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12 days of Christmas Advent Calendar

A Christmas DIY Countdown Calendar is a great way to spread the celebration and festive cheer for longer!

Updated Dec 2023

Christmas Countdown Calendar

I created this particular calendar to countdown the 12 days of Christmas. The 12 days of Christmas officially go from Christmas Day to Epiphany Eve, which is the 5th of January, ending in a large feast day of Epiphany on the 6th (which is the day the Christmas decorations must all come down too)!

However you could use the same ideas for any countdown period you wanted to celebrate.

Why create a calendar?

I wanted to keep the festive excitement going during this twixmas period so I looked for a 12 days countdown calendar. But couldn’t find any I liked so instead I decided to make my own! I don’t know about your family but in ours we are a bit over all the chocolates by this point in the celebrations so I wanted something with a little bigger spaces perfect for presents.

What do you need to create the calendar?

What I found online was this 16 box set and holder. The perfect size to split up a jigsaw into! (It also gives four extra ‘days’ which I could of extended into with numbering but I just put excess pieces in for days when you want to do a little more).

All you need is

• Your frame work-this was the one I used but it also now comes in pastel. Or a Wooden countdown calendar is another good idea. Just remember when buying think about a) how many days you want to countdown and b) how much space you want for filling.
• A way of numbering such as stick on numbers, paint or sharpie pens
• Stickers and decorations. Are you going for a theme? A colour scheme? Or just full on Christmas?

What to include inside the countdown calendar?

• Little presents
• Sweets, treats and chocolates
• A game or activity

Jigsaws are something we enjoy but they can be time consuming. This way you have the excitement of a jigsaw but not over doing it it too. Also this is a great fun family activity which is over before people get tired and grumpy! Personally I took a jigsaw we already have to fill it so there is isn’t even any extra cost. I’ve just allotted us some ‘fun time’ every day! 

But you could also use game cards (buy a couple of boxes of trivia from somewhere like B and M and split them between the boxes). Or individual presents like mini nail polish or bits of jewellery/stationary /mini beauty items. Check out existing advent calendars for ideas-often you can get the items inside or similar cheaply. Or if you aren’t over food yet chocolates (we like Lindt Lindor in our reusable advent calendar) or mini bags of sweets.

The finished calendar!

Check out the pictures below to see it in progress, I used stickers and felt stickers to number and decorate.

If you wanted another way to create a 12 days or advent calendar check out our post on a spooky Halloween calendar and it would be so easy to give it a festive, sparkly twist!

What would you put in yours?