Every year part of our fun Christmas activities as a family is to create an advent calendar. One year we did chocolates, one year a lot of activities, and each year we have changed it up a bit. Just like our family bucket list the advent calendar is something we look forward to doing together. Advent calendar’s can be bought or made. They can be easy or difficult. I have seen so many different ideas’ for advent, and we have tried a lot of them in the past ten years’. Some stuck like the chocolate for a few years’ an others’ didn’t.
One year we did books so each day our sons’ (at the time we only had two) would open the advent and it would say what present to open. Well, this worked fine with two children, but got very expensive quickly. Not to mention the fact we ended up with a lot of books. But, we saved them and have used all of the books to read each year at this special time. If you are looking for something special but within the means of your frugal home here are some ideas:
DIY Envelopes Pinned to a Board
First you can buy a box of envelopes at the dollar tree, number them 1-24 and pin each or tape them to a pasteboard. That is a very cost efficient and easy way to make an advent calendar. The kids’ will like it because it is easy to monitor and open the envelopes.
My only problem with a DIY project that I have to do each year is time. When the Christmas season rolls around that is when I think about the advent calendar, then it is too late. But, maybe you like to make a new one each year and if so then this is an easy, frugal project.
A Reusable Calendar with Small Pockets
Our family advent calendar has been a reusable one for years. I use one of my teddy bear ornaments to mark the days. So each year on slips of paper I write down advent activities. My rule of thumb is for busy days we do easy activities and for days we have time I plan longer activities.
A reusable calendar works well for me because I pull it out each year with all of our family decorations. Actually before because family decorations are the first day of December!
Easy Basket Advent Calendar
All kinds of items in a supply closet can be used for an advent calendar. I have tickets leftover from something, we have used those in a basket. Of course I labeled them with activities, and they were very fun. I think it was the year we did a polar express Christmas theme.
The simplest ideas end up being the most fun. My kids loved the ticket idea because each night was a new activity and they had no idea which one would be pulled. The excitement was unbearable to them that a random activity lay in a basket they would pick from. Some of my best ideas come from a walk in my supply closet or scrap section.
Tea Bag Advent Calendar
Another easy advent calendar idea that we tried one year was tea bags. They were each individually boxed with a date on the outside, so each day we drank tea as a family. The kids’ really enjoy all of the advent calendar. In my experience they are happy with the simplest of ideas’ because it really is the thought that counts with them. Many years’ from now they won’t remember the advent calendar you spend hours making, but they will remember the activities made for it.
Keep your family time as a the focus point this year as we prepare ourselves for this special season. Remembering and teaching our children it is about Jesus and the simplicity of his birth. Along with that keep all of the family activities, calendar, crafts and gifts with the same thought of simplicity.
Managing to keep a frugal home perspective this year will be much more rewarding as you celebrate this season.
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