Mouse Ears Gingerbread Advent

Make counting the days to Christmas a lot more magical with this festive Mouse Ears Gingerbread House Advent calendar!

A friend of mine absolutely LOVES everything Mickey Mouse, so I decided to make her something special for the holiday season. This Mouse Ears Gingerbread House advent calendar is made of wood, and the countdown numbers attach to the house using the power of magnets. This project is a lot of fun make using the xTool S1 laser cutting machine, and there are so many ways you can customize it for your own family. I'm so excited that now my friend can have some of that Disney magic on display for the entire month of December to make waiting for Santa a lot more fun!

New to laser cutting? Be sure to check out how to get started with the xTool S1 Laser Machine!

Santa Christmas Countdown Magnet

Create a custom Santa Christmas Countdown Magnet to keep on display throughout the holiday season!

Ever since my daughter was little, we've kept a variety of advent calendars and countdowns on display for the entire month of December. She loved getting to change the numbers as each day passed by, and made the long wait until the big day a lot more bearable. This Santa Christmas Countdown Magnet is a lot of fun and SO easy to make using the xTool S1 laser cutting machine, and can be customized with your child's name! It takes minutes to assemble, and will definitely be a hit with the kids this holiday season!

New to laser cutting? Be sure to check out how to get started with the xTool S1 Laser Machine!

Candy Cane Christmas Countdown

Make waiting for Santa even more "sweet" with a handmade Candy Cane Christmas Countdown!

For some kids (like mine), waiting for Santa to arrive can be excruciating! We've always had a variety of advent calendars and countdowns on display for the entire month of December to make the waiting a little more bearable. This Candy Cane Christmas Countdown is a lot of fun and SO easy to make using the xTool S1 laser cutting machine. It takes minutes to assemble, and will definitely be a hit with the kids this holiday season!

New to laser cutting? Be sure to check out how to get started with the xTool S1 Laser Machine!

Christmas Tree Countdown Advent Calendar

Get into the holiday spirit with a custom Christmas Tree Countdown Advent Calendar!

Counting down the days until Christmas such a fun way to build the excitement throughout the month. I have a bunch of different advent calendars that I have made over the years, but I have to say that this Christmas Tree Countdown Advent Calendar is probably my new favorite. It was so easy to make using my xTool S1 laser cutting machine, and there are so many ways to make it your own. I hope you get inspired to make one of these countdowns for your family this holiday season.

New to laser cutting? Be sure to check out how to get started with the xTool S1 Laser Machine!

Magnetic Advent Calendar Wreath with Free Printables

Count down the days to Christmas with this Magnetic Advent Calendar Wreath!

Hello, artsy friends! I'm so excited to finally show you this holiday project that I've been working on this week. My family and I love using advent calendars throughout the holiday season, and this one is a lot of fun! This Advent Calendar comes in wreath form, and is also magnetic - which makes it easy to store once Christmas is over. Kids will love opening a new tin every day, and I've got the printables all ready for you to download to make this project as simple as possible. I hope you love it as much as I do!!

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2019

Build your Happy Holidays with the new LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!

My daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic! Last year, we counted down the days to Christmas with the 2018 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar and are going to have so much fun doing it again this year! The LEGO Friends 2019 Advent Calendar looks like it is packed with fun holiday-themed surprises!

24 Non-Candy Advent Calendar Gift Ideas

Thanks to Oriental Trading for helping make this post possible. As always, all opinions are my own.

Get creative with these 24 Non-Candy Advent Calendar Gift Ideas that kids will love!

Now that I've made my family a shiny new advent calendar, I needed to find some items to fill it with! After finding a few creative and unique ideas from Oriental Trading, I've put together a great list of advent calendar gift ideas to share with you. You could also use these non-candy fillers for items your Elf on the Shelf could bring, use as stocking stuffers, and are fun items to share in the classroom!

Not only are these Gingerbread Stress Toys fun to squeeze, but I think it's hilarious that their legs, arms, and even their heads have been bitten off! Kids are definitely going to love these little guys.

Mark your page in your favorite book with these Holiday Character Bookmarks! These four designs fit perfectly in an advent calendar or stocking, and are a fantastic way to encourage reading during the holidays.

My daughter is loving plush toys lately, so I grabbed these Plush Roly Poly Nordic Noel Animals. Who can't resist the adorable faces and tiny scarves on the polar bear, walrus, penguin and reindeer?!

Kids of all ages will love decorating their own holiday bracelets with this Christmas Buddy Slap Bracelet Craft Kit! With three different bracelets and characters with self-adhesive foam pieces, these are sure to be a fun advent calendar activity.

Puzzle Balls are a creative gift idea for kids of all ages. Each of the four puzzles come with instructions if you get stuck, and are sure to bring fun for the entire family.

Use paint or permanent markers to color these Christmas Character Suncatchers. Once they're finished, all you have to do is hang them up in the window for some holiday cheer!

Tiny toys are all the rage and are slowly taking over my home. These adorable little Holiday Treat Characters look good enough to eat! I'm excited to see my daughter's reaction when she picks them out of the advent calendar.

Even more advent calendar gift ideas that I think would be SO fun to include:

• Christmas Crazy Story Activity Books
• Cheery Christmas Activity Set
• Christmas Stickers
• Christmas Pencils
• Holiday Glitter Tattoos
• Christmas Silicone Bracelets
• Holiday Light-Up Necklaces
• Christmas Fun Pinhole Glasses
• Silly Gingerbread Magnet Craft Kit
• Christmas Character Picture Frame Ornament Craft Kit
• Peppermint Candy Yo-Yos
• Snow Buddies Christmas Puzzles
• “Pass the Ugly Sweater” Card Game
• Christmas Domino Game
• Holiday Character Bendables
• Christmas Ninja Toys
• Santa Pop-Ups

What non-candy gifts do you fill your advent calendar with?

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2017

This post is sponsored by LEGO®. All opinions are my own.

Count down the days to Christmas with buildable gifts in the LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!

It's no secret that my daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic. Last year, we counted down the days to Christmas with the 2016 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar and had so much fun that we are doing it again this year! This year's LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar looks like it is packed with fun surprises that are sure to bring in the holiday spirit.

Each day in December, kids can open the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar to add a piece to their Christmas party scene. Recommended for ages 5-12, the 217-piece calendar has 24 secret compartments that contain its own buildable surprise!

Count down the days to Christmas by opening one door a day. On the inside of each door is an image with basic instructions on how to build that LEGO surprise for the day.

Pour out the package of the day and build it to look like the image on the door (or download the full building instructions). Some days will have more pieces than others, but each surprise will be fun to play with together to celebrate the holidays!

Along with a festively dressed Stephanie mini-doll figure, get ready to build all kinds of surprises including furry friends and their homes, Christmas tree, gifts and more throughout the month!

Part of the fun is opening a LEGO surprise every day. So instead of showing you everything that is in the calendar, we are only showing this sneak peek today. Don't worry though, you can follow us on Instagram every day in December to see what we get to build!

The box also folds out to create a playmat that you can use to build and display each of the builds. Once you've collected all the gifts, visit LEGO.com/Friends on Christmas Day to discover a special combination build!

If you're looking for a fun advent tradition with your LEGO fans, it's not too late for you to grab a LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar of your own. You can find them at most major retailers and on the LEGO website.

DIY Fabric Advent Calendar

Count down the days to Christmas with this colorful DIY Fabric Advent Calendar!

Advent calendars are a tradition in our home. Counting down the days until Christmas build the anticipation and makes the magic of the holidays last throughout the entire month. You can fill the pockets with whatever surprises work for your family: treats, activity ideas, quotes or scriptures, and even little toys. This DIY Fabric Advent Calendar is the first one I've ever sewn. It was a lot of fun to make, and I am excited to put it up with my other Christmas decorations!