Advent Calendars

Who doesn't love a good advent calendar?  I seem to be a bit of an advent calendar fan having made my first homemade version at the age of 16.  To be honest, I have lost count of the ones I have made ranging

Advent calendar with little notes
inside for small activities to do each day

from several embroidery ones,  a couple of sewn ones, to paper ones, a pegboard one, a mindfulness one and thoughts of the day one and even a Christmas joke one to last year one based around a wreath.   But nothing has made me prouder than the advent calendar or should I say calendars as five were made, that my daughter decided to make for her friends.  She said after the last few months she wanted to spread her love of Christmas and the Advent season with her nearest and dearest.  Gosh, my heart  ♥  swelled.

So a couple of weeks ago when Ella came to me to ask for a bit of help in her crafting I was delighted.  Delighted because she instigated it and was not cajoled, coerced, threatened that she had to make something to give to family members, as this is a time for giving, but she chose to do it and to make for people that she did not really have to make for and because she wanted to spread happiness.  That to me was Christmas joyful bliss.  Perhaps the next generation of my family too will carve out their own Christmas traditions whilst holding onto the warmth and joy they found here in the eclectic home...

The dining room table was commandeered, Ella on one side beavering away, asking for the very occasional advice and me on the other side, gleefully playing with Fimo clay ( a post to come in a day or two) whilst on a zoom call with mamma in Norway and my sister in Sweden.  We all raised a glass whilst chatting and crafting.  We may be many miles away from each other but we do the best we can, as we all are trying to do.

Isn't technology both a blessing and a curse.  Zoom calls,
FB and watts app video calls have kept us in touch
with those, we cannot physically be with,
more so than ever this year

I think Ella thought that making a paper advent calendar would be a quick make but in reality with all the thought, gathering of materials, cutting, glueing working out the logistics of where to position and how to create the doors, it took her several days, whilst holding down a full-time job and being nagged by me to help around the house and cook the occasional family meal whilst also pulling her weight to walk our new puppy.  The girl did well.  Albeit, she surprised herself at the time it all took, but that's crafting for you isn't it and anything that you care about always takes time.

First, she cut out a template of 24
windows for the advent calendar

Next, she wrote out the daily activities on a
separate card in corresponding boxes to the cutouts

She created a Christmas montage from old magazines 
and Christmas cards, stickers and anything else she fancied.  And then
the tricky part was to cut out the doors to correspond to the writing
that would be revealed behind.  We had a few hiccups along the way here. 
Namely mirroring the windows so they did not correspond to the writing,
which then had to be redone on one of the calendars.  Each calendar had different
activities depending who was to be the recipient.

Anna receiving her Advent calendar
socially distanced and outdoors of course

Anna had no idea and it was a surprise
to receive an Advent calendar from Ella

Anna at home on December 1st, having opened the first door.
A note from her mum reads:  A very kind and thoughtful
young lady has made Anna an activity advent
calendar. First task is to decorate her bedroom 🌲xx

♥  As an adult do you have an advent calendar or is it just for youngsters do you think?  ♥