Let me start by saying that before I had little kids, I didn’t really get the coolness factor of the advent calendar. Now I know. I know that they are far too excited about the big day and how fast it’s approaching. And they also have a way of being WAY too ecstatic about the gifts under the tree. One way to help them cope is by having an advent calendar. It’s maybe not the reason everyone makes one, but it’s the reason we made this Easy Christmas Cracker Advent Calendar. I totally rocked the calendar this year and even made some free printable numbers you can download.
What You Need Easy Christmas Cracker Advent Calendar
- Several different colored rolls of wrapping paper
- 1 toilet paper roll
- The numbers (JPG or PDF)
- Scissors
- Tape
- Ribbon or string
- A large 2×4 (I used an old weathered one I found as driftwood, but it’ll be mostly covered, so…)
- Twine
How to Make the Easy Christmas Cracker Advent Calendar
- Print the numbers (or just plan to write with a marker, whatever) and cut them out. Set aside.
- Wrap the toilet paper roll with one selection of paper. Just one wrap–and barely overlap the paper. Only tape the paper to itself–not to the toilet paper roll.
- Close one end with ribbon, squishing it a little.
- Smoosh the other end like you were going to close it, but don’t tie the ribbon around it.
- Carefully remove the toilet paper roll.
- Insert a little toy or a tissue-paper crown (you can cut one out yourself, if you’re crafty).
- Close the opened end very gently, as if the toilet paper roll was still in the wrapping paper, and tie with a ribbon.
- Complete 24-ish of those–just how many ever there is until Christmas. Set aside.
- Take your piece of wood and wrap the twine around it 6 times. Tie off on both ends.
- Cut 24 lengths of twine at about 5-inch lengths.
- Tie 4 lengths of twine on each of the 6 wraps of twine around the wood.
- Tape a cracker to each piece of twine that’s dangling.
- Tape a number to each cracker, counting down.
- Be sure they’re within range of your toddler’s grasping hands so they immediately pull them off. Heh.