The following is an excerpt from a blog from The House on Silverado. Click here to read the original article.
There are all kinds of Advent calendar ideas; calendars with little doors that open to reveal small toys, Christmas cookies or candy, and various other mini gifts. But this DIY Kids Advent Calendar filled with books is one of the best Advent calendars ever. It’s designed to inspire the love of reading and build fun Christmas traditions.
Materials List:
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Chalk Mineral Paint (Barn Red, Rustic Red, Evergreen, English Ivy, Colonel Mustard, Cotton)
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Holiday Joy Stencil
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Gilding Wax in Gold or Silver
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Artist Brushes
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Easy Peasy Spray Wax
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Buffing Pad
Find a Box or Crate
Because you’re going to fill your container with 24 books, you will want to find a sturdy wooden box or crate to support the weight.
Shop for Books
Thrift stores are a great place to shop for children’s books! I’ve been collecting books for the past year and found all 24 books at various local thrift stores. I didn’t pay more than 99 cents for any of them! Some were even less!
Decorate and Personalize
My crate came prefinished in a grayish/white color, so I was ready to jump right into the step of decorating and personalizing. Nevertheless, if you’re not happy with the existing color of your crate, just give it a quick coat or two of light paint color. Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in the colors Fluff, Cotton, or Driftwood would work well.
I used Dixie Belle’s Holiday Joy stencil to help me decorate my own DIY Advent calendar. From my paint stash, I selected several seasonal colors to use on my fun project and got to work. My Dixie Belle Artist Brushes worked nicely for filling in the small stencil openings.
This homemade advent calendar can also help very young children who may struggle with having to wait to open all of those tempting gifts under the tree until Christmas morning. With this fun activity, they can look forward to selecting one book to open each night as a bedtime story. Not to mention, a small gift for each day of December will help them count down to Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas,
More Dixie Belle Christmas Projects by The House on Silverado:
(end blog)
What a jolly journey it has been, exploring the whimsical world of Christmas crafting and storytelling all in one! As we close our Christmas Book Advent Calendar adventure, we want to extend a warm thank you for allowing us to be part of your festive season. In the spirit of creative joy, we’ve painted our way into the holiday spirit. We’ve also crafted a unique Advent calendar that we hope will become a cherished tradition in your home. Now, here’s to a season filled with love, laughter, and the magic of Christmas tales. From The House on Silverado and Dixie Belle Paint Company, we send you warm wishes for a joyous holiday and a new year brimming with endless possibilities.