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Envelope advent calendar

You will need

For the envelopes:

  • Templates
  • Selection of coloured envelopes
  • Selection of coloured paper
  • Glue stick or double-sided tape
  • Scissors
  • Black felt pen
  • Pencil
  • Googly eyes
  • Sticky dots
  • String or ribbon

For the candy cane to hang:

To make the envelopes

Tips

  • Store cut pieces in their envelopes until they are ready to make
  • Flip the paper so pencil marks aren’t visible
  • Fold the paper in half before tracing the folded shapes

Santa, Mrs Santa, elf, snowman, Santa hat, angel, polar bear and reindeer

1. Gather all the items you need for each envelope.

2. Trace and cut out each part.

3. Place each piece and when you are happy, stick with either a glue stick or double-sided tape.

4. Make sure the envelope opens at the back.

5. Add the finishing touches with a black felt pen.

6. For the snowman’s hat, add a thick and thin strip of black paper.

Gingerbread man, sleigh, Xmas pudding and sack

1. Gather all the items you need for each envelope.

2. Trace the template.

3. Place the cut template on the top of the front of the envelope.

4. Place each piece and when you are happy, stick with either a glue stick or double-sided tape.

5. Make sure the envelope opens on the back.

6. Add the holly leaves and red sticky dots for the Xmas pudding. Add contrasting squares of paper or wrapping paper for Christmas presents in the sack and sleigh.

7. Add the finishing touches with a black felt pen.

Christmas cracker, present, stocking, robin and penguin

  1. Gather all the items you need for each envelope.
  2. Trace and cut out each part.
  3. For the cracker – from contrasting coloured paper, trace the template and cut a strip for the centre.
  4. For the present – use contrasting paper for a bow and cut 2 strips for the ribbon.
  5. Add presents to the stocking from contrasting paper.
  6. For the robin and penguin – trace and cut out each part and add features.
  7. Place each piece and when you are happy, stick with either a glue stick or double-sided tape.
  8. Make sure the envelope opens on the back.
  9. Add the finishing touches with a black felt pen.

Christmas tree, star, snowflake, bell, bauble, holly leaf and candy cane

  1. Gather all the items you need for each envelope.
  2. Trace the template.
  3. Place the cut template on the top of the front of the envelope.
  4. Make sure the envelope opens on the back.
  5. Add contrasting red paper for stripes on the candy cane.
  6. Add sticky dots and a small star and base for the Christmas tree.
  7. Add a square top to the bauble and contrast decoration.
  8. Add red berries to holly leaf.

Candy cane

  1. Remove the rubber foot from the walking stick.
  2. Using white chalk paint, paint all of the stick. If you don’t have chalk paint, you can also use other types of white paint but the stick may need to be sanded down before painting.
  3. Paint a second coat if required.
  4. When the stick is dry, neatly wrap the red tape around it from one end to the other – be careful around the bend on the stick.

To hang

  1. Depending on where you will be hanging the calendar, attach an appropriately sized length of ribbon to the candy cane by knotting each end of the ribbon to each of the cane.
  2. Cut lengths of string (depending on the size of your envelopes) long enough to hold 6 of your envelopes and attach to your walking stick with a strong knot.
  3. Print and cut out advent numbers.
  4. Punch a hole in the top left corner of each of the numbers.
  5. Thread each number with a length of thin cord approximately 12cm in length and tie a knot to form a loop.
  6. Put a small treat, gift, joke or activity into each envelope.
  7. Take your envelopes and peg to the vertically hung string – you should be able to fit 6 on each string.
  8. Attach an advent number to each of the pegs.
  9. Hang at a convenient level for your child to reach.

If you’d prefer to not hang the calendar, use sticky tack to stick the envelopes to a surface – e.g. a window or door. You could also place them randomly around the house for a fun game of seek to find the daily character.

Download the project