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.

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.

 

Sparkly DIY Advent Calendar Materials

• 4X6 inch Drawstring Muslin Bags
• Joys of the Season Cricut Cartridge (You can also get the digital version here)
• Holographic Heat Transfer Vinyl
• Cricut Machine
• Iron or EasyPress
• Fabric Markers

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:

• Typically you want to make sure the the “Flip” button is pressed (it will be lit up) when working with vinyl. For this project, it’s not mandatory because you aren’t cutting words but I still chose to use it.

 

Step 2

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

 

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.

 

Step 4

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Step 11

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

 

Step 12

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

 

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!

 

 

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

Are you looking for a new tradition that helps your family practice gratitude during the holidays? Families get caught up in the chaos of the holiday season and lose sight of what the season is all about. Focus on what you’re thankful for this Christmas eve with the Angels in the Snow Christmas candle tradition.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

---

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – time for the annual 25 Days Of Christmas Movies Blog Hop! #ChristmasMoviesHop

We have 25 talented bloggers gathered together to share with you all the wonderful crafts and recipes you can make this Christmas season, based off of some of the most beloved holiday films. There are 25 films to be inspired by for your holiday season, and 25 talented bloggers to aid your inspiration! If you love Christmas movies, you have come to the right place!!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – time for the annual 25 Days Of Christmas Movies Blog Hop! #ChristmasMoviesHop

We have 25 talented bloggers gathered together to share with you all the wonderful crafts and recipes you can make this Christmas season, based off of some of the most beloved holiday films. There are 25 films to be inspired by for your holiday season, and 25 talented bloggers to aid your inspiration! If you love Christmas movies, you have come to the right place!!

Let’s Meet The Hosts!

Megan ~ C’mon Get Crafty | Marie ~ The Inspiration Vault | Carmen ~ Gross to Grandiose

Christine ~ My Kitchen My Craft | Crissy ~ It’s a Wonderful Life | Emily ~ Domestic Deadline

Stephanie ~ The Tip Toe Fairy | Rebecca ~ The Moments at Home | Marianne ~ Songbird

Ashley ~ Attempts at Domestication | Sue ~ A Purdy Little House | Roseann ~ This Autoimmune Life

Kim ~ Kimspireddiy | Jaime ~ Love Jaime | Terri ~ Christmas Tree Lane |Lyne ~ The Paper Addict

Nicole ~ For the the Love of Food | Marie ~ DIY Adulation | Paula ~ Paula Tisch

Lara~ Love on a Plate | Jaclyn ~ The Dotted Nest

---

Thankful Spirit

I noticed that my kiddos (4, 6, and 9) were getting super spoiled. They are so concerned about what they are getting for Christmas instead of excited about giving to others, spending time with family, and enjoying the simple things in life.

I wanted to shift the focus but wasn’t entirely sure how. Then I remembered the tradition from the movie Angels in the Snow where they pass a candle around and say what they are thankful for. In fact, the entire movie focuses on making the most of what you have and being grateful for it.

This Christmas candle tradition is exactly what you need to shift the focus of your family and embrace an attitude of thankfulness, appreciation, and joy.

[bctt tweet=”This Christmas candle tradition is exactly what you need to shift the focus of your family and embrace an attitude of thankfulness, appreciation, and joy.” username=”diyadulation”]

Angels in the Snow

Materials

• Cream LED Pillar Candle
• Candy Cane Ribbon
• Christmas Pine Floral Pick
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• Scissors

 

Step 1

First, remove the label from your pillar candle.

 

Step 2

Next, glue the end of your ribbon to the center of your pillar candle. Make sure that it is going horizontally, not vertically.

 

Step 3

Then wrap your ribbon around the center of your candle until it slightly overlaps the glued end of ribbon and cut it from the rest of the spool. Add a dab of glue and secure it in place.

 

Step 4

Next, cut a sprig of pine from your floral pick and glue it over the seam of your attached ribbon on the candle.

Step 5

Cut the gold baubles sprig off of your floral pick and glue it over your pine sprig as well.

 

Step 6

Then cut another small length of ribbon from your spool.

 

Step 7

Fold up one end of the ribbon and glue it to the center. See the picture above for reference.

 

Step 8

Repeat step 7 with opposite side of the ribbon length.

 

Step 9

Cut another length of ribbon and place your glued piece on it, right sides facing as you see in the picture above.

 

Step 10

Next, tie the ribbon around your glued piece of ribbon with a knot.

Step 11

Then trim the ribbon ends to look as they do above. Try to turn the ribbon ends so that they are both facing forward.

 

Step 12

Glue the ribbon bow onto the candle over the pine sprig.

Christmas Candle Tradition

Once you have made your Christmas Candle, keep it on the mantle until Christmas Eve. That evening, take turns passing around the candle and saying what you are thankful for. We get so caught up on the gift giving and receiving (and the wrapping and preparing) that we forget how lucky we are. This tradition is the perfect way to practice thankfulness and remember how blessed we are.

How excited are you for this Angels in the Snow Christmas candle tradition? It might take some practice but this new Christmas Eve tradition will shift your little ones focus to all that they have to be grateful for. Store it with your holiday decorations so that it is at your fingertips every year. Display it throughout the entire season as a beautiful and festive reminder of what this time of year is truly about.

Now it’s time to check out all of the other awesome Christmas movie projects for this year’s 25 Days of Christmas blog hop! Find awesome ideas from all of your favorite holiday movies below!

See where I’m linking up!

Don’t Forget to Pin It!