Scrambling to get an advent calendar together? Look no further! This low-prep journaling advent calendar requires at bare minimum 24 pieces of paper and a pen!
I don’t recall ever having an Advent calendar as a kid, but as an adult I’ve been intrigued by them and have wanted to make one for years. It seemed like such a big project to plan 24 days worth of activities, presents, or both well in advance so for my first official Advent calendar I was inspired to create a journal calendar where on each day you reflect and document in words or drawings what you did, how you felt, what was special that day, anything. And by Christmas day you’ll have a collection of memories to look back on for future Christmases to come!
Here’s what I used to create my advent calendar:
- 24-pocket calendar: I got mine from Gathre in moss. The large size has spacious pockets, grommets for hanging, and a smooth texture. Plus, it comes with a storage bag. A 24-pair shoe organizer* would work well, too, or a box if you don’t want a big display.
- 24 Christmas cards and envelopes: I gathered assorted Christmas cards leftover from Christmases past and numbered the envelopes. You can also use cardstock or other notebook paper for your journal entries.
- Markers and pens
- Decor (optional)
- Garlands: I strung together a felt ball and a wooden snowflake garland.
- Twinkle lights*
- Tree branch for some nature flair!
Each day (or every few days), take a moment to reflect; then instead of taking out and unwrapping something from each pocket, you fill it with a memory! December always feels so busy; this type of Advent calendar was a nice way to slow down and enjoy the present. We journaled together as a family and my little drew on each entry and decorated with stickers. When our calendar was complete I stacked up all the envelopes and tied them together with string (like a gift!) for keeping.
Have you prepared an Advent calendar this year? Let me know if you try this one!
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