent calendar includes 25 days that correspond to the first 25 days of December. That means that #1 would correspond to Dec. 1 and #2 to Dec. 2 and so on. The last thing on the calendar would be #25 on Christmas Day, December 25.
Each day in December, there is a small “event” that corresponds with the day and the number of days until Christmas. It is a way to celebrate the time until the holiday and build anticipation for Christmas.
And Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas. It can take the form of a traditional calendar or a list. Modern times have seen Advent calendars include everything from a chocolate countdown calendar to a pet toy Advent calendar! If you are looking for things to do with kids, check out our two most popular Christmas countdown ideas:
Christmas activities to countdown to Christmas
Random acts of Christmas Kindness
Good question! Traditionally the Advent ends on the 24th because it marks the anticipation of Christmas. But modern countdown calendars have either 24 or 25 depending on the way they are celebrating the season.
More DIY Advent Calendar Ideas We Love
- Have you heard of Halloween Advent calendars? <–What???
- Make your own DIY Advent calendar with these printables.
- More count down to Christmas fun for kids.
- Fortnite Advent calendar…yep!
- Costco’s dog Advent calendar that has treats for your dog every day!
- Chocolate Advent calendar…yum!
- Beer Advent calendar? <–Adults will love this!
- Costco’s wine advent calendar! <–Adults will love this too!
- My First Advent Calendar from Step2 is really fun.
- What about a slime Advent calendar?
- I love this sock Advent calendar from Target.
- Grab the Paw Patrol Advent calendar!
- Check out these Advent activities calendar.
- We love this book advent calendar! Let’s read a book a day in December!
What are you using as an advent calendar this year to countdown to Christmas.
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