For me, the countdown to Christmas is as exciting as the event itself. I just love all the buildup and anticipation. What better way to start the countdown to Christmas than with an advent calendar. Homemade ones are the best, as you get to choose what you put inside them. With this paper envelope advent calendar there is a chocolate treat and cheesy Christmas joke for each day. The calendar is very easy to make, I used Christmas craft paper to make mine. However, you can use any paper from upcycled Christmas wrapping paper, old book pages and even maps to make yours. So many possibilities!


WHAT YOU NEED:
Envelope template : You can buy one cheaply online or you can download this one here (Envelope template) and cut your own out of cardboard.
Christmas paper, can either be craft paper, old wrapping paper or even Christmas paper out of magazines. I use a combination of all these.
Glue stick, scissors, & Christmas twine
Mini craft pegs.
Number stencils
Wooden coat Hanger.
Red spray paint

HOW TO MAKE:

Make your envelopes using the template and your Christmas paper. You will need 25 envelopes.

Stencil, draw or paint a number on each envelope 1 – 25.

Decide how you want to hang them. You can hang your envelopes in a rectangular shape or a Christmas tree shape. I spray painted an old wooden hanger red and then hung my envelopes from this using the craft pegs and twine. The advantage of using a hanger is that it is to hang your calendar anywhere and is easy to move.

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You can of course just hang them on the string like bunting.

What do you put in your advent calendar ? I put a chocolate treat and a cheesy joke for each day. Also if you notice I place my envelopes in a random order, as I think half the fun of an advent calendar is hunting for the right day.