reusable advent calendar

I LOVE looking at cute new Christmas ideas on Pinterest every year.  It's so addicting.  I'd seen a really cute reusable advent calendar for the last year or two, but didn't have time and figured it'd be expensive and time consuming to make.  I was wrong.  Between a few supplies I already had and the few I bought, plus the time to make this... would you believe I spent $12 and easily made it in an afternoon?  And everything I needed to buy for this I was about to find easily at Joann and Home Depot.

For all those interested, the original blog I got the idea off of can be found here.

Did you notice Luna?  She blends in a bit, but the only reason she seems to be in EVERY photo is because I told her to go away so I could take photos, and this was her way of demanding to be pet.  She eventually won.

Sorry about the glare.  It's really dark today, so it was either freakishly dark photo, or flash glare.

Here's what you'll need to make this calendar:

• a 12x12 or 13x13 inch frame (this is a 13x13 shadow box frame with the glass removed)
• 25 2" metal tins (Wilton's set of 25 can be found at craft stores in the wedding section)
• cute paper (enough to back the frame, and cut out 50 circles, 2 per tin)
• stickers, die cuts, or a pen for the numbers
• metal sheets (I used two 7"x12" metal sheets with a bit of overlap, easy to find near lumber at home depot, cheap too!)
• magnets
• mod podge and small paint bush
• glue gun
• candy (I am using Hershey Kisses)

Start off by placing your metal sheet(s) and cute paper in your frame and get rid of the glass that came with the frame.  Hot glue the magnets to the back of each tin, making sure the magnet is strong enough first.  Cut out 50 circles to just fit inside your tins (I have an awesome hole punch that was the perfect size for this).  Split the circles in half.  Put the numbers 1-25 on half using stickers, die cuts, a pen, etc. Paint the mod podge over the numbered circles and put them into the lids.  They'll look ugly at first, but the mod podge dries clear, so no worries.  This next part is optional.  The Wilton tins set comes with 25 small round sticker labels.  Stick on in the center of each remaining circle and write an activity on it.  Place candy in each tin, put the lids on, and attach all the tins to the frame.  Done!

Two tips:

1. an easy way to make sure your papers are festival and match is to use a stack of scrapbook paper.  I used a Christmas stack of 6"x6" paper and was able to cut 4 circles out of each page.  
2. Make sure whatever activities you plan will work for each day.  For instance, I checked which days in December were weekends and put the significantly more involved things there.

I like that every year I can mix and match what things go on each day.  Over the years my kids will know what fun things are coming up in December, but never which day they'll be on.

I understand if you want all the numbers to match.  I didn't want to use a pen and my mom had the cricut at her house, so I used stickers.  I figured since the paper was all different the numbers should be as well.  I like the crazy hodge podge look I ended up with.

Some magnets list their strength or the amount of weight they can handle.  Aim for at least "medium", and make sure when you test your magnets (I taped mine onto a tin and stuck in on the frame) you do so with the candy you plan on using to make sure it's as strong as you need it!

That's it.  It's really easy to make and I love the end result!  It's exactly what I was hoping for.  If you want to include activities for each day but have NO idea what to put, here are some suggestions:

• write letter to Santa
• make Christmas cookies
• look at Christmas lights
• watch a Christmas movie
• make fancy hot chocolate
• make a gingerbread house
• read The Night Before Christmas
• make Christmas decorations
• donate gifts
• take a family Christmas photo
• leave milk and cookies for Santa
• discover new Christmas music
• make paper snowflakes
• sing carols
• shop for sibling gifts
• have a fireside picnic
• build a massive fort
• see a Christmas parade
• read a new holiday story
• game night
• make peppermint playdough
• make a red and green meal
• family walk
• make homemade hot apple cider
• decorate the house
• bring cookies to Shriner's hospital
• make flavored caramel corn

I've seen other awesome ideas, but alas, most others need snow.  No such luck in California.

Let me know if you require help making your own, I hope you have lots of fun with this calendar!