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Countdown with Creativity: 33+ Crafty Advent Calendars

Hand-crafted advent calendar with paper numbers hanging from a wreath

Updated November 15, 2024

Every November my kids start counting down and predicting what their elf is going to bring them for Advent calendars. Since they were toddlers our elf has “delivered” a unique calendar every year.

Last year I got extra ambitious and DIY’d a crafty advent calendar full of creative activities. They loved pulling out the instructions every morning and their teachers informed me it was a regular conversation topic at school.

It was a lot of work and got me wondering is someone out there has already created a ready-to-go version. And thank you Amazon, have they ever! If you enjoy Christmas crafts but don’t want the hassle of sorting through 10,000 inspiring pins, order one of these crafty advent calendars to fill your December with creativity!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure for more info.

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Single Box Advent Calendars

These craft-based advent calendars are a one stop shop for creativity. You may need a few extra art-cupboard staples like glue and markers, but these are mostly self-contained kits.

Over the years I’ve gotten the kids the (since discontinued) Crayola kit and the Play-doh calendar. I think the Perler one would go over well with my ten year old and the dinosaur one would delight (and maybe frustrate) my 7 year old.

Story-Led Crafty Advent Books

I’d never heard of a 24-part story for advent, until I started this search, and I am so impressed with these! The reviews on the Winston books are great – I’m considering getting the first one for Advent this year.

The books combine a Christmas story with a daily activity. You’ll need to bring together supplies for each day, but the heart warming story will keep you coming back and on track.

Strictly Activity-filled Books for Kids

Without fancy stories, these books hop right into the activity. Some only need a pen and markers, while others are craft instruction manuals that you’ll need to supply extras for.

I’m really intrigued by the Adventivity Book. How cute would creating a paper village over the month be? Plus there’s another daily activity to do!

Advent for Adults

Christmas isn’t just for kids! Adults can have a craft-based advent calendar full of things to do with these books. For example, I adore the Gnome colouring book, don’t you?

Religious Books

Advent is a very special time for Christians. The following books combine crafting with daily or weekly devotionals. As a result they would make a beautiful enhancement to the typical commercial advent calendar.

DIY Your Own Crafty Advent Calendar

If none of these suit your needs, check out this list of kid-friendly Christmas activities to make your own custom calendar.

Need a way to display it? Check out some of these “create your own” bases:

Looking for More?

Can’t get enough Christmas crafts? Here are some more posts for you to check out!

And be sure to check out our master list of all things Alberta Mamas Christmas!

Can you make this article better?

We’re always looking to improve! Have you noticed a spelling or information error, know of something we left out, or would like to share anything else, reach out to us!

Be sure to save this post on Pinterest to come back to year after year!

20+ craft-based advent calendars for Canadians
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