When I was a little girl one of my favorite things to do every day in December was to pop open a door of my chocolate advent calendar.
Then when the Happy Hubby and I were on our honeymoon in Disney World (yes, I dragged him to Disney. He had no choice in the matter. :-)) 8 years ago, we found the above INCREDIBLE advent calendar that we’ve used ever since.
I love Advent Calendars.
It is so much fun to countdown to something – especially if that something is Christmas.
So why not choose one of the super easy ideas below for your Happy Home this month? You have until Thursday to make it happen! 🙂
1. Sock Advent Calendar – The Dollar Bins at Target have tons of cute Christmas socks. Just buy 12 sets, fill with a Scripture verse from the Christmas story, and string them up across your mantel!
Click Image for Instructions
2. Paper Bag Advent Calendar – I found this adorableness over at It Is What It Is.
Visit her site and you can download the sweet little numbered tags for free.
You could fill the little bags with a treat!
In the Happy Buddy’s case, it would be M&M’s every day.
Click Image for Instructions
3. Happy Hubby Advent Calendar – Advent Calendars aren’t just for Happy Buddies!
The Pretty Blog decided to hang up simple printed numbers on the wall in her Happy Home kitchen in the shape of a tree using some clothespins.
Each day in December she and her Happy Hubby are going to write sweet notes to each other and then clip them up.
Go HERE for the printable numbers.
Click Image for Printables
4. Daily Activities – Design Dazzle has put together the most amazing Christmas gift for you!
Head on over there to print out 100 FREE Printable Advent Countdown Activities that you can use all December long!
Click Image for Instructions
5. Little Presents Advent – Teaching Brady made an easy Advent Countdown out of wrapped boxes stuffed with slips of paper that had activity suggestions like the FREE ones I mentioned above. 🙂
Click Image for Instructions
6. Advent Chain – This chain from Ten Kids and a Dog is such a quick and easy visual for your Happy Buddies.
There is even a cute Christ-centered poem to attach to the star at the top of your chain.
You have to go read it. 🙂
Click Image for Instructions
7. Advent Book Countdown – The Happy Buddy and I are definitely doing an Advent Book Countdown like Katherine Marie Photography.
Simply package up 24 books in fun Christmas wrapping paper and open/read one each day!
Click Image for Printable
8. Happy Birthday Jesus Advent Calendar – This one is probably my favorite because I want my Happy Buddy to know the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
Print the image above from Making Learning Fun, grab some stickers, and sticker each day leading up to Jesus’ Birthday.
Happy Advent Calendar-ing! 🙂
P.S. There are like 8 zillion more amazing Advent Calendar inspirations floating around out there. It was hard to pick my favorites (which are generally the easiest!) – but if you want even more magical ideas, you can hop over to this link for some serious Advent Calendar Eye Candy.
Julie, these are GREAT ideas — I love them!!
Thanks, Laura, for always taking the time to stop by with a little encouragement! You bless me!
OK, so I drive by hoping for inspiration and I get CONVICtion! 🙂
The Happy Hubby Advent Calendar…yes, I am feeling I should try this. It sounds too honoring to pass up. Wish me luck I have the craft skills of a farm animal.
Love your blog, girl!
Girl, you are hilarious! I know your hubby will LOVE it!!!!!!! You’re awesome!
These are F A B.. Very pretty and lovely features.. I would LOVE if you could please share this via my Special Christmas Soiree party pweeease.. (TY so much).. http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-favorite-christmas-recipea-special.html Wishing you an amazing start to your week.. : ))
You always have such wonderful ideas – love your printable cards! I follow you on Facebook & enjoy seeing new posts pop up in my feed.
Thanks for including our calendar in this round-up! One small correction, though, they’re actually just origami boxes made out of heavy construction paper. Even easier/cheaper than wrapping 24 tiny boxes. 😉
I found a great book at Barnes and Noble today called “Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas.” The stories are short (about one page), and each story/symbol is followed by a message about God’s love (ex: The star reminds us that He is always there to show us the way.) I thought this book might be a good way to have an Advent Countdown without going out and getting 24 Christmas books all at once! Thank you for all your wonderful ideas and stories.
Karen – that book sounds AMAZING! I need to go get a copy too! 🙂 What a wonderful way to share Jesus with your Happy Home throughout the Christmas season!
These are all so cute! Now that I’m in an advent mood… 🙂
mo – thank you for your wonderful ideas – they realy do help especially with Sunday School activities.
a Blessed Christmas to All
Thank you so much for compiling these! We may just get a calendar made today. I am so excited!
I’m making an advent calendar for my daughter who is away at college! Thanks for the bible verses!
I just discovered your advent verses and they were EXACTLY what I was looking for! So perfect: the story told one verse a day. We used your cards along with these figures http://www.mylittlehouse.org/free-christmas-nativity-diorama.html and put them in origami boxes for a little boy in my 3rd grade Sunday School class who can’t attend due to health issues. We glued one card atop each box and the figures actually went perfectly with your story. The preschool teacher saw your cards an fell in love with them, too, so she’s making a set for each of her kids for Christmas. AND I printed one more set along with the figures above and I’m using it as a fun & simple way to introduce our Thai exchange student to the Christmas story. These are wonderful and such a blessing!