DIY Advent Calendar from IKEA

By Tara

I am well aware that talking about Christmas related things before Halloween is something that really shouldn't be done, but I can't help that on a recent trip to IKEA, the entire area right by the cash registers was decked out for my favorite holiday. I also can't help that with a due date of December 7th, I am bound and determined to have my Christmas fully shopped, wrapped, and decorated by the middle of November.

One item on my December to-do list for this year is an Advent activity calendar (this seems to be a Style Lush staple, as you can see here from Jennie, here from Elisabeth, here from Elizabeth, and here from Jen), and while I think I will most likely just use the pockets on the large embroidered advent calendar that I picked up from Lands' End a couple of years ago (and that doesn't seem to be on the website anymore), I still can't stop looking for other cute and inexpensive possibilities.

Enter the 24 pack JULMYS gift bags from IKEA:

For $7.99, the kit comes with the 24 bags and numbered stickers, and I can just picture how excited my three-year old would be 'unwrapping' each day's activity. I'm also imagining putting a little something in each bag to reference the activity of the day, beyond just a little slip of paper, like maybe a few of the pieces we'd need for the daily craft project, or a couple of ingredients for what we might be baking, or a bookmark on the day that she gets her new Christmas book. And it would even be a little something fun she could do with Grandma or her aunt, if her new baby sister doesn't show up in November, like I'm hoping she does, and I have to sit out a few days of activities. Because nothing says 'thanks for watching my kid' like forcing pre-planned activities on the sitter, right?

{photo credit: IKEA.com}

Comments

[HereWeGoAJen]

If you will email me in like two weeks and remind me, I will send you the printable list of Advent Activities that I have already made up (and already sent to A'Dell) that you can put into those bags.

Also, make sure I schedule our candy cane hunt for a day that you can come because that is by FAR our best activity and it is AWESOME.