How do I make advent calendar with matchboxes?

Hi,

I'm sure in one thread or another I've read a post from someone who made an advent calendar with matchboxes which they could fill themselves with little treats. Can anyone help?

I'd love to make an advent calendar for each of my little boys which I could fill with little treats like sweeties, chocolate or small toys, but not sure where to start.

I don't have a sewing maching so a sewn felt one wouldn't be possible but could maybe hand-sew or use iron on webbing to fix together?

All advice gratefully received!!

thanks in advance to anyone who can help. :D
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Comments

  • I guess if you're going to use match boxes, simply you could stack them into a tree shape, glue them together then paint it green, and number the boxes. You could stick ribbon, mini tree decorations, glitter etc on it to decorate it.

    Here's some inspiration:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozrob/1909098528/

    http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2007/07/p_100867475.jpg

    http://www.bubblyfunk.co.uk/images/articles/Final%20Image.jpg
  • pobby_2
    pobby_2 Posts: 120 Forumite
    thanks so much that's brilliant!

    I saw these in boots: http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=122434&callingViewName=&langId=-1&catalogId=11051

    But at £10 each I thought I could try to make something on a similar notion rather than spending £20 (I have two children)!

    Thought it might be a bit fiddly to replicate the design though.
    The little trees from matchboxes are perfect :j
  • My children have home made advent calendars - one is made from matchboxes all stuck together in a cube and then covered in brown paper. On the front and back I drew the front and back of a gingerbread house using felt pens and then covered some card (from a cereal box) in brown paper and folded it in half to make the roof. Added some glitter and cotton wool for snow... Job done! The other one is made of 24 toilet rolls painted green and stuck together in the shape of a christmas tree. I stuck the back of it on to some card so the sweets don't fall out the back and then stuff tissue paper in the front of each tube - some green and some coloured so it looks like baubles - I just put little stickers with numbers onto the tissue paper... Job done again!
  • Natbag
    Natbag Posts: 1,563
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    I made one last year. I decorated each match box first, stamped on the date, then just stuck them together in the shape of a Christmas tree.

    adventcalendartree2.jpg
    Property buying/selling timeline - currently into week 21
    04/12/20: Both properties listed for sale
    11/01/21: Offers accepted on both sales & on our joint purchase
    25/01/21: Identity checks completed, solicitors instructed
    27/01/21: Purchase survey & valuation complete, mortgage offer received 
    05/02/21: Reduction agreed on partner's sale (under-valuation) & on purchase. Mortgage offer amended
    08/02/21: Buyers pack returned to solicitor - sellers packs already returned
    26/02/21: Partner's sale contract signed
    10/03/21: Purchase searches all back
    16/03/21: My sale contract signed
    28/03/21: Purchase enquiries satisfied, Title Report & contracts issued, contracts signed & returned
    11/05/21: Still waiting on final enquiry in the adjoining chain to be resolved. Consent to break the chain granted, instruction to move to exchange given.
    17/05/21: All parties agreed to June 3rd for completion
    27/05/21: Exchanged on my sale only
    28/05/21: ALL EXCHANGED!
    03/06/21: Completion
  • Natbag
    Natbag Posts: 1,563
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Forgot to add, the mini match boxes were ridiculously cheap in Wilkinsons. And I didn't decorate every single box, just the fronts then grouped them together, which you can see in the picture.
    Property buying/selling timeline - currently into week 21
    04/12/20: Both properties listed for sale
    11/01/21: Offers accepted on both sales & on our joint purchase
    25/01/21: Identity checks completed, solicitors instructed
    27/01/21: Purchase survey & valuation complete, mortgage offer received 
    05/02/21: Reduction agreed on partner's sale (under-valuation) & on purchase. Mortgage offer amended
    08/02/21: Buyers pack returned to solicitor - sellers packs already returned
    26/02/21: Partner's sale contract signed
    10/03/21: Purchase searches all back
    16/03/21: My sale contract signed
    28/03/21: Purchase enquiries satisfied, Title Report & contracts issued, contracts signed & returned
    11/05/21: Still waiting on final enquiry in the adjoining chain to be resolved. Consent to break the chain granted, instruction to move to exchange given.
    17/05/21: All parties agreed to June 3rd for completion
    27/05/21: Exchanged on my sale only
    28/05/21: ALL EXCHANGED!
    03/06/21: Completion
  • I've been thinking some more about this, to make it really easy, you could wrap them in different xmas wrapping paper before gluing them together then you wouldn't need to paint them. Much like Natbag's picture.
    Think I might have a go at it myself.

    The picture of the one from Boots looks good, if you were going to do that I'd stick the boxes together first. Then draw round the shape they make on a piece of really stiff cardboard, then draw the ginger bread man shape around that. Before you cut the middle out I'd leave some tabs on so you can stick it to the boxes. Cut it out, paint it and the box fronts brown or use gummed paper, then use the tabs to stick it onto the boxes. You'd probably need to do another one to stick onto the back to make it sturdy. It'd be a bit of a fiddle but it'd look good when it was done.

    Hth's.
  • mary43
    mary43 Posts: 5,845 Forumite
    That looks brilliant - oh I wish I'd given myself a bit more time...............maybe next year (if I start in January...........lol)
    Mary

    I'm creative -you can't expect me to be neat too !
    (Good Enough Member No.48)
  • Natbag
    Natbag Posts: 1,563
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    It only took an hour or two mary, and wasn't very difficult. I just did mine while watching tv one evening. :)
    Property buying/selling timeline - currently into week 21
    04/12/20: Both properties listed for sale
    11/01/21: Offers accepted on both sales & on our joint purchase
    25/01/21: Identity checks completed, solicitors instructed
    27/01/21: Purchase survey & valuation complete, mortgage offer received 
    05/02/21: Reduction agreed on partner's sale (under-valuation) & on purchase. Mortgage offer amended
    08/02/21: Buyers pack returned to solicitor - sellers packs already returned
    26/02/21: Partner's sale contract signed
    10/03/21: Purchase searches all back
    16/03/21: My sale contract signed
    28/03/21: Purchase enquiries satisfied, Title Report & contracts issued, contracts signed & returned
    11/05/21: Still waiting on final enquiry in the adjoining chain to be resolved. Consent to break the chain granted, instruction to move to exchange given.
    17/05/21: All parties agreed to June 3rd for completion
    27/05/21: Exchanged on my sale only
    28/05/21: ALL EXCHANGED!
    03/06/21: Completion
  • pobby_2
    pobby_2 Posts: 120 Forumite
    Natbag wrote: »
    I made one last year. I decorated each match box first, stamped on the date, then just stuck them together in the shape of a Christmas tree.

    adventcalendartree2.jpg

    Thanks that's just what I was thinking of doing.

    Not sure if I'm up to the full gingerbread man idea. Might do a tree one for dh and if that works out well I might make a gingerbread man or snowman one for ds - and if that works out will do another one for ds2!!

    Better get started on it eh....

    We don't have Wilkinson's where I live in Scotland but I'm sure I can find another discount store that sells cheap boxes of matches.
  • dallam20
    dallam20 Posts: 134
    First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Here's a link to one.

    http://www.bubblyfunk.co.uk/article_info.php?articles_id=39

    I have made this but cannot seem to upload the photos???

    Dawn
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