Creating your very own advent calendar with cardboard is a fun and crafty project that can add a personal touch to your holiday season.
Transforming cardboard boxes into an adorable Christmas village advent calendar is a fun and creative project anyone can tackle.
To bring this festive craft to life, you only need some sturdy cardboard, which you can repurpose from old boxes, and a few basic supplies.
With a little imagination and some simple materials, you can create a charming DIY advent calendar that not only counts down the days until Christmas but also adds a delightful touch to your holiday decor.
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Gather your Materials
- Cardboard (repurpose old boxes or buy at a craft store)
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Cutter box
- Glue gun
- Paint marker
You can stuff your advent calendar with all sorts of goodies like candies, chocolates, little surprises, fun family activities, or heartwarming quotes to brighten each day.
How to make your own Advent Calendar
Let’s roll up our sleeves, put on some festive music, and get started on this fun and meaningful project that will bring smiles and excitement throughout December!
1. Start by opening up the cardboard box and cutting it into flat pieces. This will give you a good base to work with for your project.
2. Grab a ruler and a pencil to draw out a house shape on the cardboard. Make sure to include flaps on the sides and bottom, as these will determine how deep your house will be.
3. Carefully cut out the house shape along with the flaps using a cutter, ensuring clean edges for a neat finish.
4. In the center of your house shape, draw a door or a window with shutters, but remember to leave one side attached so it can swing open and closed.
5. Since cardboard can be tough to fold, lightly score the lines where you want to create creases by making shallow cuts along the folds.
6. Once you have your house laid flat, use a white paint marker to write a number on the front, then let your creativity flow as you decorate it with white paint markers.
7. After decorating, fold the house up and glue the flap edges together to secure its shape.
8. Measure the roof tip and the depth of the house, then cut a rectangle of cardboard that matches these dimensions for the roof.
9. Create a crease down the center of the rectangle so it can sit on top of the house.
10. Get creative with the roof piece by decorating it with different shapes to mimic roof tiles.
11. Apply glue to the roof tip and sides of the house to attach the roof securely.
12. Repeat the previous steps 23 more times to make a total of 24 little houses, experimenting with different designs and decorations for each one.
13. For the back of your DIY advent calendar, cut two large rectangles measuring 40 x 100 cm (16 by 40 inches) from a piece of cardboard.
14. Shape the top edges of the back rectangles into mountains. To ensure the back is sturdy, lay and glue the two rectangles of cardboard on top of each other.
15. While the glue dries, press the cardboard pieces together with something heavy and draw snow on top of the mountain shapes for a festive touch.
16. Once the back of the calendar is ready, arrange the houses over it in 6 rows of 4.
17. When you’re satisfied with the layout, glue each house down one by one over the calendar back.
18. Finally, fill your calendar with treats.
19. Enjoy counting down the days till Christmas.
Here’s a little extra advice: Feel free to mix up the design and size of the houses in your calendar village to create a more visually appealing layout.
Make sure all the houses share the same width of 8 cm (3 in.), but you can play around with their heights, which can range from 8 to 15 cm (3 in. to 6 in.).
You have the freedom to vary the depth of the houses as well; for instance, I’ve crafted some that are 3, 4, and 5 cm deep (which translates to about 1 1/4, 1 1/2, and 2 in.).
Additionally, experimenting with different roof styles can enhance the overall charm of your village.
Watch the video to make the DIY Advent Calendar
You can check out the video that walks you through each step, making it super easy for you to put together your Christmas village advent calendar.
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Creating a Christmas village advent calendar is a fun and simple way to get into the holiday spirit.
It’s a fun recycled craft that allows you to make something unique with cardboard boxes without spending much.
Making your own advent calendar is a fun way to count down the days until Christmas, adding a personal touch to the holiday season. It’s a great way to build excitement and make each day leading up to Christmas special.
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