Thursday 24 November 2011

Handmade Advent Calendar


Match box Advent Jar Calendar

This week I whiled away a happy couple of hours making this advent for Ruby.  I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Made from covered matchboxes it really can be made for pennies.  I bought the matches in bulk and they worked out about 7p each (of course, I still have the matches...and ideas for this little lot? Crafting...large bonfire...)



I've not really done papercraft before, but enjoyed wielding a craft knife.  I used decorative papers that came free with a magazine and some old magazines and maps.  First cut out a cardboard template then cut your papers to size.  Cover the matchbox outer using Pritt stick or similar, then add your numbers.  I used silver stickers for the numbering but you could print and cut numbers.


Finally, I filled each box with a little treat for Ruby - hair bobbles and slides, rubbers and pencil sharpener, mini candy canes...

I saw a similar idea on the interweb and now I'm damned if I can find it again,  so thanks to whoever I borrowed this from.

What I like most about it is you can adapt it to fit any look - use magazines, comics, wallpaper etc. You can also adapt the advent gifts to match the person.

Alternative Advent Calendar Matchboxes


I can't wait for the 1st of December now.

Inspire Me Beautiful

12 comments:

  1. what a good idea, I am so far behind this year with everything, I was going to sew my kids one but I'm not sure I will have time may just have to buy one
    But yours looks amazing :)

    I can send you a pinterest invite if you like, I think someone sent me mine?

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  2. ooh I love this idea :D
    Maria x

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  3. I can send you an invite to pinterest if you like - send your email address to me - amknittyatgmaildotcom and I'll get one over to you xx
    PS lovin the advent 'jar'

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  4. Nice idea lady! I used to love making little chests of drawers out of matchboxes and split pins when I was a kid. Perhaps a matchstick model of the Taj Mahal for the leftover matches??

    Mark my words Pinterest will suck time away like nobody's business, I have to ration myself, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! xxx

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  5. Thanks everyone.

    I was waiting for Pinterest to get their act together, but the lovely Lightly has sent me an invite.

    I'm in...now what do I do? (apart from kiss my life goodbye)

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  6. Oh I used to do what Christea and Cakes said too, makes me all nostalgic. Love the idea of wielding a craft knife, creatively I mean. What a lovely treat this will be for your daughter.

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  7. ooh that looks lovely, simple but effective.

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  8. This is brilliant! Really effective.

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  9. I love this. I've made one using match boxes too, but taped together in a pyramid shape which i must post about soon-I love the idea of miniature gifts x

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  10. Looks gorgeous! My sixteen year old mentioned at dinner tonight that he hadn't got an advent calendar yet, hint hint, so I may just have to borrow your idea. Maybe without adding any hair bobbles in though.

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  11. This is a great idea - I've bought a boring chocolate one, but if I can find time to find matchboxes and fill the I might still make this - much more interesting that chocolates! Where did you get the matchboxes from?xx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Katherine - thank you! We use a lot of matches for lighting the fire so I bought some multi-packs at a discount homeware store.

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