I won’t lie, I am not the most festive person, no one in my family is. But I was taken by the idea of a proper adult advent calendar – damn you Pinterest! I would so do it if anyone would be into it but my family really aren’t. I saw so many cute executions, as you will see below but I loved the idea of envelopes or small paper bags. It’s pretty, it’s simple and it’s low cost. Traditionally, envelope advent calendars hold scripture verses but more modern versions have family activities (put the lights on the tree, eat a candy cane, make hot chocolate). My idea is about small, fun gifts. But you don’t want crap, so be sure to read on for my suggestions of what you can put in yours. You could make an advent calendar as a total gift for someone or tailor it to a couple or family or you could make it for your team at work to share or just for your own family. So let’s start this off with the pretty ideas…..
- Red & Brown Paper Bags
- Brown Paper Bags w Candy Toppers
- White Paper Tea Bags
- Book Print Envelopes
- Brown Envelopes in a Box
- Little Blue Envelopes
- Clothespin Board – Originally from Sunday in Bed but I can’t find the original post
- Neon Boxes
- Wine A Day
- Minimalist Boxes
Okay, I know you totally want to make this now! So what can you put inside? Well, you could go with a theme and just use one item from my list (tea, seeds for the garden, mini alcohol bottles, chocolates, soaps, nail polishes, hair accessories, mini cosmetic items or cookie cutters would all work well).
- Tea Bags – There are so many nice ones to try, T2 have little single pot sachets if you prefer loose leaf
- Lottery Tickets – there’s obviously scratchies but you could substitute a voucher (even a homemade one) for a massage or something nice
- Chocolates/Lollies – endless options but you could go with homemade too
- Cookies – again, homemade would be lovely but maybe put them in the first day or so because you wouldn’t want them to spoil!
- Seeds – a gardeners delight! Would make an excellent single theme calendar
- Gift Cards – always a gifting staple
- Lip Balm/Mini Cosmetics – Benefit have a great range of sample sizes and Target always has lots of lipgloss/mini handcream etc sets that you can break up
- Lovely Soap – a nice handmade soap I’d always nice. If you are going with a flat envelope style, Lush might cut you a skinny bit.
- Jewelry – from costume to fancy , bling is always in
- Face Mask Sachet – if you have a Kawaii $2.80 shop, they should have some sheet masks or try chemists, Myer or David Jones for mask sachets
- Post its/Notebook – cute stationery is always fun, Kikki K always has the nicest things but Target/Kmart/Big W/Officeworks have a pretty good range
- Mini Alcohol – all kinds of spirits or mini champagne. Dan Murphy has the best range I’ve seen
- Nail Polish – mini nail polish sets are always around at this time of year, again think Target/Kmart/Big W/Myer/David Jones
- Paper Straws – metallic ones would be awesome! Neds have quite a selection
- Bath Salt Sachet – if you can’t find little sachets, why not grab a cute envelope and a big jar of salts and make your own?
- Hair Pins – I have two DIY’s for this! One that just involves glue & one with nail polish
- Socks/Tights – socks are great for men too
- Fridge Magnets – why not DIY a clean/dirty one for the dishwasher? Get the how to here, here & here
- Hair Ties – save a fortune by making your own from fold over elastic (FOE), tutorial here
- Cookie Cutter – there should be lots of festive ones around or grab a set for a cookie focused calendar.
- Small Tree Ornament – there should be plenty around but this list has heaps of DIY options.
- Mini Perfume – splitting a set is a good money saver, again Target/Kmart/Big W/Myer/David Jones
- USB Stick/Memory Card – very useful, great for men but I do love novelty ones like this
- Recipe/Cocktail Card – this another great single theme gift. Some great free printables here.
Phew! That was quite a list! Hopefully, you are full of ideas and already making a list. Even if you are not into the Advent Calendar idea, it helps have some small gift ideas to refer to. Especially gift ideas that you can tailor to your budget. If you are a keen thifter, cheapy shop goer or crafter, you could really make this cost effective. Think about those people you may need to gift like workmates, neighbors, teachers, sports teams, your children’s friends or a token gift for the adults in the family. Before I go, I just have one last idea to share. Consider making your signature dish and giving it with a recipe card or just giving them a jar of brownies (they even come with their own free printable Christmas label). Happy gifting xxx
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