I Absolutely LOVE the idea of advent calendars! To me, it helps slow down the season as you patiently wait for each day to come and reveal your new treat/present/task/reminder.
When we were kids we always, always got the chocolate ones. I don’t think I even knew any other kind of advent calendar existed! And I’m sure there weren’t nearly as many amazing DIY ideas as there are today!
So I’ve scoured the DIY-net and found 25 of my most favorite and easy ideas ever! I love every one of these and I bet a lot of them will be new to you because a lot of them are new this year! They all range in easiness but I’ve included ideas on the more involved ones to make them even easier.
Now get to it! Your advents need to start in T-minus 6 days, which is time a plenty for each of these ideas!
1.Cupcake Box Advent Calendar
Of course we can to kick the list off with our own contribution, this stacked tree made from pink cupcake/treat boxes! Print off the free stickers, fill each one with a present and you’re done! Find the tutorial right here.
2. Printable Graphic Houses
Print, cut, fold, done! Free from Mr. Printables.
3. Pantone Advent Calendar
Just add already-loveable pantone color swatches to boxes. Bam! See it here.
4. Printable Poster Advent
Love this one from Confetti Sunshine where you print out the whole poster and then you can add simple things to it for each day. Or just cross each day off if you’re really short on time!
5. Brown Paper Bag Advent
Lunch bags dangle from hooks (or a branch or just tape to the wall) for one of the easiest advents around! Also includes a free printable for the numbers. Good translate can get the page into English but it’s pretty easy to see the method just via the pictures. Find the how to here.
6. Geometric Paper Trees
The minimal geometric forest of trees is delightful and easy! Even if you didn’t use it as an advent, these all together on your mantel would be cute decor! Via Tell Love and Party.
7. Iron On Advent Bags
These cute numbers are a free download that you can then iron on fabric bags! Easy and so pretty! Grab the download and see the how to here.
8. Minimal Matchboxes
Grab some mini matchboxes and make this advent. Save time by wrapping each in paper and you don’t even need to hang them, just throw them in a cute box! From the Merrythought.
We’re total suckers for this cute, colorful collection of vintage adorableness. Plus the numbers are available to print for free! Grab the numbers and the instructions here.
10. Colorful Paper Forest 
This forest is a free printable! Just cut them out and attach to sticks and stick in a piece of styrofoam or a gift box (poke holes through with a pen first) or attach string and hang from a stick, your tree or just tape to the wall.
11. Ombre Circle Advent Calendar
Use a circle craft punch and a foam board to quickly make this advent! Use different shades of the same color, like they did here, or use Christmas colors or whatever matches your decor! Even grab some free paint chips and do the circles smaller. Options! See the DIY here.
12. Balloon Advent
These balloons are super colorful and are made to look like ornaments and hung on a super nifty driftwood tree! But even just balloons tacked to the wall would be fun by me! Pop one everyday to get to whats inside! See the colorful instructions here.
13. Tag Advent Calendar
Love the simplicity here! Just grab some tags and print or write on numbers (or use stickers or one of the free printables from another post in this list) and then write or print your inspiration/task, etc on the back! Find it at Poppytalk.
14. Punch Cups Advent
Our girls at J.Sorelle made the perfect punch out cup advent! So many ways this could be displayed and what a fun activity/surprise everyday! See it here.
15. Diamond Boxes Advent
Ok, to be fair, painting 25 pieces of paper in a watercolor pattern might not fit into the easiest category, but just use pretty paper or even leave it plain for a minimal look! Or find a background you like online and print it out. Free diamond template here.
16. Minimal Balloon Advent
Another fun balloon idea, these are filled with candy and the knots stuck through a board to keep them nice n’ tidy. I think using pearlescent balloons would be so pretty too! On Oh Oh Blog.
17. Toddler Sock Advent
I’ve also see this done with baby socks and thought baby/child or even adult mittens would be so cute. Use clothespins and adhere stickers! SO easy! This one via Martha Stewart.
18. Watercolor Cards Tree
There are so many options you could do here! Watercolor like they did, which I love, or use colored cardstock or Pantone cards or print patterns and cut into rectangles. It just simple and pretty. See it here.
19. Tree Box Advent
Use the printable number flags and glue little trees (could also use bottle brush trees) to mini boxes. Easy and way cute! Via Oh Happy Day.
20. Advent in a Jar
Cute litte pom poms with tasks attached fill a jar (with free printable stickers) for an advent that takes up minimal space. Get the DIY here.
21. Advent for Grandparents
I love this idea that doubles as a gift! Send envelopes to Grandmas and Grandpas with a picture of the grandkids in each one. Every day they get to add to their collection of photos! I know my parents are always asking for pictures and would love this cute idea. It would be even better if each photo included that grandparent in it! The instructions are at A Subtle Revelry.
22. Message In a Bottle Advent
A cute presentation that features the magic of messages in a bottle, this advent is a sinch to whip together! Those cute trees and the numbers and even the messages to put inside are available in the post for free here.
23. Surprise Ball Advent
This post actually isn’t for an advent but don’t you think a surprise ball everyday would be the best!? You can make them ultra simple by including just one surprise in the middle and making the balls smaller. You don’t even need all those embellishments, just a number sticker! Found at Honestly WTF.
24. Reindeer Animal Advent Boxes
Ok so painting and adhering little noses to 25 little animals might not be your idea of “easiest” but can you even!? I just love them! Honestly, I think you could leave the animal plain and it’d still be fun! Plus, then each box could just have a piece of paper in it and the animal toy could be the present/prize of the day. Here, at A Bubbly Life.
25. Mixed Boxes Advent
Another one we can dumb down if needed and skip the painting (although I absolutely love it!) and just use multiple mixed paper mache boxes. See their colorful version here.
