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CHRISTMAS CRAFT IDEA: MAKE YOUR OWN ADVENT CALENDAR

It's official, December is approaching, and with it comes a host of traditions we look forward to each year. Hot chocolate, snowmen, stockings by the fireplace, decorating the tree, Christmas carols, and, of course, the essential Advent calendar. In its many forms — a wooden or cardboard facade, or small boxes or bags to open — the Advent calendar is fun for adults and kids of any age. This year, experience the countdown to Christmas with a home-made Advent calendar.

These step-by-step instructions from Caran d'Ache show you how to make an Advent calendar of paper Christmas trees, strung together into a decorative garland. We also give you lots of ideas for how to fill it.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE HOMEMADE ADVENT CALENDAR

This DIY calendar is a fun, creative activity for the whole family, perfect for immersing you in the cosy atmosphere of Christmas. What's more,when you make your own Advent calendar, you get to choose the little surprises you slip into it. Giving your children, partner, or friend a homemade calendar is a thoughtful way of showing them your love.

Do you know the history of the Advent calendar? It originated in Germany in the 19th century, when parents would give their children devotional images each morning in the days leading up to Christmas. The Advent calendar as we know it today, with the small windows that open to reveal small gifts or chocolates, appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Now famous the world over, Advent calendars help young and old alike anticipate the long-awaited arrival of Father Christmas.

Our advice: To have enough time to make your Advent calendar and gather the 24 surprises to slip inside, think about doing it early and putting aside little gifts throughout the year.

OUR TUTORIAL FOR MAKING A WINTER FOREST ADVENT CALENDAR

For this activity you will need:

• 24 sheets of thick white paper
• Scissors
• A graphite pencil
• Emerald green acrylic paint
• A paintbrush
• Black and dark green Fibralo markers
• A large circular hole punch
• Glue
• String
• A thick needle
• Tape
• Optional: mini wooden clothes pegs

Follow the step-by-step craft for Christmas:

1. Cut a sheet of paper to make a square.

2. Shape the paper into a cone:
a. Lay the sheet flat in front of you like a diamond.
b. Fold the righthand corner towards the middle of the sheet, folding from the top corner.
c. Fold the left corner over so that the top makes a sharp point.
d. Glue the left flap onto the right.
e. Using scissors, cut straight across the uneven bottom edge so that you have a Christmas tree shape.

3. With a pencil, draw a line on the tip of the cone to represent the snow (on both sides of the tree).

4. Paint the trees with green paint, taking care not to paint the tips.

5. Once the paint is dry, use a dark green felt-tip pen to draw small details on each tree.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 until you’ve made 24 trees. To create trees of different sizes, vary the dimensions of the squares of paper.

7. Using the large hole punch, cut out 24 circles from a sheet of paper (in white or gold) and with the black felt-tip pen, number the circles from 1 to 24.

8. Glue a number to each tree.

9. Use the needle to drill a small hole in the top of the trees so later you can slide a string through.

And there you have it! Fill each tree with a small present (we have ideas in the next section!). Then close up the tree at its base with a piece of tape. Now all you have to do is thread the paper trees onto the string in the wrong order and hang your Advent calendar on your wall.

Optional: you can add a mini wooden clothes peg to the base of the tree to represent the trunk. The peg will also make sure that the tree stays closed when hung.

WHAT CAN YOU PUT IN AN ADVENT CALENDAR?

Finished with making all your trees? Now it's time to fill them with 24 small gifts! Here are a few ideas to surprise your child each day as they wait for Christmas. Of course, you can adapt the gift ideas to suit your loved one’s age and tastes.

• Chocolates, because what would an Advent calendar be without its traditional chocolates?
• Toys: small figurines, toy cars, etc.
• Games: mini board games and puzzles
• Craft accessories: modelling clay, a kit for making Christmas decorations...
• Stationery accessories: smallfelt pens, paints, stickers, Christmas colouring sheets...
• Papers with activities written on them: an outing to the Christmas market or ice-skating rink, a recipe for Christmas shortbread, a night watching a family film, an evening of board games, decorating the Christmas tree...
• Accessories such as bracelets, hair clips, a Christmas headband...
• Skincare products: scented soaps, lip balms, hand cream...
• Riddles to solve or a treasure map to find a gift that doesn't fit in the calendar (a book, for example)

🎄 Once you’ve completed this special Christmas tutorial, share your creation on your social networks, and don’t forget to tag @carandache! For more creative craft ideas, visit the Caran d'Ache blog.

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