I wanted to make my own Advent Calendar this year and I saw this idea on the Mother Huddle to make a sack calendar.

But instead of sewing each individual bag, I made tiny versions of the the “no sew” purse I saw in Family Fun Magazine.  I followed these directions except I used a soup bowl to trace my circles instead of a 20 diameter plate. 

I did the colors of Advent.  Two weeks the sacks are purple, then one week of pink, one week of purple, and the last sack in white.  I used maroon and white ribbon.

Each sack is labeled with a number that corresponds to that day in December.  I used a star template and cut out green and pink stars.  Inside each sack is a piece of candy and a Bible verse.  I looked at a few different Advent devotionals and chose the Jesse Tree which begins at God creating the world and ends at Jesus’s birth.  It highlights God’s promises and the people He called in the Bible. I did not buy candy for it.  We used what was leftover from Halloween.  That way each candy is a surprise.  My kids loved stuffing the sacks with a little treat.

Then we hung it up on the wall.  We had to make sure it was high enough as the two-year is prone to pulling things off counters and walls–whatever she can get her little hands on!

I am excited to have this new family tradition.  Each day beginning December 1, we will take a sack down, open it, and reflect on the true meaning of Advent.

Posted by artoornstra in Arts, crafts, and games Tags: Bible, Christian education, creating memories, family time, kid's activities, kids arts and crafts