How to Make a Christmas Countdown Calendar

Count down the days till Christmas with a treat-filled calendar.

No holiday is heralded with as much anticipation as Christmas. Children start counting down the days early and looking forward to it weeks in advance. A special countdown calendar, an Advent calendar, has been in use for centuries to mark the arrival, or advent, of Christmas. Each day is usually marked off with a small token, prize or treat hidden behind doors or in pockets. This gives children something to look forward to every day from Dec. 1 through Christmas Eve. With a few simple craft supplies, you can make your own countdown calendar in an hour.

Things You'll Need

• 2 sheets of butcher paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Colored markers
• Tape
• Stapler
• 24 small prizes or pieces of candy
• Holiday pictures

Instructions

1. Take one sheet of butcher paper and number it from 1 to 24 with pencil, making rows of six and four or following the weeks of the calendar. The numbers should fill the page and be spaced at least 5 inches apart.

2. Cut out 24 4-by-4-inch squares from the other sheet of butcher paper with scissors, and label them clearly on one side with numbers 1 to 24 with colored markers.

3. Tape both sides and the bottom (but not the top) of each square over the penciled numbers. Reinforce with a stapler if you like. These should form pockets that can hold small prizes or pieces of candy.

4. Decorate with markers and holiday pictures from wrapping paper or Christmas cards: Santa, snowflakes, wreaths, presents, etc. Write "The Countdown Till Christmas" or your own title at the top.

5. Hang the finished calendar on your wall. Drop a small prize or piece of candy into each of the open pockets, and let the countdown begin.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you don't choose prizes that are too heavy. You don't want to tear your handiwork.

References

• Love to Know: Advent Calendar Craft