• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
combinegoodflavors.com
  • Browse Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Browse Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Browse Recipes
    • Shop
    • Resources
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Christmas

    These homemade Advent calendars for grown-ups will put you in the proper Christmas mood

    Published: Sep 14, 2020 · Modified: Jun 17, 2022 by Nora · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    25 shares
    • Flipboard
    • Facebook2
    • Yummly
    • WhatsApp
    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar
    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar

    An Advent calendar isn't only something little kids are enjoying! I'm in my thirties and still love having an advent calendar every year. *giggle* I think everyone can say of themselves that they would be delighted to be given a gift in the form of an Advent calendar. Am I right?

    So, in my opinion: Everyone should have their Advent calendar. 😊

    Even when I was single, I managed to surprise myself with an ordered one. Now my hubby took over this task, astonishing me, every year anew.

    Jump to:
    • Types
    • Pre-made
    • DIY
    • Related Posts
    • 💬 Comments

    Types

    First of all, you have to decide whether you want to buy a pre-made Advent calendar for yourself or your partner or whether you would prefer to design one by yourself?

    Pros and Cons

    The significant advantage 👍 of a pre-made Advent calendar is that you can surprise yourself with it. At least a little bit more than if you make one for yourself. 😀

    The significant disadvantage 👎 of a pre-made Advent calendar is that you can't be that individual. Hence, you can’t satisfy the “Advent calendar opener” wishes and needs so well.

    The most evident advantage 👍 of the self-made Advent calendars is that they can be individually designed, both in content and design. Here you can give free rein to your creativity and delight the presentee with customized gifts. Isn't that great?

    The only drawback 👎 I see in the DIY Advent calendar is that it is more work and time-consuming. But at the same time, it can be very relaxing and mind-clearing.

    Pre-made

    Let's assume you are a busy person, or single (and want to surprise yourself), or don't like to tinker. Then the pre-made Advent calendar might be your thing. 😉

    Let's rummage through the wealth of possibilities and find one fantastic pre-made Advent calendar for you! Shall we?

    • The Glossybox Advent Calendar
    • Godiva Advent Calendar
    • Beer
    • Superhero
    • Beard Oil
    • Whiskey
    • Body Shop
    • Craft Beer

    Find a dedicated blog post on the topic of 25 ready-made Advent calendars here.

    DIY

    • Craft Beer, Gin, Whiskey
    • Chocolate and Sweets of any kind
    • Belgian Chocolate
    • Beard Oil
    • Coupons
    • Scratchcards
    • Photos
    • Scented candles
    • etc.

    What is also an option as an idea for Advent calendar filling is that you get yourself one of the above-mentioned pre-made Advent calendars. They already contain 24 gifts, but you wrap them according to your taste.

    Sometimes the packaging of the pre-made Advent calendars is not so lovely to look at. But if the content fits, there is nothing to stop you from repackaging it or maybe adding another little something.

    With the DIY Advent calendars, there are gradations of how sophisticated you want it to be. For example, there is a version that you only have to fill, so you only have to find the right gifts.

    The "Fill your own Advent calendar" is a convenient option since it's personal but not that time-consuming. 

    I would like to give you some examples of an Advent calendar to fill

    • Wooden Train Advent Calendar
    • Wooden Gingerbread House Advent Calendar
    • Garland with big Advent Calendar Sacks
    • Wooden Santa Chimney Advent Calendar with drawers

    These three options are fantastic for small gifts that you want to give away and ideal for gifts like candy, tea candles, tea bags, chocolates, gummy candy, and stuff like that. 

    More effort is required for DIY Advent calendars, which must be assembled first

    • Disposable Coffee Cups Advent Calendar
    • Paper Bags Advent Calendar
    • Organza Bags Advent Calendar
    • Jute Bags Advent Calendar

    I wanna give you an impression of different DIY Advent calendars I made myself or got from my hubby.

    "The little Christmas tree Advent calendar"

    The little Christmas tree Advent calendar

    This little Christmas tree Advent calendar was hung with numbered jute bags. Inside the bags, I found gummy candies and scratch cards.

    What do you need to make such an advent calendar?

    • A synthetic Christmas tree
    • 24 jute bags (cloth and organza will work fine as well)
    • little gifts of your liking

    Pretty neat and not that difficult to make at all! 🙂

    “Glass bowl Advent calendar with little gifts wrapped in wrapping paper”

    This specific one was the first Advent Calendar I've made for my hubby. And he got a similar one last year again.

    Glass bowl Advent calendar with little gifts wrapped in wrapping paper

    This year I wrapped the gifts for him exclusively in wrapping paper and decorated them with ribbons. On the very first Advent calendar for my husband, the gift-wrapped goodies were tucked away in organza bags.

    Using those adds a lovely shimmer and provides a bit more of an elegant look. Due to COVID, I couldn't buy new organza bags in time this year because all the stores were closed, so my only option was to use wrapping paper.

    Either way, it was a pleasure for him. 🤗

    What do you need to make such an advent calendar?

    • A Glass bowl (size of your liking)
    • 24 multicolored organza bags (optional)
    • 24 mini clothespins with numbers
    • Chocolates and sweets as filling (if the sweets are loose, use tinfoil before wrapping them up to avoid a chocolate mess :D)
    • Christmas wrapping paper

    I used the wrapping paper to pack up the chocolate before putting it into the organza bag. Thus, one does not see the sweet contents at first sight through the Organza bag. After wrapping every sweet filling up and adding it into the organza bag, pin each bag with a Christmas mini clothespin and put them afterward into the glass bowl.

    "DIY Holiday 4 Pieces Gift Box Advent calendar"

    An Advent calendar does not always have to be a collection of 24 gifts. If you would instead give away four larger gifts, one for each Sunday in Advent, the "DIY Holiday gift box Advent calendar" is best suited for this.

    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar

    This one was the first Advent calendar I've got from my hubby, generously filled with different tea light holders from "Party light." Since I'm a decoration geek, this was the PERFECT gift for me, and it's an excellent idea for a non-candy Advent calendar! I loved it!

    What do you need to make such an Advent calendar?

    • Four gift boxes (size depends on what you wanna gift away)
    • Four numbers so the recipient knows which one to open when
    • Four gifts

    Super easy and delightful at the same time. 

    "DIY Disposable Coffee Cups Advent calendar"

    Disposable Coffee Cups Advent Calendar

    To be honest, this Advent calendar was a little nerve-wracking! 😀 In the end, it looked really cool, and my husband liked it too.

    But the crafting itself wasn't quite as enjoyable. In this case, the gifts were a mixture of gummy sweets, chocolate, and beard care utensils, I wrapped with wrapping paper and/or aluminum foil. That was no problem at all.

    But then,… Now it was time to decorate these coffee cups! That has really taken a lot of time because the self-adhesive gift ribbon would not stick neatly. With tape and super glue as a band-aid, I finally managed it. But it was a really tedious undertaking!

    If you want to try this kind of Advent calendar for your sweetheart, make sure you buy cups that are not coated on the outside. To save you the trouble I had.

    Fortunately, there are many types of such cups, and you will indeed find the right one.

    I hope you enjoyed my advent calendar ideas and that you will find the right advent calendar for you or your loved one that will put you in the proper Christmas mood!

    Related Posts

    • An easy step-by-step guide on HOW TO DECORATE A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE from top to bottom!
      How to Decorate a real Christmas Tree in 11 Steps
    • 25 ready-made advent calendars for grownups
      25 Amazing Ready-made Advent Calendars for Grownups
    • Learn, how to create a stunning woolen advent wreath by yourself!
      How to make a stunning woolen Advent wreath
    • 8 adorable Christmas tablescape ideas for a beautiful dinner table!
      8 Christmas Tablescape Idea’s for a Festive Christmas Feast

    More Christmas

    • Phiolen gefüllt mit Schichten aus getrocknetem Lavendel und Kristallzucker. Das perfekte Geschenk für backbegeisterte Freunde und Verwandte.
      How to make Lavender Sugar
    • Christmas cookie variation.
      45 Easy Christmas Cookies {Recipe Collection}
    • Christmas plate filled with dark chocolate clusters, on brown wooden background, next to Christmas decorations.
      No Bake Cornflake Clusters with Dark Chocolate
    • Medieval glass mug, filled with delicious strawberry white hot chocolate and topped with strawberry-flavored whipped cream.
      Strawberry White Chocolate Cocoa

    Sharing is caring!

    25 shares
    • Flipboard
    • Facebook2
    • Yummly
    • WhatsApp

    Recent Posts

    • Discover the Magic of Chocolate: Your Guide to a Tasty Adventure
    • Lavender Spritz with Prosecco
    • How to make Lavender Sugar
    • 45 Easy Christmas Cookies {Recipe Collection}
    • Ugly but Good Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      I'm eggcited to hear from you! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Jeri

      August 18, 2021 at 10:07 pm

      What a great idea! It's never too early to start planning for the Christmas season!

      Reply
      • Nora

        August 19, 2021 at 6:26 pm

        Thank you, Jeri! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jean

      August 19, 2021 at 1:57 am

      I like the coffee cups, looks like I won't be home for Christmas and might do something that will give me that Christmas spirit. I will follow your guide on this.

      Reply
      • Nora

        August 19, 2021 at 6:25 pm

        Thank you! I'd love to hear how it turned out!

        Reply
    3. Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/

      August 19, 2021 at 10:24 am

      It is time-consuming (and I believe you, it was nerve-wracking, LOL), but for someone who really loves Christmas, it sounds like the right thing to do! I would probably drink a gallon of coffee while working painstakingly on the cups, haha!

      Reply
      • Nora

        August 19, 2021 at 6:24 pm

        Haha, yes, there was a lot of coffee involved in making them! 😀

        Reply
    4. Kayla DiMaggio

      August 19, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      I love this! Such a fun idea! I always had an advent calendar as a kid and it was one of my favorite things about Christmas! Would love to revive this tradition as an adult!

      Reply
      • Nora

        August 19, 2021 at 6:23 pm

        Thank you! Yea, it's such a wonderful tradition! If you don't have the time to create one by yourself, you always have the option of getting a pre-made one, or a Danish Advent candle.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar
    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar

    Seasonal

    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn/Fall
    • Winter
    combinegoodflavors author nora

    Hi, it's me, Nora! I love good food, especially when it's homemade. I am a home chef with a passion for baking and mixing drinks.

    More about me →

    Seasonal

    • Beautiful black and white peppermint chocolate bark sprinkled with crushed candy canes.
      Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe with White and Dark Chocolate
    • Gorgeous white chocolate cranberry cornflake clusters. Perfekt as a gift or to keep them for nibbling.
      White Chocolate Cranberry Cornflake Cookies
    • Delicious rum chocolate chip cookies placed on glass plate, next to a bottle of Myers's rum.
      Rum Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Stunning cranberry gin spritz, garnished with a slice of orange. Refreshing and festive!
      Cranberry Gin Spritz

    Free Chocolate Workbook

    Melting (Tempering) Chocolate - free Workbook - learn how to work with chocolate properly! No more gray chocolate coatings!

    Popular

    • Three ingredient yogurt cake on gorgeous glass cake plate.
      3 Ingredient Yogurt Cake
    • Drinking glass with plastic straw and ready to drink caramel milk. Beige linen in the back.
      Homemade Caramel Milk {2 Ingredients}
    • chocolate cake slice
      Delicious 6 Egg White Chocolate Cake
    • Cointreau coffee with a beautiful layered pattern.
      Orange Cointreau Coffee

    Footer

    AS SEEN ON ABC NBC...
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    Free Basic Dough Recipes

    My Favorites

    Chocolate bar - Discover the Magic of Chocolate: Your Guide to a Tasty Adventure
    Gorgeous lavender spritz, garnished with lemon wedge and placed on shimmering coaster.
    Phiolen gefüllt mit Schichten aus getrocknetem Lavendel und Kristallzucker. Das perfekte Geschenk für backbegeisterte Freunde und Verwandte.

    Footer

    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar
    Enjoy gifting an awesome DIY Advent Calendar

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Imprint

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Free Discount Library

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Guest Posts
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Combine Good Flavors

    • 2