CREATE: advent calendar

i had big ideas for an advent calendar this year but, time got away from me and i settled on cheap, quick and easy.  i bought these small paper containers at walmart, they were 6 to a box for around $4 i believe.  then i printed off the number tags from a template over at ohhappyday.com.  i have a big open spot on the wall, next to our fireplace, which seemed like a good spot to string these guys up.  I used decorative thumbtacks to string up 5 rows of twine and ribbon - which i twisted together before tacking to the wall.  5 rows of 5 boxes for the 25 days of christmas...of course, this does take a little bit of measuring to make sure everything is somewhat equal and installed level.  

clothespins hold each box to the twine.  the boxes are all really small so it does limit you on what can be put inside each box.  channing is still pretty small so i had to select items that she would actually play with.  i did do a couple of very simple "clues" to help find a larger present hidden somewhere else around the house.  i hope to do more activities and scavenger hunts next year, instead of just gifts, when she is a little older and understands the concept a bit better.

after printing out the number template, i cut out each flag and hole punched the end.

i untied one end of each box in order to string on the number flag.  then retied it to the box. 

gifts for the advent include rock crayons, plan toys wooden fruits and cooking utensils, mud puppy finger puppets, balloons (for mama to blow up and for the bird to chase around), bubbles, hand puppets from ikea

everything is wrapped in fabric and twine.

ready to go!