SIMPLIFIED SEASONS: Advent WALL Calendar
Last year, I did what I had always wanted to do: prepared a beautiful and meaningful Advent calendar system that was a reflection our family and our faith. I took my time piecing it together, and wanted to share it with you as we approach December.
The SYSTEM
I fell in love with New Tradition Craft’s 25 Days of Christ, which rooted us in a faith-centered approach to the countdown. The kit includes 25 symbolic ornaments - available painted or in natural wood - that correspond with daily readings and scriptures (with options for faith preferences). Each day, we read, reflect and add an ornament to a small tree that we put up just for this practice. It was a beautiful and simple way to walk through Advent, paired with some education and encouraged family discussion.
THE DISPLAY
The pocket + wall calendar is what we have used for years, and I kept with the tradition. I did, however, refresh the colorful wall calendar we had to something clean and neutral that complemented our home. Enter this calendar from Amazon, available in both black (shown) and red, and it’s $20 - such a bargain. It’s just our style, durable and with individual pockets, perfectly sized for the daily ornaments.
THE DETAILS
To add a layer of surprise and delight, I wrapped each ornament with some craft items I love and had on-hand: french fry bags (still, so many leftover from our wedding 11+ years ago!) sealed with black + white washi tape and for some, I added greenery tied with black + white twine to add some interest.
This process was intentionally simple; the ornaments were so lightly wrapped in the bags + washi tape, which made for easy unwrapping and recycling. I’m planning to re-use the same packaging this year, recycling the bags that made it and replacing just a few that didn’t.
While these are not the exact items I have, here are links for similar sources:
The greenery was clipped from old, old faux garland scraps.
How do you celebrate the Christmas countdown in your home?
A note on storage: the wall calendar is made of sturdy canvas, which wasn’t so easily foldable or rollable. I stored it hanging safely on a clothes hanger with the recycled wrapping materials tucked in the pockets, and it’s nearly all ready to go in just a few weeks!
About Simplified Seasons: in this series, less is more, and I’ll be sharing simple traditions and my favorite projects that honor the changes that come with the flip of the calendar, preserve my sanity and bring the joy!