DIY Christmas Advent Calendar Garland

Hey friends!  I’m back on this lovely Monday to share more of my home all decked out for Christmas.  And I think this part just might be my favorite part!  I came up with this idea last year when I was trying to decide where to hang an advent calendar in our home, and I ended up trying it out going down our stairs.  I loved the way it turned out last year, and so I decided to do a repeat for this year, but the bags I made look completely different.  So today I wanted to share my DIY advent calendar garland with you, along with the rest of my entryway!  Before we get started, if you haven’t checked out my No Place Like Home Holiday Home Tour, you should!

Having certain traditions during the holiday season or other special celebrations helps add meaning and helps us bond with those we love.  They are such an important part in building a strong family bond.  These traditions give us a sense of belonging and connect us to our history.  Some traditions you have in your family may be handed down through generations, and some you may have started with your children.  I love the entire month of December, because it is so full of tradition and family bonding time.  An advent calendar is not something we did when I was growing up, but it is something I created with my own family, and it is something that my kids look forward to each year. I fill my little bags with three pieces of chocolate- one for each child.  But you don’t have to sue candy, any small trinkets will do.  Make it your own, and be creative if you want to!

As you can see, I have hung small bags going all of the way down our staircase and hung them from my garland.  The garland I use is adjustable, so it is easy to hang a bag on a branch, and just curl that branch up a little to hold the bag.  Everything I used the make my bags was purchased at Hobby Lobby, but you can by these supplies at pretty much any craft supply store.  If you would like to recreate something like this for your family, here is how you can do it!

Supplies you will Need:

Small brown gift bags

Craft Paper (I purchased a book of craft paper that had a variety of pages that mix and matched)

Chalkboard sticker labels

Chalk marker

All purpose glue

Hershey Kisses (or whatever you choose to place in your bags)

This is a craft that you can have your children take part in as well!  It really is a simple thing to do. All you do is cut the paper to size to fit the front of the bag, glue it onto the front, and then add a chalkboard label in the center and write a number on it for each day of the month.  I really love the black and white themed craft paper I bought, which was in a book.  I have lots of it left over for other projects too. I just think these little bags look so adorable hanging off of the garland.  I actually have to admit, I was getting ready to decorate my railing with my advent calendar and the garland, and last minute I decided I need a fresh coat of black paint on the railings and newel posts, so I broke out the paint and gave it two coats of black.  It had been a few years ago since I painted these black, and it was looking pretty worn.  I wanted it to look crisp and fresh for Christmas.  Am I the only one who get off track like this?  No wonder it takes me days to get anything accomplished!

While we are here, let me show you the rest of my entryway!  In case you are new here, we live in a split level home, so our stair case is our entry.  It’s the one thing I really don’t like about this house. But I have worked to make the most of this small space.  But still, when we are having guests over, it is a small space, and I do long for a large entry!  I painted the door black as well a few years ago. That decision is something I am still happy with, and I love having black doors!  All of our entry doors have now been painted black and I want every door in the house to be black eventually.  I really would love to replace the light in the stairwell, but although I haven’t been able to do that yet, I have updated the chandelier with different globes, and that made it livable for me.

I love these modern looking silver bells you see below, and found these at Marshall’s this year.  They have leather straps to hang them with.  I initially hung them on the front door but my husband nixed that idea and said he couldn’t take the noise.  Especially not at 6:30 am when he is barely awake and taking the puppy out, hehe.  

This small bench, basket, and the large crock are the perfect place to keep all of our puppy supplies. Things like the leash, wet wipes, bags and treats are all right here, and I just throw a pretty scarf on top and it hides the ugly.

This shoe cabinet is such a life saver!  It fits perfectly in the small space, and it corrals all of the shoes that get tossed on the landing when everyone is walking in the door.  If I see that someone has dropped their shoes here, it is easy to toss them inside the cabinet.  There is such little floor space that I can’t have shoes lying all over the floor here.

I found the cute little doormat at Target, and I just love it!  I had the succulent out on my front stoop all summer, and recently brought it in.. It shed a lot of leaves at first, but it seems to be adjusting, fingers crossed!  I found the vintage looking sign that says We’ll be home for Christmas at Marshalls, and I already had the blue bottle brush tree.  The lantern is filled with pinecones that have gold glitter on them, and I just took some plaid ribbon and tied a big bow in it and placed it on top of the lantern. Very simple, but love the look of it.  And You can see some fresh pine branches scattered here and there.  I picked them up at Kroger, you could purchase a bundle for $4.99, and I was so happy to find them!  The Baby it’s cold outside art is a free printable that I found and just taped it to the glass using washi tape.  I cannot remember where I found this printable at the moment, but if I do, I will come back and add in the source.  I use a lot of free printable in my seasonal decor, and I do like to give credit where credit is due for them.

You can see that I added more fresh pine on the ledge above our front door along with a burlap Christmas tree I have had for a while.  And the tiny houses were a find last year from Target on the day after Christmas.  I love to hit up Target on the day after, It is where I end up finding my favorite things.

Last year, we had a fresh wreath on our front door, and I loved it.  I actually went to Home Depot to purchase another one and had it in my buggy to pay for when I found this fake one that was prelit and battery powered.  It was the same price as the real one, so I decided it was a smart purchase because I can use it for several years, and I think it looks very real.  All I added was a buffalo plaid bow.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into more of my home all decked out for the Holidays!  Do you do an advent calendar with your children?  It’s not too late!  We may be already into December, but you still have time to maybe do one for the twelve days before Christmas, or if you like my advent calendar garden, pin this and save it for next year!  Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me today.  And I hope you will join me later tonight or tomorrow for the Totally Terrific Tuesday Party! You can see my advent garland from last year by clicking here.

Do you have champagne taste and a tiny budget like me?  Love fashion, DIY, crafting, all things vintage and thrifty?  Stick with me, I’ve got you covered!

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