make a quick advent calendar

 You and your children can whip up this easy advent in a couple of hours...by yourself, you can do this in one hour. All you need is a box of cone shaped coffee filters, a wooden spoon, paper scraps and yarn. Hop on over to scrumdillydilly for the diy. 

There are many ways you can tweak this project to inclue your young children. Pre-writers can add numbered stickers to the filters while young writers can write out the numbers on blank sticker, punchedpaper or onto the filters themselves. Instead of punching holes and tying the yarn to each filter, whip out a stapler and see if your kiddos can master that skill. If not, scotch, masking or washi tape will work as well. 

Fill filters with small wrapped chocolates, stickers, and paper strips with wee adventures written upon them. Your child can tear off a filter full of fun each day! This is definitely not a reusable calendar but the process in which you make it with your child will last forever! Writing numbers, using scissors, punching holes and tying knots. The key is to have fun! 

this one is for you to make for yer kidlets

turn your yo-yos into and advent calendar! your sew-savvy wee ones can definitely try their hand at this as well. for instructions, follow me over to craftzine.com and have a looksie! there are even three ways to display your advent...something for everyone!

a different type of advent

 Christmas time is the time for advent calendars. It is the time for many things but advent calendars are used most this time of year. Why not build an advent calendar as you go? Rather than open a door or unwrap a small token to find a treasure for the day, why not make a new tradition for advent?

I do not have any delightful pictures for you but I am sure with your talents, you will know just what I mean. To create this new advent tradition, pick a time during the day to ask your wee ones to write down something special about their day. It may be something they saw or did or it may be a feeling they had. They may want to write a sentence about a favorite Christmas memory, cookie or gift. Whatever it is, the focus is to be on goodness and kindness and all things smile inducing. You may need to write as they dictate or maybe you want to make a recording. Keep it short and sweet and add the memory of the day to a large glass jar, bowl or decorated box. You may have your wee ones make up a box today to kick it all off.

On Christmas Day or Eve, you choose, gather your family together, no matter how large or how small. Wrap yourselves up in cozy comfort, add hot cider, tea or chocolate and homemade cookies or bars and read out loud all the good things that happened as you counted down to Christmas.

When you are all through, gather up the lovely memories and wrap them up in paper and bows to be opened by someone next year. Make it the pickle gift or make up a special ornament just for the box or gift it to someone different each year.

Next year, start on the first for a new collection of memories to be read on Christmas even and then, on Christmas day you will have last years memories to relive all over again. Wrap them up along with the new in an even lovelier box and carry on. It is the most simple gift and close to the heart. An evening of sharing with your family. It may even bring you closer and a little less stressed as your wee ones work hard at creating good memories to be put to paper.

Happy December! If you simply must make an advent calendar, check out the nifty flickr group. There are oodles of ideas, oodles1