Do you get a little nervous about spending money during the holidays? I sure do. I want to have fun decorating, at the same time need to use what I have on hand to stay within a budget. My DIY chalkboard advent calendar of activities is a good example of turning something old into something new by using a little bit of imagination.
Handmade Christmas Decor Blog Hop
Today I’m joining four friends for a Handmade Christmas Decor Blog Hop hosted by Rita from Harbour Breeze Home. Be sure to visit the other ladies to see their clever ideas.
Michelle from Thistle Key Lane
DIY Chalkboard Advent Calendar With Activities
This is an easy project to make for your family or get the kids involved. I bet they would be a great help giving you ideas of what kind of activities they would like to see on the list.
Supplies
- Paper for numbers
- Chalkboard marker
- Washi Tape
- Pencil
- Chalkboard
First step was cleaning the chalkboard. Then I made five rows of simple Christmas and wintry images with a chalkboard marker. Regular chalk will work too.
I though it would be fun having something behind each day so the chalkboard wouldn’t be blank as the count down starts.
Next I printed a page of numbers 1 through 25 and cut them out making each row slightly larger going down the page. If you don’t have a printer write them out by hand, or better yet have the kids write the numbers with crayons or markers.
On the back of each one, I wrote the activity for the day in pencil, that way it wouldn’t show through the paper.
The last step was taping the days in place with washi tape in a random order.
This is my idea of a perfectly imperfect handmade Christmas decor project.
Helpful hint: Remove the clear tape from a tape dispenser and insert the washi tape. When finished, switch it back.
For a festive touch, I added cedar clippings, along with jingle bell garlands, one made with red and white string and the other on a red plaid ribbon.
At first, I was afraid that coming up with 25 activities would be difficult, but once I got started it was hard to stop.
Calendar Activities
- Make hot cocoa from scratch
- Go shopping and people watch
- Make Christmas bandana for Sandy (our dog)
- Watch a classic Christmas movie
- Tacky Christmas sweater day
- Drink eggnog
- Take a long walk in the park
- Make Christmas Cookies
- Pizza night
- Drive around looking at Christmas lights
- Read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
- Watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- Shop for stocking stuffers
- Make Chex mix
- Read A Christmas Carol
- Make a popcorn garland
- Roast marshmallows
- Ride the Polar Express
- Make a charitable donation
- Dinner out
- Hang Christmas Stockings
- Nutcracker Ballet
- Open one gift early
- Make handmade Christmas ornaments
- Ride in a horse-drawn carriage
Haha not surprising how many of my activities involve food, but you get the idea.
No one knows your family as well as you, so fill your calendar with the things they love. Don’t forget to add local parades, schools plays or other activities you don’t want to miss.
Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest. The boards are updated daily with seasonal inspiration just for you.
Big kids just like little kids love the anticipation of Christmas. Make it even more fun this year with an advent calendar of activities.
Be sure to stop by to see Lauren at Mom Home Guide who is next on the Handmade Christmas Decor blog hop.
Cheers!
©2018 DIY Chalkboard Advent Calendar With Activities first appeared on Thistle Key Lane.
Awesome post, Michelle! Easy and so pretty and fun!
Thank you so much sweet friend!
This is such a cute idea! I love the rustic look of it too! I love you list of activities. I, especially, love the one about driving around looking at Christmas lights. One of my favorite things to do! When I was a child, me and my sisters just piled onto the back seat (before car seat/seat belt laws) and looked to our hearts desire as dad drove around. We still carry out the tradition, but now due to bulky car seats our little grands need the neck of a crane to even look out the side window. 😉
You are so right about the car seats. It’s a different world now. I remember as a child being memorized by Christmas light and trying so hard to pick out the best decorated house in the neighborhood. I was a tough judge lol!
Oh my goodness, Michelle! I LOVE everything about this idea! My kids would think this is so exciting. Your chalkboard drawings are impressive, too. 😊I wouldn’t have thought to have something underneath the cards. Also, I couldn’t tell that was washi tape in the photo. It looks so festive!
Thank you Crissy, making the list was surprisingly fun and I keep thinking of more and more activities that I could have added. 🙂
This is my favorite post of yours yet! ❤️🎄What an amazingly clever idea!
Thank you so much Kelly! I got good reviews from the family too. 😉
What a lovely advent calendar – such thoughtfulness in this post Michelle, I just adore it.
Thank you Laura, sometimes you just have to slow down and enjoy the season.
This is so creative and cute! I really like the colors, especially how they pop against the navy of your wall. Pinning!
Thanks so much Marissa for commenting and pinning! Hugs!
This is SO, so cute and really makes the holidays so fun! Love the washi tape you selected for this!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Thank you Carrie, the washi tape as a childlike appeal I couldn’t resist.
This is such a great idea. I love a DIY and am thinking I need to try this!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Kristi, I hope you will. So easy and fun to make!
I love activity advent calendars! What a fun idea for kids of all ages!
Thanks Maureen, the hardest part is waiting for December 1st for the fun to begin!
Michelle is looks so pretty especially with the red tape that adds that little note of festivity!
Thanks Mary, I don’t decorate a lot with red but when I do it really pops!
How cute and fun is this! Thanks so much for this post 😀
Lori Jo – 50 With Flair
Thanks so much for stopping by for a look! 🙂
Great advent calendar idea! Also I would have never thought to take our regular tape and replace with Washi tape. Such a simple idea but something I never thought about. Thanks!!!
>> Christene
Keys to Inspiration
This is probably the most Washi tape I have ever used, so the tape dispenser idea really helped. Thank you so much for stopping by Christene!
I love chalk boards, what a great idea for Christmas.
Thank you Susan! I have had this chalkboard for several years and its always fun coming up with new ways to use it.
I love this sweet and pretty idea!
Thank you Lauren, so happy to be on the blog hop with you!
This is such a good advent calendar idea, I am passing this on so my friends can enjoy
the fun, too. (Giving all the credit to you of course🤪)
Pat
Thank you so much for sharing the post Pat. Nothing would please me more, than to have others creating an advent calendar with their favorite holiday activities.
Love this Advent calendar Michelle! And I love that you have so many food options in your list of activities! Eating is always a fun activity!!
Thanks Cindy! Our family is always happy when we’re eating LOL!
This is super cute, Michelle and love the helpful list of activities too! I try to create something different for the littles each year and they would be so excited to have something like this. Pinned! Hugs, CoCo
Half of the fun is coming up with the list! Thanks for pinning CoCo! Hugs!
Great post! I’ve never had/never made an Advent Calendar; they look like so much fun. I loved your idea of the washi tape in a dispenser–would make life SOOOO much easier!
Thank you Kathy, glad to hear you like my little tape trick and I hope you’ll make one!
I love making Advent Calendars too Michelle. Yours is so pretty and I love the tip about swapping out the clear tape and putting the washi tape in there instead – genius! I might have to steal a few of your Advent activity ideas too!
Thank you Jayne! There’s nothing better than hearing that someone likes or can use my ideas! Hugs!