Advent Calendar: Why Not Try Something Homemade?'s featured image

The origin of the advent calendar started in Germany in the 19th century. Different methods of counting down the days to the celebration of Christmas were used, such as drawing a chalk line to mark off the days.  Later, lighting a candle every night or putting up small religious pictures marked each day until Christmas. 

There is nothing as special as a home-made advent calendar – and the best thing about them is that you can choose exactly what will go in them each day, personalizing them to suit your family.

Some home-made advent calendars are flat, others offer you a bit more flexibility and allow you put in a little gift or edible treat. The beauty is that every day marks a personal touch for your family members. MOLLY MAID, the experts in residential cleaning, have a few ideas below to get you thinking:

1. DIY Envelope / Bulletin board

  • Use a large piece of cardboard and cut it into the shape of a tree or triangle.
  • Attach 24 coloured envelopes and fill with notes saying what you love about each other.
  • Alternatively, these could be affixed to a bulletin board.

2. Muffin or Cupcake Tin

  • Using a 24-count muffin tin, fill each muffin cup with a small present.
  • Write the numbers 1 to 24 on pieces of coloured construction paper and cover up the opening of the individual tin cups.

3. Mason Jar

  • Fill a Mason jar with 24 clues as to where a special gift has been hidden in the house.

At MOLLY MAID, we believe it's never too late to start a tradition like this for your family – one that will become a real treasure in the years to come.

For more great ideas of how to fill your advent calendar, come back and visit our blog on November 21st.