The Sweet Escape Creative Studio

CHRISTMAS: DIY Modern Advent Calendar

DIY, modern advent calendar, handmade, colorful

DIY advent calendarWho says you have to have kids to get excited about an advent calendar countdown of treats leading up to Christmas?  Or if you do have a few mini-me’s running around there’s no reason that your advent calendar can’t look fabulous and stylish in your space. No big bellied bearded guys around here. Here’s a pretty simple (really!) DIY modern advent calendar to add a pop of color and style to your space this holiday season.

UPDATE: We are so excited that our modern advent calendar got a bit of a refresh and appeared in Merry magazine this holiday season. Take a look at it in its new modern home and so many other great DIY handmade holiday ideas.

DIY modern felt Christmas advent calendar / The Sweet Escape

DIY modern felt Christmas advent calendar / The Sweet Escape DIY modern felt Christmas advent calendar / The Sweet Escape
DIY modern felt Christmas advent calendar / The Sweet Escape

I was looking online for some advent calendar inspiration and I was overwhelmed with great ideas. I took little things I liked, shook ’em up in my head and came up with this idea of my own. It will look great in the space for mom and still fun & colourful enough to get the kids excited.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
– a branch approx 3 feet long
– enough felt to make 24 diamond shapes (4″sides) If you buy felt squares, it’s 12
– gold glitter glue pen
– 15-20 yards of gold sequin string or ribbon cut into 24 random lengths
– 2 yards of wide ribbon (to hang)
– 24 thumbtacks

This is super easy with a sewing machine but if you don’t have one but have some extra time on your hands, it will also look charming to sew each diamond by hand with some gold or colourful yarn.

1 – make a cardboard diamond template, with 4″ sides
2 – cut out diamonds, remember that each one need two sides, so 48 total
3 – take HALF of the diamonds and fold in have, making a small cut across the top
4 – glue sequin string to secure between layers of diamond
5 – sew around the perimeter of diamond
6 – use glitter glue pen to write in numbers 1-24

Let the glitter dry over night so that things don’t get messy. In the meantime take your branch, hang your piece of ribbon and evenly place 24 partially pushed in thumbtacks across the length. Then once your diamonds are dry, start hanging them from the thumbtacks, playing around with mixing the colours and lengths.

DIY advent calendarOnce you’re happy with it, cut all the extra sequin. Then comes the last and what probably is the most important step, fill up the pockets with delicious little treats.

DIY advent calendarThen turn the whole piece around so the thumbtacks are agains the wall and there you have your holiday masterpiece.

advent calendar 6 DIY advent calendar

advent calendar 2

Let the countdown begin!

TheSweetEscape

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19 responses to “CHRISTMAS: DIY Modern Advent Calendar”

  1. Come on Melissa! Gosh that’s incredibly beautiful & creative. You never stop amazing me! xx

    • Thanks Amy! Yeah it was a total original idea that popped into my head and luckily translated well in real life :) Can’t wait to see what you come up with.

  10. Sooo cte! :) Love the bright colours and rustic look! I have shared it on my blog – of course you are credited and my post links back to yor website. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful project, and big hugs from Sweden! :)

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