How to sew a Christmas advent calendar?
Every year in November, dozens of advent calendars of chocolates, beauty products, toys, stationery, tea… If you don’t feel like investing in these items that end up in the garbage can once Christmas is over, why not sew yourself a pretty fabric advent calendar?
This allows you to reuse it from one year to the next, but also to fill it as you wish with chocolates, love notes, small gifts (jewelry, perfume samples…), tea bags…
Here are a few ideas for creating an Advent calendar that suits you or your loved ones!
A simple Advent calendar
The first option if you want to sew your own Advent calendar is to attach small pockets to a stand, adapting it to your needs.
You’ll need a fabric, preferably thick, to make the base of the calendar (you can use upholstery fabric, denim, jute, felt…) and twenty-four small fabric squares. You can use fabric scraps from previous projects or cut from old sheets or clothes.
If you’d prefer your advent calendar to be in the colors of Christmas, you can buy seasonal fabric coupons to keep with the theme.
You can cut the pockets to different sizes depending on what you want to give, alternating small squares with large rectangles, so you can slip in a chocolate or a small book.
Start by cutting the base of the calendar, either in a classic shape (square, rectangle…), or in a fantasy shape (fir tree, snowman…). Then bias the edges to prevent fraying, and cut your twenty-four squares to size. Make a half-centimeter recess on each side of the squares for a pretty finish, or overcast them.
The next step is to enter the day numbers, from one to twenty-four. There are several options for this, depending on the time you have available. If the fabric is light, you can write the numbers with a textile marker.
You can also cut them out of felt or fabric (using serrated scissors). Then sew or glue them in place with a special textile glue.
Or embroider the numbers with gold or silver embroidery thread. For this, you can use either a front stitch or a stem stitch.
Chalk the spots on your base where you’d like to sew your pockets, placed in order or randomly, and assemble three sides. Don’t forget to include a link at the top of the calendar for hanging. And that’s it!
A garland of Advent socks
If you’re looking for an Advent calendar that can be hung along a mantelpiece, a piece of furniture or a bookcase, you can sew twenty-four mini-socks and slip them onto a tie (wool thread, bolduc, raffia string…).
You’ll need a little more patience to cut out all forty-eight sock shapes!
You can follow Gathered’s free tutorial, which comes with step-by-step photos.
An advent tree
Sometimes children are curious about the contents of their advent calendar. And try to peek inside the little compartments!
Instead of sewing open pockets, you can sew small containers with flaps. This will take a little more time, but will give a nice finish.
To add this step, you can follow Eme’s bobbin pattern. The bag clasps, made with bias tape, should discourage the curious!
Advent folders
A quicker, more economical solution is to sew twenty-four small fabric pouches in different sizes. You can follow Miss Cactus’s pattern, for example, and place them in a box or pretty decorated cardboard box.
To save time, you can slip a small piece of paper with a number from one to twenty-four into the cord. This solution will take less time than the previous models, but will remain personal and unique!
Have you ever tried sewing an advent calendar for Christmas?
