DIY Book Advent Calendar from recycled brown paper bags and cookie cutter stamps makes a perfect eco-friendly Christmas tradition for children who love a mystery surprise read during the Holiday season.
How about a DIY book Advent Calendar? Your little one will love old books turned new under a Christmas Tree daily surprise! And you do not need to wrap all 24 books! A lot of people wrap just twelve, and some even less! Do what works for your family!
Also, I have been accumulating Christmas books for over ten years! However, you can use a library as a source or even borrow books from friends! Children care more about quality rather than quantity! They love the surprise, the mystery, and the enchantment! Besides, you can achieve all that by upcycling a few recycled brown paper bags. And who said these ‘old’ books cannot make a perfect Christmas gift?
DIY Book Advent Calendar Tree
If you’re looking for a meaningful, memorable tradition this season—one that connects your family, fosters a love of reading, and brings warmth into each December day—start with a book, wrap it with love, and watch the magic unfold.
You can go green by using recycled brown shopping bags or by purchasing inexpensive brown paper rolls. Or, you can even use recycled newspapers!
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How to Make a DIY Book Advent Calendar
Creating a DIY Book Advent Calendar is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with a new holiday tradition that book lovers of all ages will enjoy. This advent book calendar idea lets you unwrap a new book each day leading up to Christmas Eve, bringing quality family time and a love of reading into your home. Gather seasonal books like Christmas-themed books or picture books. And don’t worry if you don’t have enough Christmas books—you can mix in library books, treasures from thrift stores, or even favorites from your own book collection. Adding a touch of personalization with number stickers on each book parcel is an easy way to create excitement, especially if this is your first year trying this storybook advent calendar.
Materials and Supplies
Below is the list of materials and supplies you will need to make this DIY Book Advent Calendar:
- 1. recycled brown paper bags
- 2. paints
- 3. cookie cutters
- 4. clothespins
- 5. twine/yarn
- 6. bio glitter (optional, and you can skip it)
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Watch the DIY Book Advent Calendar video tutorial below.
This great option works for families with kids of different ages and can be customized to their favorite genres. The fun part is mixing up good books and new stories for each day of Advent.
You could create a special basket to hold the books, so each night’s selection becomes a cozy bedtime story event with Christmas jammies and hot cocoa. It’s the perfect way to build a collection of favorite books that can be enjoyed for years to come and make a memorable new tradition that celebrates this magical time of year.
You don’t need a stack of 25 books to make it special. Start with a few, or mix in a surprise visit to your local library for fresh stories.
Some of our best memories come from gathering our little ones around and sharing stories by the glow of holiday lights, letting them dive into tales of courage, kindness, and wonder.
And here’s a little secret: they won’t remember if you used fancy wrapping paper. We’ve found joy in recycling paper, using brown bags or newsprint to keep it simple.
It’s the mystery and excitement that fill their eyes with sparkle, not the type of paper.
How to Make DIY Book Advent Calendar Video How To
The Book Advent Calendar Tradition
If we want to inspire avid readers, we need to start yearly! And this tradition can be perfect whether your little one can read or not. For example, a book-a-day rule can be an ideal cuddling opportunity for reading aloud, or if your child can read, a hot mug of hot chocolate and a blanket will add some holiday enchantment.
Best Non-Fiction Book Gifts | Holidays Family Kids
There’s something truly magical about the countdown to Christmas—those 24 days brimming with wonder and anticipation. But what if each day held the thrill of a new story to unwrap?
Picture this: your child’s eyes lighting up as they reach for a simple, lovingly wrapped book. Each one is a doorway to a new adventure, a shared moment, and a memory you’ll treasure forever.
This holiday season, create a tradition filled with stories, joy, and connection. Because sometimes, the simplest traditions leave the most lasting magic.
See the Holiday Booklist HERE and also below.
HOLIDAY | WINTER BOOKLIST
See HERE a summary post, “Christmas Inspired Books.” We have been enjoying reading, and there are links to blog posts where we brought books to life through small-world play.
ADVENT Book Christmas Countdown Tree 2018
The year (2018), we started the Advent Books Countdown Tree. These special books have been purchased or gifted since Julia was born, and I do not keep them out the entire year. They only appear during December and are kept away for the rest of the year, so they are as good as “new” to my children. This is a very special tradition, and I am glad we are starting it. The precious moments of reading together are something my children and I are looking forward to. (We try to read every night, but unwrapping a special “gift” adds a little holiday magic to our everyday reading.) See details and links about books here. Some of the new additions that I am very excited for are:
Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury
Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury (Hardcover) is an absolute must-Christmas book! It includes seven of Jan Brett’s most beloved Yuletide titles: The Night Before Christmas, Trouble with Trolls, Christmas Trolls, The Mitten, The Hat, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and The Wild Christmas Reindeer. And Jan Brett’s illustrations, borders, and style make children beg, “One more page, Mommy!”
Wonderful Winter
Wonderful Winter: All Kinds of Winter Facts and Fun (We have the Awesome Autumn book from this collection, and we loved it!) I am sure this one will be much enjoyed as well.
DIY BOOK ADVENT CALENDAR
Are 24 books too much?
I have heard that some choose to wrap less than twenty books because of the “pressure” of reading daily. Granted, there will be days you might not get to reading, but you can always double up the next day! Some books are small and take less than five minutes to read. With big books, just pick one story a day! Of course, do what best suits your family, as holidays can be a busy time, and we do not need any additional “pressure.” Lol. There were years when I wrapped twenty-five books and some when we wrapped fourteen or fewer.
Numbering Advent Books
Also, we number each book since some books are meant to be read early ~ like The Legend of St. Nicholas, which we read on December 5th. The book is about a boy named Nick who, after inheriting considerable money, decides to help his friends and those in need anonymously.
See St. Nicholas Day on the blog here.
I then arranged the books by size rather than numerically to resemble the pine tree’s shape. The largest books are on the bottom, and the smaller ones are on the top. This is also a great opportunity to discuss a calendar, history, and time, as children will have to determine the date and choose that number book.
For example, they will start with book #1 on December 1st, book #2 on December 2nd, and so forth. Moreover, sneak in a numeracy lesson by playing a game: “Can you find a number _?” as numbers are in sporadic order, and your child would have to find the number corresponding to today’s date.
DIY Stamped Wrapping Paper
Also, this year, for our DIY Book Advent Calendar, we used Jumbo Circular Washable Pads to make our DIY wrapping paper from a white recycled craft paper roll paper (40 lb, 48 Inches x 200 Feet for $18). To make a “print,” I traced with a pen and then cut out a tree shape from the dishwashing sponge. The craft paper is a little transparent, but decorating it with ink prints helps to obscure the contents. (We also used this paper to make hand-print DIY birthday wrapping paper.)
This was a very special process where the children helped me wrap all the twenty-five books (the 25th being The Story of Christmas Board book, which we will read on Christmas Day). We also had fun making prints while listening and humming to holiday favorite music! What are your Advent traditions?
Other Awesome Advent Choice Books
Some of the other great books that did not make this Advent Book Tree but will be in the next year’s are:
- Jan Brett’s illustrations ~ The Night Before Christmas ~ comes with a DVD
- Another absolute classic favorite book that we create a sensory bin with is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Lift-the-Tab, which we pair with these figurines, and children love watching the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer DVD
- Board book Twas The Night Before Christmas (we love the festive rhymes, many of which children know by heart!)
ADVENT I-SPY SANTA LETTER
With this 24 Days of December Christmas ADVENT I-SPY Kids Activity Pack that includes two Santa Letter templates, you no longer need to search or pin daily holiday tasks or scavenger hunts! Everything is planned and organized for you, including the 24 days of December tasks to keep the spirit of Christmas glowing while spreading kindness and encouraging giving and sharing. Also included with this pack are 2-page vintage watercolor scavenger hunts to seek and find either indoors or outdoors!
Find the details on my blog HERE.
Join Christmas Course
For Christmas Activities
See CHRISTMAS UNIT STUDY on my blog.
For Christmas Crafts
See HERE Penne Pasta Christmas Tree.
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