Have you seen all those beautiful handmade Advent calendars floating around? Works of art with teeny boxes to fill or slips of paper listing a fun activity a day. Well, there aren't going to be any of those round here this year.
In a season that is already full to bursting with activities and sheer weight of possessions, I decided that it is we adults, overworked elf-engineers, slaving away, putting the 'festive' into the festive season, who really needed a little daily pick me up.
Sound good? And I promise, if you fling one of these together for a loved one, you're going to get maximum kudos for thoughtfulness, through minimum expenditure of time. Honestly, the hardest work is preparing the numbers 1 to 24, which I did with some rubber stamps onto stickers and little tags.
How about a nice cup of tea? Individual tea bags in their colorful wrappers attached onto a cord with mini pegs as Advent Tea Bunting. Does it get any more straightforward? But as a reminder to take an interlude each day and breathe, it's one of those gifts that goes beyond the sum of its parts. Alice liked hers anyway.
And hubby was a big fan of his beer advent calendar last year, as well as being the envy of his mates, so why change a winning formula? Buy some beer. Cut little doors into the box. Add numbers.
One tip - if your beer comes in multi-packs like mine, don't do what I did last year and scatter the numbers willy nilly all round the doors, or you'll find yourself on December 22nd with 3 almost empty cardboard boxes, which cannot be thrown away because they contain a single beer each. Strategic placement, people. It will save your sanity. Also, this year I have added a few # labels, for those nights which need more than a single beer (and to accommodate the fact that I bought beer in cases of 10, thereby providing 30 treats for a 24 day span).
It may be November 29th, but you still have time to make a homemade calendar. One which only requires a quick trip to the supermarket, and will provide the equivalent of a friendly hug and an "I'm thinking of you" each day.
How I wish you'd posted this earlier, this would have been a great treat for my mum!!! I'll just need to remember it for next year! Until then, I've got my own calendar to finish...
Posted by: Petit Filoux | 29 November 2011 at 14:12
We are doing the lego star wars one, the quilt one my MIL made, and our trusty elf, Pip. I've always MEANT to do a handmade one, but Pip really fits the bill.
Posted by: kirsten | 29 November 2011 at 14:13
Could I make a wine calendar do you think? I'm sure it would do me no end of good.
Posted by: Sue | 29 November 2011 at 14:25
A wine calendar sounds fab but what would we be like come the big day after a bottle a night??!! Brilliant ideas as always, thanks x
Posted by: daisie | 29 November 2011 at 14:41
This is a fantastic idea!
I'm going to create a countdown-to-Xmas-at-home version for work!
Thank you :D
Posted by: mooncalfmakes | 29 November 2011 at 14:45
Oh Ali you are indeed a genius. Absolutely adore the tea calendar (though G would definitely go for the beer one!). K x
Posted by: kristina | 29 November 2011 at 15:01
brilliant - who says the children should get all the fun! xxx
Posted by: driftwood | 29 November 2011 at 15:35
A really lovely idea. I'll have to remember the beer one for Mr P.
As I'm spending lots of time at my parents at the moment (while our home is being renovated), Mum and I have a townhouse advent calendar from Phoenix Trading to share. I can't wait to open the first door! x
Posted by: PinkCatJo | 29 November 2011 at 16:26
The kids are going tohave one of those lovely activity calendars (it's traditional to make it on Nov 30th in this house), but my hub definitely deserves a beer calendar. Off to the supermarket I go ...
Posted by: dottycookie | 29 November 2011 at 17:43
Think I could get away with a chocolate-bar-a-day one for myself?
(I said it at Alice's but I'll say it again here: you're a genius.)
Posted by: Lynn | 29 November 2011 at 19:18
I just made myself an Advent tea version, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it each night. Thank you for the really super idea!
Posted by: Julia@kolo | 29 November 2011 at 21:07
Brilliant :D
With the last of the children no longer really a child I think we'll give advent calendars a miss this this year ... last year we kept forgetting to open the doors. But I'll bear this in mind for next year, it would work wonderfully with some individually wrapped wafer chocolates methinks.
Posted by: Annie | 29 November 2011 at 22:05
What a super idea... and I know someone who could be in need of that beer calender. Might bump into Dotty Cookie at the supermarket!!!
Posted by: Gina | 30 November 2011 at 11:36
Oh thank you so much for this post - I read it first thing this morning and just had to drag my three small boys to the shops so I could make the tea Advent Bunting for two of my favourite tea drinking friends. I then popped into the bottle shop (off-licence) and now Aussie Dad is very happy with his beer advent as well! Thanks for sharing
Posted by: Aussie Mum | 30 November 2011 at 11:59
I've been inspired by you to make a beer calendar for Mr Locket - only it doesn't have pretty stamped numbers and proper opening doors like yours and is far more rough-and-ready! Thank you for reminding me - I recommended it to my boss and she has made one for her husband too (also my boss!) but has interspersed the beer with chocolate and dog biscuits so it's a joint-calendar for him and the dog!
Posted by: lucylocket | 01 December 2011 at 16:25
I must keep a note of this for the next year.
I would have scored big style the husband...
Posted by: Monica | 01 December 2011 at 17:07
My old and faithful one got pulled out just before midnight - at least I remembered! I think I might just try the beer thing too to impress my hubby.
Posted by: lina | 01 December 2011 at 17:10
Brilliant Ali. I love the teabag idea - a quiet interlude in the days before christmas is a real treasure and this is such a nice way of reminding yourself to take that little slice of peace and quiet while you can x
Posted by: Julie | 02 December 2011 at 17:50
I love this idea, and your 'numbers in order' tip for the beer made me laugh. I think I've missed the boat this year but will definitely remember for next year!
Posted by: Wendy | 04 December 2011 at 18:25
Hi, Ali - I remembered this post of yours when I got an email from a friend about embarking on radiation treatments, so I've just made and mailed a 33-day herbal tea version for her. Thanks for the inspiration! Post will be Monday, 5/14/12, 6am (Central US time).
Posted by: Ginnie | 14 May 2012 at 04:26