Matchbox Advent calendar

Nothing captures the excitement of Christmas quite like counting down the days on an Advent calendar. Lara Watson’s quirky take on traditional Advent calendars is great for kids and adults alike, and it can be used year after year.

Lara says, “This matchbox advent calendar is a great way to use up your Christmas crafting scraps – we’ve all got a bag of leftover papers and embellishments from last year’s card-making frenzy!”

Making Lara’s advent calendar couldn’t be easier. Simply decorate plain matchboxes with festive patterned papers and wrap them up with pretty ribbons and trims. Inside the boxes Lara has hidden a range of papercraft delights, including stockings, presents, crackers and holly. The little loop ties that attach the matchboxes to the ribbon banner are a rewarding way of using up odds and ends of ribbon.

Tips:

• Many craft shops sell plain matchboxes - we like Yellow Moon's craft matchboxes.
• It’s better to use a dollop of fast-drying glue to stick the little loop ties to the boxes, so use a glue gun to attach them so that they stay put year after year!
• You can cover all five panels of the inside of the matchbox, but Lara has just covered the base, the top and the bottom as these show the paper folds.
• When you cover the inside of your matchboxes with paper, use one panel of festive patterned paper that you can fold in three that will then slot inside for a perfect fit. Once you’ve worked out the right size and where to fold it, use the first one as a template to make all the others!