I know we are a few days into December already, and traditionally you begin an advent calendar on December first. However, the best part about traditions is that they can be broken. Especially if you make your own advent calendar. The reason that I wanted to make my own, was because I have three kids and I did not want to buy three calendars so that they could each have a gross piece of chocolate. I wanted to pick out what my kids got each day.

Some days it will in fact be chocolate and others will have various small goodies. One even has a gift card to a local ice cream joint and another has three packets of hot cocoa. You get the gist.

To make your calendar you need some twine (or ribbon), some envelopes (or small bags), some clothes pins, and some goodies to put inside your envelopes.

I like to hang our advent calendar across our back window, but its also fun to hang it on stair rails, across mantels, or anywhere else you need a hint of Christmas cheer.

Fill your envelopes with goodies. Then you can write the numbers one through 24 on each envelope and string them up. You don’t have to go in order, in fact my kids really quite enjoy hunting for the right number. If you chose to use small bags to hold your goodies, you can write the numbers on the clothes pins.

String the twine between two points. Secure it enough that it can hold the weight of whatever you packed your envelops with. I have used a staple gun in the past, up high where no one would notice my holes. Now I choose Command Hooks, and just tie the twine tightly around the hook. Use the clothes pins to attach your envelopes to your twine, and voila! You are done.

-Stephanie Wright