After many years of using the same advent calendar, this year I’ve added something new: a very modern-looking PVC pipe advent calendar that we’ll use as our Christmas countdown!
I wanted a calendar that would not only be simple to make but would last for years … and this one fits both requirements.
To make the calendar, I bought 24 pieces of 1.5 inch PVC coupling. Using coupling eliminates the need for cutting and ensures that all the edges are smooth and even.
I considered using copper or metal coupling instead and you definitely could although it’ll raise the project cost significantly.
I used a glue gun to attach the pieces together, forming them into a tree pattern as I went. The hot glue held very well and I ended up with a sturdy tree.
To finish the advent calendar, I used a circle punch to punch 24 circles from red cardstock and attached them to the front edges of the coupling pieces. I like an eclectic look so I used a mix of scrapbook stickers and placed the numbers in a random order. If you like a more uniform look you could use stickers that look the same or even different styles but all in one color.
The calendar can easily be filled from the back. I plan to fill ours with a daily advent reading from the Jesus Storybook Bible and five pieces of candy for my munchkins. I’ll place the calendar against the wall so the kids can’t see what’s inside and enforce a no cheating rule {wink}.
And for those that are familiar with our 24 Days of Service during December, we won’t entirely retire it but we will have to make some adaptations. With four kids in school for much of the month of December plus a busy basketball season, in the last year or so we’ve found it hard to do a daily activity. This year we’ll focus on a few large activities and look for informal ways to serve.
Are you using an advent calendar or Christmas countdown this year?
So clever, fresh and modern!
Very clever and the “tree” shape is so cool too
Awesome