DIY Advent Calendar
We have always had a refillable pocket advent calendar in our home that I fill with chocolates each year. I decided I wanted to change it this year to a neutral style for a different look and to fit in better with the style of our dining room. So I decided to throw one together with hessian fabric ready for the 1st of December!
I found a stocking patten online in the shape that I wanted, to cut out and use as a template. I made sure that I resized this big enough for the size I wanted for the pockets but also leaving room for a seam allowance too.
I drew around this template onto the fabric to create 24 stocking shapes which I cut out from a double layer of fabric.
I had originally planned to sew the stockings together, however, I then realised this wouldn't work well due to the nature of the large weave of the fabric. So I used an all purpose glue instead to stick the two sides together on the part of the fabric that I had left for a seam allowance.
I pressed the two pieces together and then pressed them between two weighted silicone mats while I was assembling the next one.
I then placed them on a tray in between layers of baking paper and placed heavy books on top while they dried.
I found a font to print out the numbers on Microsoft Word and resized them appropriately. I placed them in a text box and then changed the colour to a light grey and flipped them to the mirror image by rotating to 180 degrees on the format shape tool. I printed them in a light grey so that the ink would not show through on the right side once they were turned over.
I cut all the numbers out ready to stick onto the burlap. I had initally planned to paint them by hand but decided this would be too time consuming with so many numbers and also since burlap is a hard material to paint on accurately.
I took the all purpose glue and stuck the numbers to the front of the stockings.
I then took some twine string and wooden pegs to hang the stockings on the wall. These are then ready to fill with wrapped chocolates to open on each day of advent!
I love how this turned out! It was such a cheap and easy DIY and just fits much better in this room. I remember this tradition as a child and I love that my kids are growing up having one of these refillable calendars each advent.
To see more of this and other projects follow along on Instagram!
~ Rachel ♡
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Why would you not sew the burlap? The weave of the fabric has nothing to do with sewing and it would have been much better than glue. Glue solid surfaces. Sew fabric - it's more stable, lasts longer, and is textile to textile