How to Make a DIY Advent Calendar for Kids (3 Easy Ways)

By Jess Harper Updated 9 min read

This advent calendar for kids DIY guide gives you three easy builds: paper bags on a string, a toilet roll tree and a big cardboard tree. Each one lists prep time, supplies and what kids can help with at each age. Fill the pockets with activities instead of candy, and the calendar costs a few dollars and gets reused every year.

DIY advent calendar for kids, 3 easy ways: paper bags on twine, a toilet roll tree and a painted cardboard tree with envelopes on a dining room wall Save

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Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.

Key takeaways

  • Paper bag calendar: about 30 minutes, the fastest and the easiest for toddlers to help with.
  • Toilet roll calendar: about 45 minutes once you've saved 24 rolls, and it stands on a shelf.
  • Cardboard tree calendar: about 1 hour, the biggest and the one kids can paint themselves.
  • Fill them with activity slips, not candy, and hang anything with string out of reach of babies and toddlers.
In this post9 sections
  1. Which DIY Advent Calendar for Kids Should You Make?
  2. 1. Paper Bag Advent Calendar (About 30 Minutes)
  3. 2. Toilet Roll Advent Calendar (About 45 Minutes)
  4. 3. Cardboard Tree Advent Calendar (About 1 Hour)
  5. What to Put Inside a DIY Advent Calendar (Activities, Not Candy)
  6. Mistakes to Avoid
  7. Easy Variations
  8. More Christmas Fun for Kids
  9. FAQ

Which DIY Advent Calendar for Kids Should You Make?

All three hold 24 small slips of paper, one per day from December 1 to Christmas Eve. Pick the one that fits your time, your wall space and how much your kids want to help.

3 DIY advent calendars compared (times are rough guides for one adult with kids helping)
CalendarPrep timeRough costKids can help fromBest for
Paper bags on twineAbout 30 minUnder $10Age 2 (stamping)Toddlers and busy weeks
Toilet roll treeAbout 45 minUnder $5Age 3 (wrapping)Shelves and small spaces
Cardboard treeAbout 1 hourUnder $5Age 2 (painting)Big walls and big kids

Costs assume you already have tape, scissors and some paint. Prices change, so treat these as examples.

1. Paper Bag Advent Calendar (About 30 Minutes)

Brown paper lunch bags clipped to a length of twine make the quickest DIY advent calendar. They're cheap, they hold a folded activity slip easily, and toddlers can decorate them with a sponge stamp.

Paper bag advent calendar supplies on a wood table: brown lunch bags, jute twine, mini wooden clothespins, round sticker labels, red and green paint and a star sponge Save
Everything for the paper bag calendar fits on one table.

Ages: kids 2 and up help with stamping.

Prep: about 30 minutes, plus drying time.

Mess: medium.

Supplies: 24 small paper lunch bags, jute twine (about 10 feet), 24 mini clothespins, round stickers or tags, washable paint, a kitchen sponge cut into a star.

  1. Step 1: Stamp the bags

    Flatten the bags on newspaper and let kids stamp stars with a sponge dipped in washable paint. Let them dry for an hour.

    A toddler's small hand pressing a star-shaped sponge with red paint onto a flattened brown paper bag for a DIY advent calendar Save

  2. Step 2: Number them

    Add a number 1 to 24 to each bag with a marker, a sticker or a round tag. Older kids can write the numbers themselves.

  3. Step 3: Fill and fold

    Drop in that day's activity slip, fold the top over twice and clip it.

  4. Step 4: Hang the line

    Tie the twine between two hooks or across a mantel and clip the bags on in order. Hang it high enough that babies and toddlers can't reach the string.

    A finished paper bag advent calendar: star-stamped brown bags clipped with mini clothespins along jute twine on a hallway wall Save

2. Toilet Roll Advent Calendar (About 45 Minutes)

Start saving cardboard rolls in late October and you'll have 24 by December. Wrapped in paper with the ends tucked in, they look like little crackers and stack into a tree on a board or shelf.

Toilet roll advent calendar supplies: empty cardboard toilet paper rolls, red, green and kraft wrapping paper, tape, glue stick, scissors and folded paper slips Save
Leftover wrapping paper scraps are big enough for each roll.

Ages: kids 3 and up help with wrapping and tucking in ends.

Prep: about 45 minutes.

Mess: low.

Supplies: 24 cardboard toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper scraps, tape, glue stick, a foam board or a large piece of cardboard, tissue paper.

  1. Step 1: Cut the paper

    Cut squares of wrapping paper a little longer than each roll and wide enough to wrap around once.

  2. Step 2: Wrap each roll

    Kids roll the tube inside the paper and tape the seam. Fold one end closed like a gift.

    A preschooler's small hands rolling a cardboard toilet paper tube in red wrapping paper for a toilet roll advent calendar Save

  3. Step 3: Fill and close

    Slide in the activity slip, then cover the open end with a circle of tissue paper so kids can poke through it each day.

  4. Step 4: Build the tree

    Glue the rolls side by side on a board in rows of 7, 6, 5, 4 and 2, open ends facing out. Add a paper star on top and number the ends.

    A finished toilet roll advent calendar: red, green and plain cardboard rolls glued into a triangle Christmas tree shape on a white board with a paper star on top Save

3. Cardboard Tree Advent Calendar (About 1 Hour)

One big delivery box turns into a tall tree for the wall. Kids paint it, you tape on 24 small envelopes, and it becomes the centerpiece of the room for the month.

Ages: kids 2 and up help with painting; a grown-up does all cutting.

Prep: about 1 hour, plus drying time.

Mess: high while painting.

Supplies: a large flat cardboard box, a box cutter (adult only), green washable paint, wide brushes, 24 small envelopes, tape, yellow paper for a star.

  1. Step 1: Draw and cut the tree

    Open the box flat, draw a tall triangle tree with a short trunk, and cut it out on a mat with a box cutter.

    An adult's hands cutting a Christmas tree shape out of a flattened cardboard box with a box cutter on a cutting mat Save

  2. Step 2: Paint it green

    Lay newspaper on the floor and let kids paint the whole tree. Streaky is fine. Let it dry overnight.

    A preschooler's small hand painting a cardboard Christmas tree green with a chunky brush on newspaper Save

  3. Step 3: Add the envelopes

    Number 24 envelopes, slip an activity inside each one and tape them in rows on the tree like ornaments.

  4. Step 4: Hang it

    Stick it to the wall with removable mounting strips and add a paper star on top.

    A finished cardboard tree advent calendar painted green with 24 small kraft envelopes taped on in rows and a yellow star, hanging on a playroom wall Save

What to Put Inside a DIY Advent Calendar (Activities, Not Candy)

Write one activity on each slip: a blanket fort story night, a lights walk, salt dough ornaments, a sock snowball fight. Our list of 24 Christmas countdown ideas for kids gives you one for every day, each with an age range and prep time.

Folded paper activity slips with crayon doodles, some rolled and tied with red twine, next to a paper bag and a wrapped toilet roll for a DIY advent calendar Save
Simple drawings on each slip help kids who can't read yet.

For kids who can't read yet, add a quick doodle to each slip, like a star for the lights walk or a mitten for snowball day. You can also print ready-made activity cards so you're not writing 24 slips at night.

Mistakes to Avoid

Before December 1

The most common mistake is making it too fancy. Kids care about opening something each morning, not about matching paper.

Easy Variations

12 days: make only 12 pockets and start December 13.

Kindness calendar: fill each one with a small kind job, like drawing a card for a neighbor.

Faith-based: add a short nativity story reading or a craft stick star from our preschool Christmas crafts on some days.

DIY advent calendar supplies

More Christmas Fun for Kids

Need a calendar-day craft? Try our kids Christmas crafts by age. If an elf visits too, our elf on the shelf ideas for toddlers keep things gentle and mess-free.

Frequently asked questions

What can I put in a DIY advent calendar for kids instead of candy?

Put in one activity slip per day, like a lights walk, a blanket fort story night or a craft. Stickers or small toys work for kids over 3, but skip small parts for under 3s.

How long does it take to make a DIY advent calendar?

About 30 minutes for paper bags, 45 minutes for a toilet roll tree and an hour for a cardboard tree, plus paint drying time.

How many toilet paper rolls do I need for an advent calendar?

You need 24 rolls for December 1 to 24. Start saving them in late October, or cut paper towel rolls in half.

Is a DIY advent calendar safe for toddlers?

Yes, if you hang twine and clothespins out of reach, skip small fillers and open each pocket for them. Toddlers can help stamp or paint while you do the cutting.

When should I make the advent calendar?

Make it in the last two weeks of November so paint has time to dry and every pocket is filled before December 1.

Pin with four photos of a hanging paper bag advent garland, a toilet roll advent tree, a green cardboard tree with envelopes and star-stamped paper bags, text reads 3 Easy DIY Advent Calendar for Kids.

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About the author

Jess Harper, Founder & Editor

Jess Harper is the pen name of the independent publisher who founded Puddles & Play, used for its holiday crafts and for editing every post. Jess isn't a teacher or childcare professional, so posts are checked for age range, supplies and choking hazards against published child-safety guidance, with AI tools helping on research, drafts and images. Each post is checked against those sources before it goes live and updated when they change. Every activity is meant for adult-supervised play.

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