Advent Village DIY

Every year, I enjoy coming up with a new way to package little surprises and activity cards for our advent calendar. My girls wake up delighted at the thought of opening tiny presents and treats as we count down until Christmas morning. I was scrolling through advent ideas on the ol' Internet last week, and I came across several advent villages. I loved the idea, so I decided to take a stab at creating my own!

Supplies:
-brown kraft paper or card stock
-clear tape
-ruler
-X-Acto knife & scissors
-sticker numbers
-cutting mat (optional)
-tiny toys and treats!

1.) To begin, cut your craft paper to whatever size you desire. I wanted my village to have all different sized buildings, so this number varied for me. Once you have your rectangle cut, fold it into quarters. On the second and fourth columns, use a ruler to mark the center and draw your roof pitch.

2.) Next, use your X-Acto knife to cut small windows in your building. This can be as many or as few as you'd like! Once you've cut the windows, tape the edges of the building together to form your box.

3.) Measure the width where your roof will go and cut a strip of paper long enough and wide enough to fit. Fold the strip in half and tape it on.

4.) Now, add your number sticker and repeat...23 more times! Easy peasy!

I adore the glow of the little village on top of our dresser at night, and my girls are eagerly anticipating December 1st! This project only took a few hours (not counting wrapping all the tiny presents times two), and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. The advent village definitely gives our previous wooden advent tree a run for its money. Happy crafting, friends! xo. Katie

Credits//Author and photography: Katie Shelton. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.