I’m co-hosting the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families, Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and the Catholic Bloggers Network. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.                 Does anyone else approach Christmas at the beginning of Advent with the thought that this year will be different, and then by the 3rd Sunday of Advent start to panic and anxiously trying to buy extra gifts to supplement, maybe even tackle an ambitious homemade family gift? I’m doing it again.

Only TWO weeks until Advent begins! Are you ready? Last Advent, I wanted to make my own custom Advent Calendar. The problem was that I decided to recycle yogurt containers to create the little pockets inside the box….but it took me well into Advent to collect the 20 that I wanted to use! I never ended up posting my final Advent Calendar…and this will be the first Advent that we use it! It ended up being kind of an ambitious project…and took me back to Architecture school, with my Xacto knife and cardboard model making. I decided to add some variety (and to save space and yogurt containers!), I would make some of the compartments drawers instead of doors, using dollar store matchboxes for my hardware.

A paper chain link from the Advent & Lent Quest Cathletics Craft Kit!

can fit in one of these little drawers, or you could add your own Advent messages or challenges. I added the shelves as added structure for the box.  I cut the doors and drawer holes carefully with my craft knife.  The matchboxes friction-fit into the holes, but are reinforced with glue around the seam, on the inside of the cardboard box. The yogurt containers were easily glue-gunned in place and make nice clean plastic pockets.

I decorated the door panels with Catholic Artworks Advent Clipart (they’ve got a sale on right now!) tying the Jesse Tree into our Advent Calendar.  See other Homemade Advent Calendars from the Equipping Catholic Families post from last year!

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