I’m doing a little re-post for this Christmas craft because I haven’t actually been crafting for Christmas this year. Yup. I’ll wait while you pick yourself up from your chairs and stop gasping in horror. Did I completely go anti-holiday mental this year? Not really. It’s just with the craft fair and a big trip overseas, I’m too busy trying to stuff my life into a suitcase to sit down and really make anything. Not that the never-ending Michaels ads don’t tempt me, because they do, but I’ve been really good about not going bonkers this year … sort of.
Anyways, here’s an advent calendar for you to get set up before December 1st, in case you’re like me and you’re not really into trying to find 25 little gifts for your bubbins to find and then lose and then re-find when you accidentally step on it. Ahh, the true joy of Christmas – the veritable toy explosion to be found in our living room, where dog toys and kid toys are all played with equal gusto, dirty tennis balls and all. So, to lessen that impending disaster, let’s take a moment to reflect on the real reason for this season, and create an advent calendar that teaches a lesson every day until our Savior is born
I used Tricia’s advent calendar as the source for 25 days worth of Bible verses, and created flashcards with the verse and a little picture to help illustrate the idea. I’ve made these flash cards available for free so you can make your own! I only ask that you keep these for personal use and not sell the cards or the finished product. You can download them HERE (Scribd) or HERE (Google Docs).
Print out the flashcards, and cut on the black line. If you have a corner punch to make your life easier, then go for it!
I had found red library card pockets at my neighborhood parent/teacher store for $0.10 each, and I did a little dance at my good fortune. If you can’t find any near you, there are plenty to be had on Etsy, in a variety of colors. My cards were sized to fit normal commercial card pockets, just FYI.
Stamp the number for each day on each of the library card pockets. Alternatively, you can write it out or embellish the pockets any way you want; just remember to put the number somewhere on there!
Pop each card into its own pocket.
Now you have to decide how you want to display it? On a tree? Around the house? Hang them up and down the stairs?
I went the easy route and strung them on my upstairs hallway with some contrasting ribbon and clothespins. It adds a splash of color to my otherwise boring (and dirty) walls!
I wanted to really use it last year, but I think Josh was a bit young. This year, though, I hope to stop by our little display every day and share a verse with him, as well to take a moment for myself to appreciate the holiday season!
Thank you for these Advent cards!!