It's almost time to start our Christmas countdown with our favourite advent calendar. It was bitter sweet to see our Aussie Xmas advent fabric sell out, but not to worry we've got plenty of other ideas for some DIY alternatives to the traditional advent calendar that will add a splash of personality to your festive season.

1. Paper Bag Surprise Calendar

Immerse yourself in the joy of DIY by transforming simple brown paper bags into a festive masterpiece. Here we decorated each bag with the playful designs from our Creative Monsoon festive friends advent circles. Fill them with little treats or notes, and voila – you've got a quick and easy daily dose of surprise waiting to unfold!

Create a whimsical mini stocking garland from colourful felt. Begin by selecting an array of fun colours and cut out stocking shapes from the felt, mixing and matching hues for a playful touch. Personalize each stocking with unique embellishments, whether it's sequins, buttons, or even stitched patterns that reflect your creative flair. Once adorned, stitch or glue the stockings onto a length of twine, ensuring they're evenly spaced. Pic Lay Baby Lay

3. Paper Roll Tree Advent Calendar

Begin by collecting empty paper rolls, transforming them into adorable tree-shaped compartments for each day. Paint or wrap the rolls in vibrant, playful patterns then arrange them in the shape of a Christmas tree, securing them together to create a visually striking display. Nestle surprises or handwritten notes inside each roll, inviting a daily unraveling of joy throughout the holiday season. You can wrap the whole thing in tissue paper and write the numbers on, or use our Aussie animals advent circles, just select to scale down the size of the print.

4. Storage Box Advent Calendar

Begin by sourcing a set of plain storage boxes, you can often find these ready to decorate at craft stores or you could piece together some ikea storage, even just some small cardboard boxes. Adorn each box with lively patterns, stickers, festive wrapping paper. Fill each compartment with treats, small gifts, or personalised notes.

5. Bookish Advent Calendar: 

Finally, one for the little bookworms! It might not be the most hands-on DIY, but consider wrapping up books four your kids' in the most colourful paper, creating a bookish advent calendar that's as visually stimulating as it is intellectually exciting. Unwrap a new book each night – the gift that keeps on giving!