A Unique "Advent Calendar"

Hellooooooo....anybody out there?  Do you still remember me around here?  Ugh, it feels like it's been forever since I've been able to post anything.  I actually have one of the sneak peek projects completed, I just haven't had time to take the pictures yet.  But...I just finished up a little Christmas project and I wanted to share it with you to kick off December....a day late. 

Let me just start off with a little explanation.  I love the idea of advent calendars.  How it helps the kids countdown to the big day, builds the excitement, gives them a special little treat each day, etc.  Some people have a traditional calendar that they use every year.  But when my daughter was a baby I decided I wanted our tradition to be to have a new and unique calendar every year.  And so I've been saving pictures and ideas ever since.  She's now 4 years old and sadly enough this is the first year I've actually completed one.  I'm big on ideas and puny on follow through.  I kept telling myself, "Oh she's too little to know the difference anyways."  Haha, good excuse for pure laziness and procrastination. 

So this year comes along and I decide that I HAVE to do one this year, no laziness allowed!  November kept creeping along, and I was running out of time.  Then one day, in the not so distant past, I came across this idea of using toilet paper rolls.  It seemed easy and quick, I already had a good stash of tp rolls just waiting for a great project, and I knew I had a stack of Christmas scrapbook paper that I've had forever, so it was perfect.

Well.....it took much longer than I expected it to, mine didn't turn out as smooth and perfect looking as hers, but I like them.  My original plan was to hang them in some creative way, but after committing about 5 hours to cardboard rolls my creative juices were drained and I just dumped them all in a bowl. 

 It works.  : )

I used scrapbooking papers and embellishments that I already had.

I tried to make each one different and unique in its own way, but without going overboard.  Afterall, these are for a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old.  As long as there's candy inside they wouldn't have cared if it were inside a dirty sock.



Some of them have the numbers written on the back.



I put a couple of pieces of candy or gum in each one (leftover Halloween stash), and a few of them have a slip of paper for something extra special for that day; such as "Bake cookies with Mommy,"  "Stay up late for popcorn and a movie,"  "Skip naptime and bake a Christmas cake for Daddy," etc.

It's only day 2, but so far they're a hit!  And it didn't cost me a dime.


Linking up to:
Saturday Nite Special - Funky Junk Interiors
Sunday's Best Party - My 1929 Charmer
Whatever Goes Wednesdays - Someday Crafts
Fun Stuff Fridays - Toys in the Dryer