Advent calendar inspiration

I am all in all a summer person. The only thing I really love about winter are the Christmas holidays. To be more precise, not the Christmas days, but instead I enjoy all the christmasy mood. Christmas markets with honey-mead, gift hunt and unhealthy food (good bye diet, see you next year).

This year I am a bit behind with decorating my flat with Christmas decorations. It is three days before December 1st and I still do not have my advent calendar completed. No worries it will be ready - must be ready - I am just doing some finishing touches. Originally I wanted to sew some little bags and use them. Then when the flu hit me I nearly surrendered and bought a finished calendar. BUT I kept my strong will and made the advent calendar in the end myself. I even created sort of a Christmas hunt for my husband. Not sure though if he will like it, lets see...

Instead of sewing I decided to create 24 little boxes. However I quickly abandoned this idea as well as I wanted to make it more fun. And so I made different shaped and sized boxes, tags and envelopes. Looks cute, does it not?

More and more bags and boxes accumulated on my desk.

The biggest challenge for me was this candy box. Fortunately there are loads of videos online and I figured it out in the end. Big helpers were my scoring board and the123 punchboard.

I just love my123 punchboard from We R Memory Keepers which is great for creating these paper lovelies within few minutes.

I made some cute tags as well. Mostly used Christmas papers I hoarded since last year and some postcards and cut outs from a creative magazine. I am all about re-purposing things, you see.

I carefully laid out my creations all around the apartment. Some found their temporary new homes in the kitchen...

...some found their places in the living room...

...great that I have so many shelves :) Even the hall got some cuties. My husband still thinks that they are part of this years Christmas decoration. Which is sort of true, sort of... Saturday morning a small package with number 1 will suddenly appear on his table just before the breakfast. Maybe then he will get it...

You might ask yourselves what did I put into the small packages? All sort of things :) There are some tickets to the movies, invitation for Christmas market mulled wine, coupon for washing the dishes (I think he will like this one the most - hard times are coming for me). If you are making an advent calendar for children, you could include little notes promising christmasy activities as baking, hot chocolate evening, building a snowman or a treasure hunt. No need to buy expensive presents or put in only sweets. Grandparents will do that for you :)

Now it is your turn - are you finished with Christmas preparations?

Timush