An Advent Calendar Full Of Glitter, Sequins And Stickers

If you are looking for an alternative to a chocolate advent calendar how about this crafty calendar? It’s perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. I made it for my daughter when she is was 2 (it’s just taken me a few years to blog about it). The end result is a lovely “Happy Christmas” garland decorated by your child.

A fun, crafty advent calendar for children (with no chocolate) and images of the contents of the advent calendar


What you need

  • 24 paper bags
  • a craft knife/ scissors
  • 24 A5 pieces of card
  • string
  • pegs
  • paint
  • a potato
  • glitter
  • stickers
  • sequins
  • glue
  • paint brushes
  • colouring pencils
  • pom poms
  • cotton wool balls
  • anything else which could be stuck on to letters

How to make the calendar

Decorate and number the paper bags

  1. Cut the potato in half. On one side carve a tree, the other a star.
  2. Use the potato print to stamp tree’s on 12 bags and stars on the other 12. 
  3. Sprinkle glitter on top of the paint.
  4. Leave to dry.
  5. Write numbers 1 to 24 on the bags, alternating the bags with trees and stars.

  6. Series of images showing potato printing of brown paper bags: a tree cut into a potato, potato in paint, tree shapes, potato with paint on, bags with shapes on

    Prepare the letters



  7. Using the card cut out the following letters (I used a craft knife, but you could use scissors)
  8. A x 2
    C x 1
    H x 2
    I x 1
    M x 1
    P x 2
    R x 1
    S x 2
    T x 1
    Y x 1


  9. Cut out 10 stars
  10. Images showing card letters and stars and a craft knife and cutting board

    Prepare the bags



  11. Lay out the card in the following order 4 stars, H, A, P, P, Y, 2 stars, C, H, R, I, S, T, M, A, S, 4 stars


  12. Divide up the craft materials across the letters and stars.  You can put the same decoration in multiple bags, but spread them out across the letters.


  13. Pack the bags up. Each one should have a piece of card and material to decorate it.
  14. images showing letters with craft additions on top eg sequins, stickers, paint



  15. Hang the bags on string ready to be opened every day in December. I used 3 pieces of string to spread the weight.
  16. 3 rows of string with the finished bags hanging on them secured with pegs

    A little girl putting Christmas stickers on a red card H

    "Happy Christmas" garland decorated

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