wooden advent calendar

Do you love the tradition of the advent calendar?   Here is a creative idea for an advent calendar using Dollar Tree pails and a large board.  What kid doesn’t love the anticipation of something special each day to countdown to Christmas?  And these pails from Dollar Tree are perfect to put a small treat, note or gift in them.

wooden-advent-calendar

 

 

Materials:

9 bags of galvanized metal pails (found at Dollar Tree in the wedding section)

Silhouette Cameo machine or Vinyl Set from Say It On the Wall

Krylon Cherry Red spray paint

primer

MDF or Wood Board

Accent flower 

Angled Screws

Drill and drill bit

 

1.   Cut or have a board cut to 18” x 24”.   I would use a 3/4” MDF or a pine board.   Measure and predrill all of your holes for the hooks.   That is the hardest part of the project.  Space them evenly apart.   Then prime and paint your board.  Note on picture below: I didn’t drill first, big mistake.

diy advent calendar

2.   Using a Silhouette Cameo machine cut out the numbers 1-25 onto red vinyl.  The vinyl set for this project is also available on Say It On the Wall if you do not have a digital cutting machine. Stick the vinyl in place on the tin pails.

wooden advent calendar

dollar store advent calendar

3.   After your board is dry screw all 25 of the angled hooks into place and then put the pails on them.

inexpensive advent calendar

4. In order to mark the day I used a couple of buttons glued together with a magnet on the back.   Since the small pails are galvanized the magnet sticks to the pail and you can move it each day.

how to make an advent calendar

small bucket advent calendar

5. Then I cut out “Merry Christmas” in the Pharmacy font from dafont.com in white vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo machine and adhered it to the top using transfer tape.

advent calendar activities

6.   Add a flower or some sort of embellishment to the left.  I used a fabric flower from The Pleated Poppy (no longer available).

advent calendar ideas

christmas advent calendar

do-it-yourself advent calendar

You can add treats or write special activities to do as a family on small strips of paper and place them in the pail.

galvanized pail advent calendar

merry christmas advent calendar

 Originally posted in December 2010 (excuse the sub-par photos :-))

Check out this Advent Calendar Pillow for another creative way to count down.

advent-calendar-pillow

 

The Anti-Treat Advent Calendar with lots of ideas for Family Activities

magnetic advent calendar

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93 Comments

  1. Yay, thank you! LOL I'm looking to make one out of felt and fleece, so we'll see how that goes… 🙂

  2. Out of all the Advent Calenders I have seen, I think I like this one the best…disclaimer "So Far"…lol But I have seen alot as I am trying to decide what to make myself. Thanks for sharing the tutorial, and giving me another reason to like the Dollar Tree!!!

  3. Way cute! Every time I pass those buckets in the dollar store I have an uncontrollable urge to put them in my basket. I always end up putting them back though because I can't think of what I would do with them. Now I have something to try out!

  4. What a cute idea! I think it's a GREAT advent calendar. I love the Pleated Poppy too!
    ~Danylle

  5. This is great! I love it! I wish I could have one of my own…sadly, our cats are not so well behaved around cute things. Okay, okay…they're not so well behaved around anything! Haha. Everything is a toy to them.

  6. Adorable! I've already cut out the letters so that I can make a copy of this. Thanks for the great idea!

  7. This is great! What about putting a candy or chocolate in each one. My kids get such a kick out of getting a surprise candy each day till christmas and instead of buying THREE advent calendars every year (3 kids) I could save money by doing this and having it as a tradition!

  8. I saw this at CSI Project and it is one of those WOW! (when you see it) projects. What a terrific idea and I'm sure it looks wonderful in person. Thanks for the tin bucket resource. I've never thought to look in the wedding section.

    WOW!

  9. I almost tried to make this today, but I decided I wouldn't even come close. So instead I was inspired to buy dollar store stuff and I made an ornament wreath. It cost me $6 and my friends and family love it. Thanks for the inspiration!!

  10. Made this yesterday!!! I used different colors and arranged my tins to have only 24 but I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Thanks!

  11. These are lovely! Such inspiration and beautiful holiday decor! Great job here; I’m so glad I stumbled upon your post.

    hugs
    Cidinha

  12. Love it! I made an advent calendar with dollar store buckets this year too! These buckets are just so versatile! Yours turned out great!

  13. I LOVE this advent calendar and your ideas for advent. I started our own advent tradition last year called GOOD Christmas (BumpToBubbles.com). Really enjoy reading you blog…keep the great ideas coming!!!!Thanks

  14. Pingback: Advent Calendars
  15. I love it, as we got ur niece for the summer me ad her can make this 2gether ready for Xmas thank u

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