Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar You Hang on Your Tree

Don’t go for the same traditional Advent this year. It’s time to change up your Advent routine with this sparkly DIY Advent calendar that you hang on your tree. Even better, you can use it year after year and make it a fun new holiday tradition.

This post is sponsored by BurlapFabric.com. All ideas and opinions are my own. In addition, affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Advent Bags on Christmas Tree with text overlay - Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar

Don’t forget to check out the kickoff post, 50+ Ideas to Jump Start Your Holidays, to see the schedule for all of the 12 Days of Holiday Ideas Blog Hop. Plus get inspired for your holiday season with DIY projects, recipes, and games while you’re there!

[bctt tweet=”Switch up your Advent tradition this year with a fun new twist! This sparkly DIY Advent calendar is super versatile and totally reusable.” username=”diyadulation”]

I am seriously excited about our Advent this year. It’s the first year that I’m trying something totally new and I know the whole family is going to love it! This year I’m surprising them with a new board game every day leading up to Christmas.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the gifts I needed a fun new way to surprise the family with it. That’s how this new Advent calendar came to be. I’m going to wrap all of the gifts and number them. Then I’m going to write the number on pieces of paper and slip them at random into the drawstring bags.

Then I hang the bags on the Christmas tree. Each day, during Advent, the kids will have to hunt for that day’s bag and find out what number is inside. Lastly, they’ll hunt for the corresponding numbered present under the tree. We’ll end the night playing the new game.

 

Advent Calendar on Christmas Tree

Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar Materials

Step 1

First, set up your Cricut machine with your Joys of the Season cartridge. Set your size dial to 4.5 and if using an older machine, set the pressure to high.

Tip:

 

Vinyl on Mat Loaded into Cricut Machine

Step 2

Next, place your vinyl shiny-side down on your cutting mat and load it into your machine.

 

Close Up of Cricut Cartridge Booklet

Step 3

Choose an ornament design to cut out and cut it on you vinyl. Make sure you choose designs that have larger openings in them. You’ll use the space later to number your bags.

 

Close Up of Cut Designs

Step 4

Continue cutting out ornament designs until you 4 different ones on one piece of vinyl.

 

Close Up of Weeded Designs

Step 5

Then weed your designs and cut each ornament apart.

Step 6

Continue cutting ornaments in different designs until you have 24 cut and weeded ornaments.

 

Cut Vinyl Design Laid Out on Burlap Pouch

Step 7

Place one ornament on a drawstring muslin bag and cover with a piece of cotton cloth. I used a plain t-shirt but any scrap piece of cotton cloth will work.

 

Close Up of EasyPress Controls

Step 8

Then heat your cloth-covered design with an iron or your EasyPress. I set my EasyPress to 350 for this project.

Step 9

Set your drawstring bag with the vinyl design attached to it aside to cool.

Step 10

Repeat steps 7 through 9 for the rest of your bags.

 

Vinyl Design Attached to Burlap Pouch

Step 11

Once your designs have cooled, carefully remove the plastic covering from your designs.

 

Number on Burlap Bag

Step 12

Lastly, number each of your bags 1-24 with your fabric markers.

 

Advent Bags on Christmas Tree with text overlay - Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar

This sparkly DIY Advent calendar is super versatile and totally reusable. You can fill the bags with small toys and treats, or steal my idea and fill them with the numbers of wrapped presents. The wrapped presents can be any theme you want from board games to books or movies. Bonus tip: save money by buying used items. A lot of the games I’m including this year came from Half Price Books for under $10 each.

Now it’s time to check out the other awesome Advent calendars from my friends below! Let me know which is your fave! And be sure to visit BurlapFabric on Facebook!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Advent Bags on Christmas Tree with text overlay - Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar

 

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We have a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year!

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Free Printable Family Christmas Charades

One of the best things about getting together with family for the holidays is the games! From board games to gift-giving games, there is always a ton of fun to be had. Everyone can get in on the entertainment with this free printable family Christmas Charades because it’s reader and non-reader friendly.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Decorated Christmas Tree and Charades Cards with text overlay - Free Printable Christmas Charades

Don’t forget to check out the kickoff post, 50+ Ideas to Jump Start Your Holidays, to see the schedule for all of the 12 Days of Holiday Ideas Blog Hop. Plus get inspired for your holiday season with DIY projects, recipes, and games while you’re there!

[bctt tweet=”Games are one of the best things about the holidays! Play one everyone can enjoy with this free printable family Christmas Charades game!” username=”diyadulation”]

One of my goals this year is to get more games that are both entertaining for the adults and that my 5 year old can play. So many of the kid’s games are boring (Chutes and Ladders anyone?) so the little ones get indulged in 1-2 games during the holidays before we move onto more challenging games.

I love Cranium and charades is totally a part of that game. That inspired me to create a family-friendly charades game that can be played by everyone. There are pictures for my beginning-readers and words to help them practice. They can act out their cards without any help which makes them feel more independent too.

 

Printable Charades Cards Preview

Family Christmas Charades

This free printable family Christmas Charades game is the perfect festive way to kick back with the family this holiday season. Even better, it’s super portable so you can take it along to all of the festivities with you no matter how far you travel.

How to Play

Step 1

Print out your free printable family Christmas Charades game. Be sure that you have the double-sided box checked on your computer if printing on your home computer. I also recommend printing them on cardstock for more durable cards.

Step 2

Place all of the printed cards in a small bag and give them a shake.

Step 3

Divide into teams and take turns drawing a card from the bag.

Step 4

Then try to get your team to guess what’s on your card in 2 minutes. If they do, your teams gets a point.

Step 5

The team with the most points when the bag runs out wins.

A Great Gift Idea

This game also makes a great stocking stuffer or a unique hostess gift. Simply place your cards in a metal tin (like this one) and wrap it up with a pretty bow. If you’re feeling super ambitious, print out an extra copy of the card backs and attach it to the lid of the tin with Mod Podge.

Note:

Decorated Christmas Tree with text overlay - Free Printable Christmas Charades

Be a hero this Christmas when you whip out this free printable family Christmas Charades game. Not to mention, you have a totally budget-friendly hostess gift for every party your go to. Now, do you want even more game ideas? Scroll down and check out the ideas from my friends at the links below!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Decorated Christmas Tree with text overlay - Free Printable Christmas Charades
 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

We have a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year!

Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of seven winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget. 

Must be 18 to win. Open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Decorated Felt Christmas Tree Kids Craft

Winter break is a fun and exciting time for the kiddos. They get a break from school and after Christmas have fun new games and toys to play with. Of course, before Christmas is a different story. That part of winter break is less exciting, especially when Mom and Dad are busy preparing for the big day. This decorated felt Christmas tree kids craft is a fun and creative way to entertain the kiddos easily.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Decorated Felt Christmas Tee Photos with text overlay - Kids Craft Decorated Felt Christmas Tree

Don’t forget to check out the kickoff post, 50+ Ideas to Jump Start Your Holidays, to see the schedule for all of the 12 Days of Holiday Ideas Blog Hop. Plus get inspired for your holiday season with DIY projects, recipes, and games while you’re there!

[bctt tweet=”This decorated felt Christmas tree kids craft is so adorable and seriously easy to make! Make your trees in advance for an easy to whip out craft any time.” username=”diyadulation”]

I am super blessed that my kids love being creative. Not just the little ones, either. Even my 10 year old love making arts and crafts. Sometimes I can even pry him away from the Xbox for it. Even with all of the cute projects they make at school, they still want more at home.

Admittedly, sometimes I cheat and buy those kids craft kits from Michael’s but that get expensive real fast. That’s why I keep other fun craft supplies at home and create fun projects like this one (or these adorable noise makers) for them. It’s an easy way to cultivate that creative love and a lot of times, it’s fun to do together.

These decorated felt Christmas trees are the first holiday kids craft of the season. It’s perfect to whip out on a snow day or during the first half of winter break when the kiddos are going a bit stir crazy.

 

Decorated Felt Christmas Tree next to Greenery

Decorated Felt Tree Materials

 

Hand Holding Folded Piece of Felt

Step 1

First, fold one piece of felt in half.

 

Hand Holding Ruled Folded Piece of Felt

Step 2

Then line up your ruler from the top right on the folded edge to the bottom left on the open edge.

Step 3

Draw a line with your pen along the ruler’s edge. Don’t worry about the visibility of your mark. It will be hidden when you glue your pieces together.

 

Felt Triangle next to Pencil and Scissors

Step 4

Keeping your piece of felt folded, carefully cut along the line you drew.

 

Line of Felt Triangles next to Scissors

Step 5

Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the remaining 7 pieces of felt.

Step 6

Fold one of your cut felt pieces (marked side facing out) and add hot glue to one side.

 

2 Felt Triangles Glued Together

Step 7

Immediately press a second folded cut piece of felt to the glue, again keeping the marked sides facing out.

 

Hand Holding Glued Pieces of Felt Together

Step 8

Continue gluing your pieces of felt until there are only 2 unglued sides left.

 

Felt Tree Glued Together

Top View of Felt Tree Glued Together

Step 9

Carefully glue your remaining 2 unglued sides to each other, forming your tree.

 

Hand Holding Partially Decorated Felt Christmas Tree

Step 10

Lastly, allow kiddos to go nuts decorating their trees with pompoms, buttons, and ribbons.

Note:

 

Decorated Felt Christmas Tree on Wood Background next to Greenery

Decorated Felt Christmas Tee with text overlay - Kids Craft Decorated Felt Christmas Tree

This decorated felt Christmas tree kids craft is so adorable and seriously easy to make! Make a bunch of trees in advance for an easy to whip out craft during the holiday season. Now it’s time to check out the other awesome kid’s crafts and activities from my friends below and be ready for anything the kiddos throw at you!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!

Decorated Felt Christmas Tee with text overlay - Kids Craft Decorated Felt Christmas Tree
 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

We have a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year!

Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of seven winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget. 

Must be 18 to win. Open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway