Homemade Holiday: Make your own Christmas Countdown

I am starting off the Homemade Holiday series with instructions on how to make your own Christmas Countdown. It’s an advent calendar of sorts, only instead of little goodies each day, there are fun activities that your family can enjoy together. One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is spending time together as a family, but it can get so busy that sometimes we don’t take the time to stop and enjoy it. This countdown helps our family slow down and enjoy Christmas more.

The countdown is made with paper and has magnets attached to the back of each number, so you can attach it directly to the front or your refgrigerator. You could also attach them to a cookies sheet and hang it on the wall if you wanted to. On the back of each number is a special activity that our family will do for each of the days before Christmas.

Here’s how to make your own Christmas Countdown

I started out with a piece of Making Memories Christmas scrapbook paper with 25 numbers printed on it,  I cut out each of the numbers.  Several scrapbook companies make numbered paper for Christmas, so you should be able to find one at a scrapbook store or even Michael’s. If you can’t locate any paper, you can easily use number stickers or print numbers out using your computer.

I added some fun embellishments, like buttons, ribbon and bling to dress them up a bit. I use Glue Dots to attach all of my embellishments, they are wonderful for attaching items that are bulky.

Next, you will add magnets to the back of each number. I used the magnets made specifically for business cards that have adhesive already on one side. If you are like me, you get lots of magnets with advertising on them, you could even use those.

Once you have all 25 days cut out and the magnets added, you will want to add the fun activiites on the back of each one. I got my calendar out for this, because we already have some activities planned, like going to the Nutcracker, so I made sure to have those activities coordinate with the correct number.

Here is the final project! It’s nice to look at and it will help your family share some fun family time together during the month of December.

Need some ideas for fun things to do during your countdown to Christmas? Here are the items I have on the back of mine (some of these are local events).

• Read about the birth of Jesus
• Go Christmas caroling
• Bake Cookies
• Watch Charlie Brown Christmas
• Bring Treats to neighbors
• Go to Snowflake Lane (FREE event at Bellevue Square)
• Drive around and view Christmas lights
• Visit the Giving Tree & choose some names – Get gifts
• Family Christmas Party
• Church Christmas Party
• Read our favorite Christmas story
• Watch a Christmas movie
• Make Chex Mix
• Make Chocolate covered pretzels
• See the Nutcracker
• Decorate the Christmas tree
• Make Christmas cards
• Drink hot cocoa with candy cane whip cream
• Go see a holiday movie
• Watch the Grinch that Stole Christmas
• Leave a surprise on someone’s doorstep
• Share Christmas memories
• Go to Zoo Lights
• Take donations to the Food Bank

Variation: If you would like to make something like this to have as more of a traditional advent calendar, you could put a clue on the back of each number to where the treats or goodies are hidden in the house.

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