Make Your Own Recycle Advent Calendar

Count down to Christmas

During Advent many of our PALS celebrate with Advent calendars. It is great fun and more meaningful to make your own calendar as part of the family tradition...and go a step further by making it GREEN!

Using recycled materials to make the advent calendar leaves it wide open. Anything goes.  Why not use cut up greeting cards, junk mail, magazine ads, jewelry, toy pieces, bottle tops, craft materials and other colorful items to adorn your calendar.  Use small pill bottles or yogurt cups sideways or upside down.  You can even use small wrapped boxes each filled with a goodie.

Check out the samples below and try your hand at a greener holiday season, then each day will be a magical surprise.

Options to the advent calendar: Make a 12 days of Christmas or hanukah calendar.

Be creative and have some fun, these ideas should spark your creativity:

 

This one is lovely with an OLD WORLD feel!  Made from an old type book but easy to make from an old kids book, magazine or book pages. Add a colorful string, yarn or ribbon.  From Renna DaWanda at Nest Goodies

Simple folded magazine ads.  Recycled and strung with clothespins on a line! This is duable in one day.  You could use kids artwork, too.  One way to save it for years. From Flicker 

Simple cones hide treasures. This tabletop Advent Calendar idea is really fun and really cute.   Again use cards, ads or cover in fabrics, adorn with buttons, small toys and baubles? From Woman's Day.  You could also do this with upside down yogurt cups

Made with magazine ads but could be done easily with christmas cards. From Craftastica

Make with recycled food or cereal boxes inside out or recycled paper!  (or you could use paper rolls) Use your own designs. From Maya Made

String them! Very Cute!  Use the other side of recycled card envelopes. Plain or decorated. Don't have enough?  Think ahead and save them for next year. From  Little Notes

Use small boxes (or make them) and add Kids art or greeting cards to adorn them.  Colorful and easy to fill with goodies! from OurHouse

Paper rolls recycled to an advent calendar.  Clever use small gift wrap scraps to wrap them or paint them! from Crafting Coconut

This one is made with license plates,  but think about what you might use in it's place to get the same feel.  How about Signs, circulars or ads? From Etsy

Lots More Christmas Crafts and Ideas!