TheMadHouse Advent Calendar 17

 in advent / advent calender / handmade; homemade; crafts / homemade; crafts / sewing by

I have been a busy bee over the last week.  I have been making an advent calender for us, one that meets our needs and that I hope will be used for many, many years to come.
I have been inspired by one I saw on Living with Kids, but of course my version is homemade and as inexpensive as possible.  I used a fleece from Ikea, little peg clips from poundland and everything else we already had in the house.

I stitched 24 mini stockings, put some ribbon trim abound the top.  I then cut out 24 green felt stars which I stamped with the dates.

I punched a tag out of christmas paper and wrote a task on the back of each of them from the list below:

Write and post your letter to Father Christmas
Help ice the Christmas cake
Make Christmas cards
Make shapes with the cookie cutters and playdough
Make Christmas shrinky dinks
Make paper snowflakes
Go to Carol Service
Colour in some Christmas pictures
Make some Christmas fairy cakes
Make paper chains
Collect Pinecones
Start reading about the nativity
Write your Christmas cards and deliver local ones
Make salt dough ornaments
String popcorn to go on the tree
Make a bird feeder
Sing and dance to Christmas songs
Make some christmas shaped cookies
Watch a Christmas movie
Make reindeer food
Read a Christmas Story
Make up a Christmas story
Take a walk in the dark to look at the Christmas lights
Help trim the tree
Make mince pies
make spiced cider.
Find Mistletoe, hang it in our house and kiss under it.
Make Thick Hot Chocolate and Homemade Marshmallows
Put up a wreath
Decorate our gingerbread house
Make a family traditional dessert

The plan is to add a couple of treats in each of the stockings once they have done the activity, not before as they will eat them all.
The boys have decide it will be hung on the wall in the sitting room, so come Tuesday next week will will be putting it up.
I am so proud of what I have done considering I had never done any sewing before the summer and I think that it should last a long time, I am building traditions for our family and loving every minute of it.
Now to start back on making Christmas presents for all.

Do you have an advent calender or do you use the chocolate ones?  If you are looking for a good perpetual one, look no further than The Great Toy Guide, who have reviewed a number and done the hard work for you.   I will show you my old one tomorrow, once it comes down from the loft. 


17 thoughts on “TheMadHouse Advent Calendar”

  • Liz (LivingwithKids)

    Very impressive – it looks gorgeous! And I love the tasks – especially the decorating the gingerbread house one x

  • SnafflesMummy

    Wow,that looks lovely. I may purchase goods to make my own for next year (will not have time this year)

  • Mum's Survival Guide

    well done, that's a lovely idea. I bought a playmobil one this year to stay away from the chocolate.

  • mutteringsfromthemoor

    That does look really impressive! (I'm also very impressed that you've managed to but a blog post together so early on a school morning!!)

    I love the idea of the tasks too. But I have a feeling we would never get round to doing all of them in our house in between homework, choir, Brownies, Rainbows, trumpet practise looking after the flock and horse riding!

    We use a wooden advent calendar in our house, a little drawer for each day, just big enough to hold a tiny toy or a chocolate coin.

  • sara aka rantingmumla

    That's great! I've made mini envelopes this year just got to get round to putting the activities in them ….. before Tuesday. We did it for the first time last year but she wasn't really old enough to appreciate it but now she's nearly 3 I think she will. Was thinking of trying to find a twig to peg the envelopes to but they might end up on a string across the living room.

  • Geriatric Mummy

    Fab! We will definately be doing one for next year when Star knows a bit more about what's going on. I think his Cadbury one will suffice for this year. Chocolate he does get 😉

    PS One of my new year tasks is to take my sewing machine in for a service (been in the shed for about 5 years) and learn to sew…a bit..

  • cowgirl in wellies

    Our stuff is coming down tonight as well. The kids are so excited to see their Christmas DVDs again. I also started sewing recently. I must post my projects. Haven't done that yet. I hope you're feeling all better now. Best wishes.

  • Crystal Jigsaw

    You should definitely be proud – what a beautiful design and very clever too. Love your list!!

    CJ xx

  • Josie @Sleep is for the Weak

    That's gorgeous!! You clever clogs… especially love the ideas for things to do each day 🙂 xx

  • bad penny

    that is amazing ! I love it … great idea with the activities & the treat after. Wee man used to eat all the choc from those chocolate advent calendars in one go ! They usually slipped to the bottom anyway.

    It must have taken you ages to make but well done !

  • TheMadHouse

    Thank you all for the wonderful comments, it was a bit "necessity is the mother of all inventions" I like the idea that we could add to it every year and that the bits in the stockings didn't have to be chocolate!!

    Jude – I didn't do it to make anyone feel inadequate.

    But it just shows what can be done with a little perseverance and a sewing machine!!

  • Kelly

    This is wonderful! I am bookmarking it for next year, I love the tasks. Hope to see some posts of you and your boys doing some of these.

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