You probably know them: advent calendars with compartments containing chocolate. But did you know that nowadays there are much more sustainable, healthier and above all more fun advent calendars? In this article, Kirsten shows you how you can easily make a zero waste advent calendar yourself. Especially for readers of thegreenlist.nl she also went in search of gift ideas to fill your own Advent calendar. That way, you can still participate in this special tradition in a sustainable and inexpensive way.
What is an advent calendar and where does this tradition come from?
Advent is the period before Christmas and originates from Christianity. Advent involves traditions such as Advent candles, an Advent wreath and an Advent calendar that counts down the days until Christmas. The advent calendar in particular is becoming increasingly commercialised. You can find advent calendars of all shapes and sizes: from toys to beauty products and from jewellery to clay. You can think of anything and there is an advent calendar of it. Apart from the fact that many of these calendars come with a pretty hefty price tag, they also usually cause a lot of waste. Still, especially for children, it can be a lot of fun to do something special in the pre-Christmas period. Therefore, in this article, I will show you that with little money and materials, you can make a zero waste advent calendar.
A standard advent calendar has 24 presents. You open the first present on 1 December and the last on Christmas Eve. Of course, if you don't have enough presents, you can choose to start later in December. With this DIY zero waste advent calendar, you decide for yourself. Ideas for filling the calendar can be found later in this article.
Make your own zero waste advent calendar
Tools
- big branch(The branch I used was about one metre long.)
- paper or boxes for wrapping the presents(If you don't have wrapping paper at home, you can use newspaper or magazines, for example).
- marker to write the numbers on the packets
- rope to tie the parcels to the branch
- optional LED lights to decorate the branch(I found mine in the thrift store.)
Instructions
- Wrap all the presents and write the date/numbers on them (i.e. normally 1 to 24).
- Hang the branch on the wall.
- Put lights around the branch if necessary.
- Hang the presents on the branch. Start with the heavy and large presents.
Tip 1: A fun and appropriate sustainable gift tip in a zero waste advent calendar is to go and do fun things together. If you put a note with a fun activity in the zero waste advent calendar as a gift, it can be useful to make a list for yourself of what's in the calendar. That way you won't have any surprises.
Tip 2: If you have small presents or notes, you can also wrap these very well in toilet rolls. I cut a notch of about two centimetres at the top and bottom of a toilet roll, both left and right. Then I folded the two flaps inwards (so I did this for the bottom and top). This way you have a nice zero waste box in which you can put something small.
The best tips for filling a zero waste advent calendar
If you made or scored a sustainable advent calendar, of course you want the contents to be sustainable too. I listed the cutest ideas for you:
- If your child likes to play with Lego, Duplo or Playmobil, see if you can score a nice set second-hand and pack the different parts separately. That way, your child will have a nice little package every day and the set will get more and more complete.
- You can apply the same principle to a nice set of wooden blocks or a train track, for example.
- Or how about a game or puzzle that gets a little more complete every day?
- Fun for the creative: a colouring book with various colouring pencils, markers, crayons or craft supplies.
- Does your child love to read? Then you can fill the calendar with all the little (second-hand) books.
- One of the most precious things to give as a gift is: time. Fill the Advent calendar with notes listing fun activities you can do together. Some examples: read a book together, bake biscuits, go to the playground, dance to your favourite music, watch a Christmas film, go to the petting zoo, make a smoothie, craft Christmas decorations, paint a picture. The possibilities are endless.
- For big kids, you could put assignments in the calendar. Alternate fun activities with something the children can do for others. In this way, you immediately have an exciting and educational calendar. Some examples: picking out dinner, making Christmas cards together, ice skating, decorating the Christmas tree or picking out old toys for poor children.
- Finally, you can also fill the calendar with (healthy) goodies, such as homemade vegan banana biscuits (in the article on sustainable school treats find the recipe for these biscuits). It's okay to have a treat once in a while, right? For a change, you could add some vegan pepernoten (recipe we also have), put in chocolates or a Christmas wreath.
A sustainable zero waste advent calendar: it can be that easy
Hopefully, you now have enough inspiration to make a more sustainable advent calendar this year. If you have any good ideas not mentioned in the article, be sure to let us know via the contact and follow buttons at the bottom of the page. By the way, a zero waste advent calendar also makes an original and sustainable Saint Nicholas gift. And if you don't feel like making one yourself, you can also buy a reusable zero waste calendar such as this advent calendar made of cotton or this advent calendar made of wood. Good luck with it and have fun counting down!
More sustainable gift ideas from thegreenlist.nl
- In this article you will read all about sustainable shoe presents.
- Packing can also be more sustainable: see here 6 x DIY wrapping tips for the holidays.
- Another fun Christmas craft: Dutch houses made of old cardboard.
- Sustainable Christmas shopping: order online or buy in shop?
Photo credits: Kirsten Schoner.
