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20+ DIY Advent Calendars & Christmas Countdowns

Updated on September 17, 2024 | By Cori George | Leave a comment

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These DIY Advent calendars and Christmas countdowns are a fun way to mark off the days until Christmas is here! These DIY Christmas calendars are made from interesting materials like paper, wood, and felt!

Images of Advent Calendars and Christmas Countdowns

It’s almost the holiday season and time to start counting down to Christmas! Whether you’re celebrating the church season of Advent or your just counting down the days until Santa comes, a DIY advent calendar or Christmas countdown is the perfect way to mark off the days in December!

There are so many ideas to craft your own DIY advent calendar, with supplies like ribbon, paper bags, envelopes, felt, cardstock, and more! Fill them with trinkets, tiny toys, candy, chocolate, sweet treats, Bible verses, holiday activities, and more!

How does an Advent Calendar Work?

Most holiday countdowns work the same—there are 24 or 25 drawers, gifts, envelopes, or other containers and you open one each day until Christmas day. You start with #1 and work your way up! Some advent calendars end on Christmas Eve, and some go all the way until the 25th, Christmas day.

Almost all advent calendars are designed to be started on December first, though if you’re following a traditional church calendar, you may want to double check when Advent actually starts. In 2021, for example, Advent actually starts on November 28. For many of these calendars, you can just add an extra few days if you’re doing a more traditional advent calendar!

DIY Christmas Countdowns

Painted wooden advent calendar staged with a bunch of ornaments

Painted Wood Christmas Countdown Box

Use a Hyggehaus wooden organizer to craft and advent calendar! This wooden box has 24 drawers—perfect for personalizing and counting down to Christmas! Fill with ornaments, trinkets, candy canes, or other treats!

Weekday Carnival Advent Calendar

MODERN DIY X-MAS CALENDAR

I’m just in love with the minimal look of Weekday Carnival’s modern Advent calendar. She has “baubles” printed on the back of each card, but it would be fun to do Bible verses or Christmas sayings as well!

Happiness is Homemade

SCRATCH OFF CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

This scratch off Christmas bucket list is a fun way to spread the holiday spirit at Christmas time! A great activity for kids and adults!

Mr. Printables city advent calendar

PAPER CITY CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR

Construct these cute little paper houses from Mr. Printables and hide little goodies inside! Children can visit each building throughout Advent and collect their gifts.

Bespoke Bride

DIY PASTEL CHRISTMAS TREE ADVENT CALENDAR

If you love colors, the pastel Christmas tree Advent calendar from the Bespoke Bride is for you! It’s cute and quirky and oh so modern.

Kailo Chic

MODERN ADVENT CALENDAR

This fun modern advent calendar is made with a Glowforge laser! Get the tutorial from Kailo Chic—it makes a beautiful holiday decoration.

Hello Creative Family

PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

Count down to Christmas with fun holiday family activities using this free printable family advent calendar from Hello Creative Family! Includes a calendar with 24 fun Christmas themed ideas along with a blank version!

Finished tags staged with faux candy canes

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS

Don’t want to do all 24 days? Use these numbered 12 Days of Christmas gift tags for a special set of Christmas gifts! These printable Christmas gift tags can be cut by hand or with a Cricut Print then Cut.

Christmas Countdown Calendar

MAGNETIC CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Mark the days until December 25 with this DIY Christmas countdown calendar! Use your Cricut Explore or Maker to craft this cute magnetic advent calendar—it will become a fun holiday tradition!

Burton Avenue

COOKIE SHEET CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Use a simple cookie sheet to make this cute Christmas countdown! Grab the SVG files to make it from Burton Avenue.

Studio DIY Felt truck advent calendar

DIY FELT TRUCK ADVENT CALENDAR

The idea behind this cute countdown calendar from Studio DIY is that each day contains a gift and you stack them in the truck each day!

Merry Thought

EVERGREEN ADVENT CALENDAR

Similarly, The Merry Thought’s pine tree Advent calendar made from the bough of a pine tree is a simple, elegant, rustic piece of decor for you to make.

Jenna Kate at Home

DIY WOODEN ADVENT CALENDAR

This simple wooden advent calendar from Jenna Kate at Home goes with just about any decor! It’s a simple project to make—just needs stickers in a tree shape and some number stickers!

Mad in Crafts

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN COLORING CALENDAR

Looking for a less expensive Christmas countdown? This cute coloring calendar from Mad in Crafts is the perfect solution!

The House that Lars Built

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS GARLAND ADVENT CALENDAR

This sweet paper Christmas Lights garland is a fun and modern way to countdown to the holidays. Hang on the wall or on the mantel and fill each light with small treats or dollar store toys! Get the tutorial from The House that Lars Built.

A Beautiful Mess

HEIRLOOM ADVENT CALENDAR DIY

Love all the tiny Christmas stockings from this heirloom advent calendar from a Beautiful Mess! Kids will love checking each stocking every December morning.

Happiness is Homemade

SANTA CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN PRINTABLE

Count down the days to Santa’s arrival with this fun Santa Christmas countdown calendar printable from Happiness is Homemade! This is such an easy advent calendar and is perfect for kids!

Painted Hive tag advent calendar

CHRISTMAS TAG CALENDAR

There’s a lot to love about this DIY chalkboard calendar from The Painted Hive. I like how she has the lyrics of Santa Claus is Coming to Town as her gift for each day.

At Home with Ashley

ROUND BOX ADVENT CALENDAR

This sweet Christmas countdown from At Home with Ashley is a re-creation of a Target favorite from a few years ago!

The Creative Mom

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Short on space? This Christmas countdown from the Creative Mom is the perfect solution! Grab her free cut file to make this project.

CHRISTMAS BOXES

CHRISTMAS BOXES

Make your own Advent Calendar with easy to use cut files and printables from 100 Directions! Customize the look, add your own colors and styling in minutes.

So many cute ideas! Don’t have a Cricut? Check out my post 15+ DIY Advent Calendars & Christmas Countdowns.

Images of Modern Advent Calendars and Christmas Countdowns advertised by HEYLETSMAKESTUFF.COM

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Welcome to Hey Let’s Make Stuff!

Hey Hey, friends, I’m Cori George and I'm the creative mind behind this colorful business! With a focus on "crafting tech," I've been sharing tutorials for crafters of all levels since 2004. As a three-time published craft book author and a recognized figure in the crafting world, I've collaborated with brands like Cricut, JOANN, Glowforge, Sawgrass, and xTool to bring you the latest in crafting technology and creativity. Whether you're a seasoned crafter or just starting out, Hey Let's Make Stuff is your go-to resource for living a more creative and joyful life! Read more...

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