80+ Fun, Fast and Frugal Christmas Advent Calendars

Adding an advent calendar to your holiday traditions is a fun and festive way to build excitement and enjoy the season with your family. But advent calendars can become quite the production – from getting all the materials, to putting it all together, to actually sticking to the countdown during an already hectic time. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Want to DIY your own advent calendar, with no fuss or muss and without breaking the bank? Here are 80+ fabulous countdowns to Christmas – broken down into varying levels of DIY-ability and ease of use. Find inspiration for your next DIY Christmas advent calendar and get ready for the Christmas season now!

80+ Fun, Fast and Frugal Christmas Advent Calendars

In this post:

Page 1: No Effort DIY Advent Calendars
Page 2: Easy DIY Advent Calendars
Page 3: Medium DIY Advent Calendars
Page 4: Expert DIY Advent Calendars

MEDIUM

You may have to break out one or two tools to complete these, but even with the “build” aspect, these should only take a few hours to make.

Tissue Punch Advent // Gluesticks

A punch themed advent is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Kids will love poking through the paper to the treat inside the cups!

Felt Nativity Advent // The Thrifty Couple

This felt advent takes more effort, but it’s cute and meaningful – the numbered pockets hold the different nativity pieces. Just pull them out and create the whole nativity scene as the month goes on.

Felt Santa With Pockets Advent // 3 Little Greenwoods

Create a cute Santa out of felt. Embellish his beard with decorated felt pockets. Now you’ve got a cute Christmas decoration! Stick in some cards with activities or scriptures on them. and number them. And NOW you have a cute countdown!

Stacked Can Advent // Ideal Home

Paint, tissue paper and ribbon (or tape or rubber bands), is all you’ll need for this fun stackable advent. It has a carnival feel that’s unique and festive.

Advent Calendar Wreath // Crafts Unleashed

With some wire cardholders you can make an adorable advent calendar wreath in no time!

Chalkboard Advent Ornament Calendar // Sincerely, Sarah D.

You can paint a canvas with chalkboard paint and hang small ornaments on twine for this advent – or use an existing chalkboard for an even easier DIY.

Chalkboard Activity Calendar // The Merrythought

Scrap wood and paint are the main ingredients for this calendar, but the Christmas foliage makes it pop.

Modern Wood Tree Advent Ornament Calendar // A Kailo Chic Life

This colorful wood tree is so joyful and fun to look at, and the kids will love hanging an ornament on the tree each day.

Deer Mount Advent Display // Cassie Bustamante

This truly unique calendar makes use of thrifted finds. If you’ve got a deer head, you can use some plywood or MDF to make the mount. Then simply paint, add hooks and tags. Cute and on trend.

Painted Sled Countdown // Jaime Costiglio

With a store-bought mini wood sled, paint, hooks and balsa wood, you can make an adorable countdown to use year after year! All you do is switch the numbers every day, so it’s easy to keep up with too.

Upcycled Shutter Door Advent // Lilacs and Longhorns

Use an old shutter door and some paint as a backdrop for mini-sized burlap pockets. Just attach them to the slats with clothespins! If you don’t have a shutter handy, pick one up at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or another thrift shop.

Envelope Advent // One Good Thing

You just need cards, envelopes, clips, wire (or ribbon) and a frame to make this happen. Decorating optional.

Clip-able Photo Cards Tree Calendar // Sarah Hearts

Make a Christmas tree display board with a wood plaque (or piece of plywood), paint, glue and some metal clips. Then, all you have to do is use the template provided for the photo cards and print them out! Adorable and colorful.

Origami Box Advent // Gathering Beauty

Origami boxes are quite easy to create, and it won’t take long to make 24. Use Christmas wrapping paper and you won’t have to decorate them at all!

Gold Tissue House Advent // Fellow Fellow

Create boxes without lids from cardstock, then stuff them with treats and cover with gold tissue paper. Stack them as a house and tape into rows for stability! This stacked house takes a bit of time, but comes out super cute.

Little Village Advent Calendar // A Turtle’s Life For Me

This cute little village is created entirely from the recycling bin! Using paper and some creativity, you can cut boxes, cartons and containers to the right shapes and cover them to make them match. Leave them hollow so you can set some candy and activity tags underneath them!

Christmas Bulb Advent Calendar // The House That Lars Built

These adorable Christmas bulbs are made from heavy paper or cardstock and open to reveal a surprise. They’re super festive and sure to be a hit with the kids!

Paper Ornament Garland Advent Calendar // Oh Happy Day

Paper ornament boxes hang from a garland for a colorful, happy advent variation. The pom poms put this one over the top!

P aint Dipped Advent Calendar Bottles // Fall For DIY

Pretty little bottles with a paint dipped look serve as the starting point for this advent. You can string them up or set them out. They’re very tiny, just the right size for small treats, papers with activities or to use as memory jars as in the tutorial.