Advent Calendars

I made a large Advent calendar for my kids years ago. It was in the shape of a Christmas tree and I used 25 matchboxes with little sweets in. It was covered in red and green felt and I used little gold split pins to open the boxes. They loved it and we used it for years. Maybe it’s still somewhere in the loft.

jocork that's absolutely beautiful! You are very talented, as an adult I'd love one like it

I had my first advent calendar in the 50s. No chocolates or gifts, just a tiny painted Christmas scene behind each door. I loved it and it came out year after year.

We have a blank nativity scene one that opens on a tri-fold. It has tiny numbers for the characters and each day a child selects the corresponding character to add to the scene. They love it.

I love the old fashioned sparkly ones and really disapprove ( sorry everyone else!!) of the ones with chocolates etc inside!
My grandchildren - aged from 9 - 19 - still love getting the ones I send them every year (even the 19 year old who is in his 2nd year at uni). I'm lucky that my local toy shop, in West London, still sells the beautiful ones (from Germany I think).

I made an advent calendar for my reception class. Each “door” had enough Smarties for each child. December 1 was “wet play” lunchtime… not a single Smartie left! 😂

i shall definitely get one for my dog and i like the picture ones too

Witzend

I always treat myself to a corny just-little-pictures one. Never had one as a child, so I’m making up for it!

I’ve never bought any with chocolate or anything else.

The best ones are just pictures. Childhood memories. Nothing more is needed.

We were very hard-up when my children were young. I used to buy one Advent calendar and they took turns to open a window.
Nowadays my daughters buy them for their cats and dogs and I get given one every year. No chocolate, just pretty old-fashioned pictures.

I've bought my Son and Advent Calendar with cheese, chutney and crackers. I've bought myself 1 with a tiny cross stitch for every day. I've even found 1 for my Jewish Sister, a Hannuka Advent Calendar. hugs

I try to find different ones every year for each of my family (sister, brother-in-law, nephew) two friends and myself. They get treated as Christmas presents as well. The women tend to get the same one as do the men but not always. A couple of years ago I could only get 2 Star Wars socks and one Marvel socks for the men, so with my nephew and brother in law gave them the choice of which one they had - afraid to say my nephew (18 at the time) hadn't heard of Star Wars so chose the Marvel (although I had thought he'd go for that one anyway). Last year he had a fishing one (lures), got a golf one for this year. To help out with the costs I usually get them after Christmas for the following year - usually half price or using loyalty cards/points. Also to point out I only buy for 6 people altogether for Christmas including myself

Last year, I made a “lucky dip” advent calendar for my DGDs. I found various little things (for one it was a bulb of garlic!😆) which I wrapped. Each dat, they would cross off the date and fish around for a small present. They absolutely loved it and asked me to do it again this year. Win, win 🏆

Last year I made a nativity scene for my grandchildren with 24 characters made of felt. It took months to make and I packed the characters in an empty advent calendar box that had had toiletries in and I got free on freegle. It even still smelled nice. I added chocolates to some of the boxes from about the 10th of December.
My DS packed it all back in the box and they will open it again this year. I've given him the chocolates to add to the boxes. I hope it will be seen as a family heirloom. I guess if my DD has children in future I'll have to make it all over again!

DS buys me one with little cheeses. I particularly look forward to the days with smoked ones. Mmmm.

I have a lovely wooden perpetual advent calendar. It's a living room.scene with Santa coming down the chimney. It has 24 doors and behind each door is a Christmas ornament to hang around the scene. The doors are big enough to hide a treat behind as well as the ornaments

Me and DH always treat ourselves to an Advent Calendar each and always try and get a decent one. This year we found one on Amazon. It's got a little shortbread biscuit in each window made by Walkers. I get fed up with the chocolate ones and not really interested in the ones with games, etc.

I've treated myself to two advent calendars. One from Becky's Sewing Studio and the other from Beyond The Pink Door. The Beyond The Pink Door one only has 12 days to it so won't start on 1st December. I had the German calendars a couple of times as a child, loved the sparkle and traditional pictures behind the doors. I shall buy an advent candle and burn that each day.

I've bought all sorts for the grandchildren, there's a great selection on Amazon.My own children had a chocolate one each, until I finished the cross stitch one then I squashed 3 sweet into each pocket! I had to keep refilling that one!
I treated myself to a fabric and sewers one a few years ago, that was a lovely thing to open every day.

I’ve even seen a Halloween Advent Calendar! Where do I start? I could weep!😂

I give all my children and grandchildren advent calendars, only the chocolate ones, I even buy my hubby one too. My ex daughter in law always treats me to a quirky one like teas or hot chocolate etc
My grandchildrens advents go into a advent box (I make hamper style grandchildren boxes) with Christmas clothes, toys, sweets, activities such as games, colouring, etc etc and they game them 1st Dec each year...

I bought DD one that had a mini jigsaw for each day and they fitted together to make one big one. This year she has 24 little boxes each with a tiny book. Each book has the first pages of a classic novel.

LaCrepescule

Advent calendars to me are the beautiful glittery German ones we had in the 60s - nothing inside but a little illustration. There were 3 of us and we had to take turns opening the windows.
I don’t like the ones today and sadly can’t find any of the old-style ones to buy.

I’ve still got a box full of advent calendars that I’ve bought over the years. It saddens me that children are no longer excited to open a window each day on their glittery calendar just to see a pretty picture of a candle or a Robin. The German ones were definitely the best. I now buy a calendar that I know my grandchildren will like ( Pokémon, Minecraft etc) and prefer not to get ones containing chocolate. I’ll always remember buying my son a Teenage Ninja Turtle one and finding pictures of pizza behind the windows .

keepingquiet

LaCrepescule

Advent calendars to me are the beautiful glittery German ones we had in the 60s - nothing inside but a little illustration. There were 3 of us and we had to take turns opening the windows.
I don’t like the ones today and sadly can’t find any of the old-style ones to buy.

You can still get them at museums and art galleries.

Personally I hate the ones with gifts in with a venom. Advent is about preparing for Christmas not celebrating with gifts because you can't wait. It's just another way to make money out of people to me.

I bought a lovely one from the national trust this year- no chocolate, expensive make-up or alcohol- just an old-fashioned picture to open every day!

It won't be long before pre- Advent calendar calendars are on sale, and people will buy them!

I still haven't seen a Christmas tree yet and it's November 6th- come on people...!

Angela Harding here too!

singingnutty

A few years ago I bought a wooden one for the DGCs which hinges open like a book and has 24 drawers. Every year I look out for small items to put in the drawers. This year the most interesting items are tiny mouth organs and friendship bracelets. The brothers aged now 7 and 10 really like it.

I bought those too and filled them with naff Christmas related jokes.

LaCrepescule

Advent calendars to me are the beautiful glittery German ones we had in the 60s - nothing inside but a little illustration. There were 3 of us and we had to take turns opening the windows.
I don’t like the ones today and sadly can’t find any of the old-style ones to buy.

Google "German Advent Calendars"