Ideas for the contents of the DIY Advent Calendar doors

I'm in love with DIY Christmas calendars that you can fill out yourself. and that's why the selection is quite large in the fall of 2024. We made a joint Christmas calendar among our own family for Christmas 2023, when we hid surprises in each other's doors and each family member (including the dog) got to open the doors in turn. In a family of 5 people and one dog, the doors were still divided quite evenly, so everyone got 4 surprises.

The joint advent calendar was a fun adventure for the whole family, both 5- and 15-year-olds were looking forward to opening the doors just as much, and figuring out the contents of the doors was just as much fun as opening your own advent calendar doors. Our dog Pippuri was also excited, but in the future she might get her own calendar, because that advent calendar was four doors short after Christmas and is no longer usable, as the dog popped her own doors in seconds. So I don't recommend it if you want the advent calendar to be usable for several Christmases in the future.

A selection of DIY advent calendars can be found here and below I have collected a few ideas and tips for the contents of the calendar doors. If do-it-yourself Christmas calendars are not your thing, at least not this Christmas, check out the nostalgic and incredibly beautiful ones traditional paper advent calendars , and bring the magic of Christmas to yourself or your loved ones with a paper advent calendar.

Do-it-yourself advent calendars are a wonderful surprise for both children and adults.

The anticipation of Christmas is truly full of magic, and what better way to start each day of December than by opening a self-filling advent calendar The best thing about these calendars is that you can fill them with just the kind of surprises that will make both you and the recipient smile. Our online store craft supplies , stickers , pens and other small items are perfect to fill in these types of Christmas calendars.

Below are some fun ideas for the doors of your DIY advent calendar, some of which you can find surprises in our online store. There are direct links to the products in the text. We also consider intangible surprises for the openers of small and large calendar doors, read the tips and implement them in a way that suits you and the recipient of your DIY advent calendar.

1. Craft supplies and small items

If the recipient has a passion for crafting, why not delight them with some small supplies? Put a variety of colorful pens in the door, glitter stickers or small crafting or washi tapes . Small craft papers , pins with funny text and individual stickers bring joy to every craft lover.

2. Fun tasks

You can come up with small tasks that will make the anticipation of Christmas even more fun. For example: “Draw a picture of a winter landscape today!” or “Make your own Christmas card for your loved one.” You can combine these tasks with Fano Shop pens and craft supplies, or you can put a Christmas card template and give free rein to decorate the Christmas cards.

3. Amazingly gorgeous stickers

Stickers are always a hit – especially if they fit the Christmas spirit! Choose from our selection colorful and cute stickers that the advent calendar door opener can use to decorate cards or even fill the calendar with your own Christmas-themed notes. Our online store has stickers for all tastes, so you can choose a different theme for each day of the calendar or order as a gift  sticker surprise package , where we choose the stickers for you and make your task easier. Sticker surprise packages are available in many different themes, from Christmas to flowers, animals, coffee and horror.

4. The scents of Christmas

The world of scents is definitely part of Christmas. You can slip small scented sachets or scented candles into the calendar doors to fill your home with Christmassy aromas. The scents of gingerbread, cinnamon and fir are guaranteed to bring the Christmas spirit into every day.

5. Inspirational messages for the coming year and Christmas poems

Write little messages with warm thoughts or Christmas poems that will bring the spirit of Christmas to the person who opens the calendar. These meaningful notes can be slipped in as a little surprise, and they will warm the recipient's heart every morning when they open the doors of your DIY advent calendar. Surprisingly, these small, meaningful words may stay with the recipient for the rest of their life, so remember that A small act may be huge and meaningful to your loved one.

6. Gingerbread molds and baking supplies

What could be more wonderful than waiting for Christmas by baking? Small gingerbread molds, decorative pens or sprinkles suitable for decorating gingerbread are perfect calendar fillers. You can also give the day a task: “Bake gingerbread today!” or add gingerbread-shaped craft supplies to the door, Christmas rice papers and suggests that the person opening the advent calendar can make a beautiful gingerbread box by covering a cardboard box with rice paper, for example, with stickers and various craft decorations.

7. Doing things together

Give DIY Advent Calendar You can also spend time together with your loved ones through. You can fill the slots with, for example, movie tickets, small games or even raffle tickets. Surprises that invite you to spend time together are in the spirit of Christmas and bring joy to both children and adults.

8. Photos and other shared memories

How rare is it these days to have photos made into traditional paper photos? Make some photos together as a keepsake and craft frames for the photos, or give a photo and ask the recipient to create the frames or photo album it deserves. Cherish your shared memories together.

DIY Christmas calendar is the opportunity to create the exact kind of Christmas anticipation experience that best suits the recipient. Whether it's a child, an adult or a craft lover, our online store offers a huge selection of small and creative surprises that will fill your Christmas calendar with new joy every day!

The selection of DIY Christmas calendars is at its widest in the fall, and you will find suitable DIY Christmas calendars for both children and adults.

Self-filling advent calendars Making it will bring a lot of joy to both the giver and the recipient, make a wonderful surprise for your loved ones and make the anticipation of Christmas fun for yourself too.

Extra tip I heard at the fair; you can make a fillable advent calendar for yourself, because who would know the right gifts and surprises for you better than yourself? Fill the calendar this year and open the doors in two years, when you probably won't remember the contents of at least all the doors. Tadaa! The perfect surprise from you to you. <3

A wonderfully magical, atmospheric and even a little exciting Christmas waiting just for you.

Best regards,

Mira Fano from the Shop