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DIY Advent Calendar Materials

While out wandering with my guy I picked up a tin holiday bucket and a little suitcase-style picnic basket for cheap. To these I added a hand-painted wood utensil sorter/drawer organizer I already owned. These three will become my advent calendar holders.

I then stopped by our local Dollar Tree and picked up some inexpensive gift bags, tags and tissue paper. I also got two bundles of new, solid color socks from my thrifted sock stash, and (not pictured) a thrifted skein of dark green and metallic gold yarn from my yarn stash.

Before I get into making the calendars, let me show you an old, inexpensive gift wrapping trick I learned about forty years ago, when the only bags like this we had were brown lunch bags (and you can still get a pack of 100 at Wal-Mart for $2.62.)

Accordion fold the top of the bag before you place your gift inside.

Once the gift is in the bag and you're ready to seal it, draw the ends of the top fold up, tape them together from the back to hold them, and staple them together. You can thread some curling ribbon through the center bottom of the join and let that cascade down to front or add a tree ornament for a special touch. Have fun with it.

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