50 DIY Advent Calendar Ideas That Double As Decor

Finding an aesthetically pleasing store-bought advent calendar that works with your home's style and doesn't take a chunk out of your holiday budget every year can be a challenge. Making your own advent calendar is a festive DIY project that you can tackle by yourself or with roommates, partners, or kids, a fun Christmas tradition that helps you to slow down and build anticipation as the big day approaches and another year comes to an end.

Like your tree decorations, holiday table, and seasonal mantel decor, your advent calendar should reflect your tastes and lifestyle. You can make an advent calendar out of upcycled and scavenged materials or simple items you can find at the craft store or online. Whether you choose to fill each day on the countdown calendar with Christmas sweets and treats, small toys, activity cards, or thoughtful notes is up to you.

Take a look at this selection of DIY advent calendars that range from minimal and modern to whimsical and nostalgic for inspiration on how to build your very own countdown to Christmas that will help you and yours wring a maximum of joy out of the holiday season.

The 44 Best Advent Calendars of 2022

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Use Modern Graphics

Design by Urbanology Designs / Photo by Ralph Lauer

Creating your own DIY advent calendar allows you to tailor it to your home's scale and style, and doesn't necessarily require any special skills. Interior designer Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs created a striking advent calendar that doubles as decor in this organic modern neutral-toned interior using simple materials like envelopes, red stickers, and roomy goodie bags sourced online, and made a hanging structure with wooden dowels and string.

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Try Muted Colors

@home.and.spirit / Instagram

Erica of @home.and.spirit made a simple DIY wall-mounted advent calendar with fabric drawstring bags in a soft holiday palette of muted greens and reds that complements the soothing neutral modern color scheme of the room.

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Let It Roll

Ohoh deco

This fun interactive DIY advent calendar from Ohoh deco is made from recycled baby food glass jars and scrap wood. The jars are filled with treats and lids are decorated with numbers and elf stickers. Inclining shelves allow the jars to roll and tumble as each day's jar is removed, turning the elves–and your kid's frowns–upside down. The structure is simple to make and will last for years to come, a family tradition born out of a few upcycled materials and a little bit of wit and imagination.

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Use Pegboard

The Merrythought

The Merrythought proved once again that there is nothing a little pegboard can't do with this crisp and modern DIY advent calendar. Made with kraft card stock and DIY favor bags, the calendar has a graphic black-and-white look that makes it perfect for grownups and minimalists.

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Embrace Unconventional Colors

The House That Lars Built

The House That Lars Built created a colorful DIY paper light bulb advent calendar template that doubles as a holiday garland to dress up a mantel, bookshelf, tree, staircase banister, or a bare wall in need of some Christmas cheer. The use of non-traditional colors—pale pink and yellow mixed with bright blue and red—gives it a modern twist without taking away any of the holiday spirit.

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Put a Message In a Bottle

Your DIY Family

This chic little bottle brush tree forest advent calendar from Your DIY Family is made with mini cork-top bottles each crowned with a tiny tree. Each glass vial is filled with a rolled up paper message full of Christmas tidings and joy, a thoughtful way to show the people that you love how much you care that lasts longer than a bonbon.

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Make a Driftwood Wall Hanging

Most Lovely Things

Blogger Annie Diamond of Most Lovely Things made this tree-shaped DIY advent calendar using clay tags, driftwood, drawstring bags, and greens that doubles as wall decor and could easily sub in for a conventional tree in a smaller space.

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String It From the Bunkbed

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

Designer Annie Sloan strung an advent calendar from the top bunk of a kids room to keeps the holiday magic going all season for the little ones who appreciate it most of all. Chic DIY black-and-white drawstring bags echo the privacy curtain and can be reused from year to year.

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Make It 3D

Lia Griffith

Lia Griffith built a whimsical 3D paper advent calendar village and stacked it on the mantel, a fun and timeless set of Christmas memorabilia that can be enjoyed for years to come.

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Stay Neutral

Finding Lovely

Finding Lovely filled the empty space between windows in this airy Christmas living room with a large DIY advent calendar. Neutral-toned stockings in varying patterns are strung up on wooden dowels with painted numbered wooden ornaments to mark the days. The calendar is tailor-made to fit with the pale coastal palette and makes a statement while fitting in with the light and airy feel of the room.

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Take It Out

Studio DIY

Studio DIY created a snappy modern advent calendar made from colorful stacked numbered take-out boxes that can be filled with anything you like.

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Make It Interactive

The House That Lars Built

The House That Lars Built created a photo-based advent calendar that encourages and memorializes a series of Christmas challenges in the lead up to the holiday. The staircase banister is decorated with captioned, dated photos tied to a garland with ribbons, with each image documenting an advent calendar challenge completed, anything from decorating the tree to building a snowman to volunteering at a soup kitchen. Once the season is over, the photos can be placed in an album, helping you to keep track of those precious holiday memories in a season that often goes by in a busy blur.

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Hang Envelopes

The Merrythought

The Merrythought decorated a wooden dowel with fresh eucalyptus and a DIY dried orange slice garland and strung it with white paper envelopes filled with advent activity cards to create a simple advent calendar tailor made for minimalists that could work in any interior.

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String Up Some Stars

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess created a DIY advent calendar garland made from little numbered star boxes, strung nonchalantly from a leaning decorative wooden ladder in the hallway next to the dining room.

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Take a Peek Inside

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess filled the star-shaped advent calendar boxes with small decorations and toys after painting the insides in cheerful colors.

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Use a Tabletop Tree

Maison de Cinq

This farmhouse-style DIY tabletop tree advent calendar from Maison de Cinq is simple and sweet, with little numbered drawstring bags strung to a lighted tree and filled with holiday goodies to be enjoyed one by one. This multifunctional piece of holiday decor is perfect for small spaces or kids rooms.

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Be Kind

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood of Thistlewood Farms used store bought Christmas stickers and cards with bright red envelopes to create a "leave a joy trail" advent calendar, writing 25 acts of kindness and clipping them onto a mason jar rack in the kitchen. Every morning she and her family open the day's note, read it aloud, spend the day spreading joy, and share their stories over dinner.

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Count Backwards

Craftberry Bush

This cute tree-shaped advent calendar from Craftberry Bush features little kraft paper boxes stuffed with greens and ribbons that are numbered from right to left and down to up for a twist that will delight the kids. Displayed on a shelf, the calendar is flanked by mini trees perched on stacks of white and red books. On the shelves below, red, white, and candy-striped wrapping paper covers books to create a cohesive holiday display.

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Use a Framed Chalkboard

Thistlewood Farms

This DIY advent calendar from Thistlewood Farms is built using a framed chalkboard that is used to mark the days the old-fashioned way. Rows of favorite ornaments are strung up with jute twine and vintage clothespins for a modern farmhouse look.

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Add Pockets

Lovely Indeed

This kid-friendly advent calendar from Lovely Indeed is made up of colorful felt pockets that can be stuffed with trinkets or used as a nativity calendar for a scene that they can build as the countdown to Christmas progresses.

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Tie It With Ribbons

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

Designer Annie Sloan built a DIY advent calendar made from black-and-white-striped drawstring pouches tied with ribbons and strung with chalk-painted number tags for a Scandi-style dining room. But the design is classic and timeless enough to fit into any room in the house.

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Build a DIY Ladder

Liz Marie Blog

Blogger Liz Marie built a DIY birch log ladder as a base, then strung it with stockings to create an advent calendar for her farmhouse living room decorated with vintage signs and fresh greenery.

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Stuff It

Your DIY Family

Stitched paper star envelopes decorated with snippets of greens, wood beads, and miniature snowflakes and stuffed with suggestions for simple family Christmas activities—like baking cakes, eating crepes, having a pillow fight, and playing family games—make this simple advent calendar from Ohoh deco fun for the kids, and will ensure that you're making memories all season long.

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Play With Clay

Craftberry Bush

This DIY advent calendar from Craftberry Bush features numbered clay tags fastened to a linen backing in a painted white frame and strung with Christmas twine and greens. This timeless piece of homemade holiday decor will grow with the family as years pass and Christmases come and go.

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Do Some Good

Lovely Indeed

Lovely Indeed created an acts of kindness advent calendar that helps kids build good habits and embrace the spirit of giving rather than loading up on candy every day. The small acts of kindness envelopes can be strung up as seen here or if you're short on time or ambition, simply attached to the wall using washi tape.

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Deconstruct It

Frichic

This deconstructed advent calendar from Frichic is made from Polaroid-shaped photo prints and graphic numbers stuck to the wall that befits a modern interior. Both an alternative Christmas tree and an abstract reminder of the countdown to Christmas, this simple idea is perfect for small spaces and modern minimalists who want to create a nod to tradition without taking it too seriously.

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Hang Some Stockings

A Beautiful Mess

This DIY advent calendar from A Beautiful Mess is strung with multi-colored stockings in non-traditional Christmas colors on a wood beam house-shaped frame. The playful and kid-friendly wall decor could double as a Christmas tree alternative centerpiece in a small space or a children's room.

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String It Up

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess created a green string art Christmas tree on a piece of wood that serves as the backdrop for a DIY printed activity advent calendar geared for couples rather than kids. Each day's envelope is filled with a simple activity, from trying a new recipe to visiting a cheerful spot, to listening to a special childhood album while eating dinner, that is designed for bonding and quality time.

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Decorate the Coffee Table

Casa Watkins Living

This simple DIY coffee table advent calendar from Casa Watkins Living is perfect for small spaces and young kids, decorated with multi-colored ornaments that are numbered with a marker. The ornaments can be placed in a bowl on the coffee table and kids can hang the day's number on the tree until the bowl is empty and the big day arrives. If your kids are old enough, get them involved and let them write the numbers on the ornaments to help them practice their penmanship and DIY decorating skills and make them feel involved in the festivities.

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Plant a Forest

Your DIY Family

Your DIY Family created an elegant little advent calendar forest of mini numbered terracotta pots and planted model pine trees. This DIY advent calendar installation looks like a miniaturized formal garden and would dress up a credenza, mantel, countertop, dining table, or any other spot that needs a festive but understated touch.

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Make It Personal

Casa Watkins Living

Casa Watkins Living celebrated a passion for global textiles by creating a colorful DIY printed card stock advent calendar that is displayed on a store bought Christmas tree-shaped card holder from the holiday decor stockpile. The numbered cards have blank backs that can be customized as you like with love notes, favorite quotes, Santa Claus-themed jokes, family activities, or whatever else floats your holiday boat.

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Flag It

Lia Griffith

This simple advent calendar from Lia Griffith is made using an old thrift store picture frame with a holiday ready bright gold finish. DIY printable numbered flags are clipped to glassine baggies filled with small treats and gifts using mini wooden clothespins, suspended by twine across the frame. And as a thoughtful finishing touch, the back of each flag includes a bonus quote "to encourage reflection, gratitude and mindfulness" during this often frenzied time of year.

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Make It Green

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess stuffed the tiny numbered terracotta pots of this house-shaped advent calendar with pine trimmings. With a star-shaped ornament hanging above and a bed of greenery, lights, and mini trees, the DIY advent calendar is the centerpiece for a simple holiday display that is perfect for the plant lover in your life. Feel free to hang this one in the kitchen and sub the pine trimmings for rosemary sprigs.

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Hang It From the Mantel

Lia Griffith

Lia Griffith created a colorful DIY advent calendar village suspended from a piece of driftwood perched on the mantel that creates a cheerful and festive centerpiece for the holiday season with a bright and modern holiday palette.

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Make It Scrappy

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess built a scrappy DIY advent tree from reclaimed wood pallets and hung a selection of small gifts, treats, and activity cards to it using nothing more than push pins. This simple and sturdy DIY advent calendar will last for years to come and can be stored outside between seasons if you don't have room in the house.

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Cross It Out

Casa Watkins Living,

This grown up advent calendar candle from Casa Watkins Living is an easy printable DIY that would work well in a small space. Create an evening ritual of lighting the candle, enjoying a festive drink, a relaxing bubble bath, a favorite holiday album or a holiday movie, and crossing out the days with a bright red Sharpie until Christmas finally arrives.

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Create a Forest of Houses

Your DIY Family

Your DIY Family created an advent calendar made from a forest of sleek mini Balsa wood house facades with an activity posted on the back of each one, perfect for kids and adults alike. Little DIY deer and tree statuettes add charm to the streamlined look of the advent calendar, which can be arranged in any way you like to keep it interesting.

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Add Favorite Photos

A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess made a colorful advent calendar from DIY envelopes covered in a mix of patterns and favorite family photos, stuffed with prizes and treats. The personalized set of numbered envelopes marking the days until Christmas are strung up on rows of twine with clothespins that creates a cheerful holiday display.

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Do a Rainbow Ombre

The House That Lars Built

The House That Lars Built chose a rainbow ombre for this freespirited drawstring bag advent calendar that proves there are no rules when it comes to choosing a Christmas palette. This idea would work especially well in a kids room or a bohemian style interior.

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Scratch It Off

A Beautiful Mess

This DIY scratch-off snowflake advent calendar tree from A Beautiful Mess adds an interactive twist to the proceedings that will put a smile on kids faces. Each of the 25 snowflakes has a coordinating wrapped gift that is revealed when you scratch the center–like a convenience store scratch off card with plenty of built-in suspense but guaranteed odds.

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Think Pink

Lovely Indeed

There is a hidden surprise in each of the numbered advent calendar houses hung on this kitschy pink faux Christmas tree from Lovely Indeed that is decorated with bottle brush tree ornaments to make the village neighborhood feel even more cozy.

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Fabricate It

The Merrythought

The Merrythought used black and upholstery fabric to create this reusable DIY advent calendar. The sober design includes textile envelopes for treats or that can be left empty and used simply as decor. The simple calendar is topped with some fresh eucalyptus to make it feel festive and green and add a pleasing natural scent.

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Let It Snow

Sugar and Charm

Sugar and Charm lined a holiday mantel with a long row of tiny DIY faux snow-covered numbered Balsa wood houses that can be lifted up and tilted back to reveal the day's designated treats.

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Make a Stocking Garland

Liz Marie Blog

A cozy mini Christmas stocking advent calendar garland in a kids room from blogger Liz Marie adds a seasonal note while staying true to the neutral color scheme of the existing decor. A Christmas tree pillow and some green bottle brush trees perched on top of the armoire complement the low key holiday decorations.

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Don't Forget Your Best Friend

All For the Memories

If you are the kind of person who gets your dog a Christmas present, the next logical step is making sure that your best friend has a dedicated advent calendar to share in the holiday build-up, like this pawprint themed DIY doggie advent calendar from All For the Memories.

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Make a Bucket List

Sugar and Charm

This wooden tree DIY advent calendar from Sugar and Charm is easy to make and will last forever. Small galvanized buckets were nailed to a tree-shaped piece of painted wood and filled with candies and visible wrapped treats to make it feel extra festive and add color.

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Fold Some Origami

Your DIY Family

Two-toned origami tree tops give this playful advent calendar from Your DIY Family a sculptural look that would appeal to kids of all ages and is meditative and fun to make.

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Paint It On

The Merrythought

This painted cardboard DIY advent calendar village from The Merrythought has cut-out windows and doors that can be opened in the run-up to Christmas, adding holiday cheer without breaking the bank. Attach notes or tiny treats to the back of each window or door to create an element of surprise.

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Spell It Out

Design by Monika Hibbs

This simple DIY advent calendar from Monika Hibbs was made from small paper bags attached to the wall by clothespins that look like they are floating (but are attached using invisible adhesive strips). The bags are marked with days of the month in numerical form with a few random days spelled out to give it some variation. Bags are filled with tiny treats for the tots and finished off with a smattering of greenery for decoration. To make this simple DIY project even more fun, let your kids write the numbers on the bags, or break out that calligraphy pen you used to ink your wedding invitations and give it a whirl.

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Use Numbered Votive Candles

Thistlewood Farms

Making an advent calendar can be as easy as this DIY project from Thistlewood Farms that uses white votive candles decorated with red number stickers to mark the days until the 25th. Displayed on a china hutch with a saturated navy painted back and bright white china, this simple advent calendar idea packs a graphic punch even when the candles aren't lit. The votives can be repurposed throughout the year for birthdays and anniversaries, or simply brought out every year when the Christmas countdown begins.