5 Creative Holiday Countdown Ideas

Kick off December the right way: with a fabulous countdown to Christmas. You don't have to stick to a traditional advent calendar, though - you can use one of these fun ideas to create your own special tracking system.

5 Creative Holiday Countdown Ideas

Check out these five amazing DIY holiday countdown calendars:

1. Shoe organizer advent calendar

2. Wooden tree advent calendar

3. Numbered Christmas cones

4. Stenciled bags

5. Yardstick advent calendar

Here's a closer look at how to create each of them.

#1. Shoe Organizer Advent Calendar

Turn an ordinary, hanging shoe organizer into a fabulous advent calendar that your family will love. There's plenty of space in each compartment for candy and small gifts, and kids can empty each section as the days tick past.

What you need:

• A canvas shoe organizer
• Double-sided tape or a glue stick
• Clothespins
• Cardstock
• Printable numbers

What to do:

1. Create and print your numbers, with or without a background, on plain paper. The background should measure no more than 3.25 by 3.25 inches; if you're only printing numbers, they shouldn't be taller than 3.25 inches.
2. Cut your cardstock into 24 pieces measuring 5.5 inches by 3.75 inches each.
3. Cut out your numbers over festive backgrounds. You need squares measuring 5 inches, which leaves a small amount of white border around each background.
4. Use a glue stick or double-sided tape to attach the numbers to the bottom of each piece of cardstock.
5. Clip the number cards to the front of each pocket with the clothespins.
6. Fill each pocket with special treats.

#2. Wooden Tree Advent Calendar

Create a special wooden tree advent calendar that's outfitted with small hooks to hold special notes, gifts and even ornaments.

What you need:

• Scrap boards
• Hammer and nails
• White paint
• A wide paintbrush
• 24 small craft hooks

What to do:

1. Organize your wood boards. Choose the longest piece to serve as the tree's trunk, and sort out the other pieces according to length. You want a tiered effect to create tree branches.
2. Paint each piece of wood white. You can mix white paint with water to create a whitewash effect, which is a little more rustic-looking than bright white is.
3. Nail each board perpendicular to the tree's "trunk" with the longest board on the bottom and the shortest board on the top.
4. Measure each board to determine how much space you need between hooks.
5. Screw in the hooks at even intervals across each board. Leave room for only one hook on the top - that's Christmas Eve.
6. Attach ornaments and other decorations, as well as small bags of goodies and other treats, to each hook.

#3. Numbered Christmas Cones

Set up numbered Christmas cones on your mantel to count down the days before Santa makes his way down your chimney.

What you need:

• Printable cone cutouts
• Holiday-themed scrapbook paper
• Printable numbers
• Double-sided tape or a glue stick

What to do:

1. Cut your scrapbook paper to match various cone sizes. Use the double-sided tape or a glue stick to hold the edges together.
2. Print and cut out your countdown numbers.
3. Attach one number to each cone.
4. Fill the cones with goodies and flip them over so you can line them up on your mantel, foyer table or anywhere else there's enough room.

#4. Stenciled Bags

Line a wall with stenciled paper bags, each containing holiday treats, to count down the days until Christmas with your whole family.

What you need:

• A strip of garland
• A spool of twine
• A tape measure
• 24 paper lunch bags
• Number stencils
• Paint or markers
• A stapler

What to do:

1. Stencil the numbers 1 through 24 on your paper bags. You can use colorful markers or paints - or you can add a little glitz with glitter.
2. Hang five 3-foot-long lines of twine on your wall, spaced about 12 inches apart horizontally. The average lunch bag is just over 10.5 inches tall, so you'll need the extra space on the top and the bottom. Make sure the ends are at equal heights.
3. Fill the paper bags with lightweight treats, special notes and small gifts.
4. Place five lunch bags at equal distances along each line. Standard paper lunch bags measure just over 5 inches, so if you leave a little over two inches between each bag, you'll have the perfect amount of room. Fold the top of each bag over the twine and staple both sides of the top in place. Put the staple over the twine so the bags are less likely to move.
5. Hang the garland over the top and down the sides of your display.

#5. Yardstick Advent Calendar

Create a wonderful countdown for handy kids with a yardstick advent calendar. It's incredibly simple to make, and it won't take up a lot of room on your wall.

What you need:

• 24 small tools, candies or other fun gifts
• A wooden yardstick
• A hammer and 24 furniture nails
• A saw
• Two small eye hooks
• Ribbon or wire for hanging

What to do:

1. Cut the yardstick to 26 inches.
2. Screw the eye hooks in the top of the yardstick at the 1-inch and 25-inch marks for hanging.
3. Hammer a furniture nail below each inch measurement on the yardstick. Leave most of the nail exposed for hanging - and make sure you don't go through the back. (Pro tip: Put something hard, like a piece of metal, beneath the yardstick when you're tapping in the furniture nails. That'll prevent the nails from going all the way through.)
4. Thread ribbon or wire through the eye hooks to create a hanger.
5. Add small tools and gifts to each furniture nail.

Have You Created an Inspired Advent Calendar?

If you've already created your own advent calendar, we'd love to see what you came up with. Share your photos with us on Instagram (we're @Mixbook) or drop a link in the comment section below - your ideas will inspire others and spread holiday cheer.