Our countdown to Christmas

I have been looking at loads of advent calenders on Pinterest and decided to do our own big advent calender.  It has been so much fun thinking what to put in each bag. I have tried to keep it as healthy as possible so not everyday will there be a chocolate bar or sweets but a craft or game/activity to do. I hoped that Little Boo would like it and this morning when we came downstairs I was not disappointed she was so excited and asked if Santa had brought them. 

I brought the bags from ikea for £4 for all of them.  I realise that this is expensive but I wanted to reuse them for as long as they last and liked the design on them.  A cheaper alternative would be to hang decorated toilet rolls or the cheaper brown sandwich bags.  Obviously I needed to be careful what I was including in the bags as the items need to fit.  I started a board on Pinterest with the countdown bag ideas  and I also had ideas of my own. 

Today's bag included some free colouring in sheets from the Library, Stickers from a sheet which I have cut up and placed in a few of the bags, Little Boos Christmas cards and a little packet of Haribo and some home made stamps for the cards. 

The idea was that Little Boo could write her cards as it is the 1st December I thought we should make a start. I have made some home made stamps which have Little Boos face on and have been printed onto sticker paper from the £1 shop so she enjoyed putting the stamps onto the envelopes. Then wrote the cards with the sparkly pens.

The advent itself is on the banister pegged to some ribbon.  The pegs I covered with some strips of paper that I had over from my Christmas crafts as I have been doing some iris folding Christmas cards.  I then cut and laminated the numbers which were from ewe hooo! and attached these to the pegs with a hot glue gun. 

I hope to share with you how the rest of the advent goes.  Most bags have easy craft activities that I have either thought of myself or brought from the £1 shop.  Tomorrow is a letter to Santa  I have found the template for this on sparklebox I have also just found out that you can post this to an address that the royal mail provide and they post a letter back! 

This idea can be as expensive as you make it.  I have tried to find a lot of activities that I already have what is needed or have found free items such as colouring in sheets.  I have cut up some of the sticker sheets that I have brought as well as helping them to fit in the bags it also means they can be used in a few bags. 

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