Here are 25 advent calendars to make your Christmas countdown merry and bright!
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Fun, festive and fabulous, Advent Calendars are the perfect way to enjoy the days leading up to Christmas!
In addition to watching our favorite Christmas movies and making Christmas ornaments, advent calendars are another favorite way we enjoy the holiday!
From images, to numbers to chocolate to little toys, Advent Calendars are a fun and special way to count down during the Christmas holiday season!
Whether it's bought or made, a Christmas advent calendar is so special and will be a much-loved holiday treat!
The best thing about these calendars is that there are endless options!
From posh, pretty calendars to more classic ones featuring Santa and snowman styles, we had fun putting together our top picks!
Read on for our list of the 25 Advent Calendars to Buy or DIY to enjoy this holiday season!
Who doesn't want to spend their Christmas at Hogwarts?
This magical, detailed advent calendar with 25 Days of Surprises will delight fans of Harry Potter with its mini wizard-worthy surprises inside!
The Harry Potter Holiday Magic Official Advent Calendar has toys instead of sweets, so it's a great option if you want to send it as a gift, or don't want to be tempted by extra treats during holiday time!
Minnie Mouse is in the holiday house! Cheery Minnie has her very own chic and festive Christmas advent calendar that is sure to make your little one smile!
A Minnie Mouse doll is included to kick off the fun! Open each flap to find a fashionable Minnie accessory or outfit, so every day starts with a new fabulous fashion surprise!
Play mix and match with Minnie Mouse, and with her pretty wardrobe expanding as Christmas grows closer with this fun Disney Minnie Mouse Advent Calendar!
3. F.R.I.E.N.D.S Official Advent Calendar
photo: MyKidzBookshelf
"I'll be there for you...!" This bright and cheery Friends-inspired advent calendar is just the best!
Channel your inner Friends fan and relive all of your favorite, iconic episodes with the fun Friends-themed memorabilia!
From the classic Pivot! scene to Central Perk, this Friends Advent Calendar is perfect for '90s nostalgia and lots of laughs!
4. W7 Beauty Blast Reloaded Advent Calendar
What better way to kick off the holiday season than with this merry and bright beauty calendar!
This fun and fabulous Beauty Blast Advent Calendar is a fun Christmas countdown that'll be a hit with the tween and teen members of the house!
Snowy, magical and perfect for surprising the princess in your life,
Disney princess fans will adore this Official Disney Princess advent calendar, which is full of enchanting surprises!
Open each pocket to discover a pretty ornament to decorate the mini pop-up tree within this royal holiday calendar. Counting down with this Disney Princess Advent Calendar will certainly add to the holiday fun!
6. Susannah Garrod Advent Calendar
photo: Anthropologie
This elegant, whimsical and posh advent calendar has a watercolor look, pops of pinks and green and was a favorite for sure!
This is the advent calendar we used last year, and it can double as a decoration and wall art too!
Dreamy, dazzling and resembling a winter-y townhouse, this advent calendar by Susannah Garrod is a must have for folks who love Christmas shopping in a big city, or love the festive, enchanting style that the holiday season brings out!
This beautiful advent calendar is, unfortunately not available this year, but visit here for a similar one!
Got a rock collector in the house? Then this National Geographic Rock, Mineral and Fossel Advent Calendar is a win!
A fun twist and a festive tradition, budding scientists and geologists will be thrilled to see this unique surprise!
A wide variety of gemstones and other geological treasures await in this National Geographic Rock, Mineral and Fossil Advent Calendar which makes a great gift that will last as well!
This sweet treat calendar is a great gift for any chocolate lover in your life!
The adorable packaging and festive selection of chocolates will make this a tasty holiday treat to look forwards to!
Teddy Bear fans will love indulging in a little Christmas cheer with this holly, jolly - and delicious Lindt Chocolates Advent Calendar!
Greet the snow season with this adorable and fun Fizzle All The Way Bath Bomb Advent Calendar!
Perfect for anyone who loves to have a little spa day, each flap is opened to reveal a bath bomb to enjoy!
Have a kid who loves dinosaurs? Here's a super fun advent calendar featuring these amazing creatures that will spark your kid's imagination and bring on plenty of interactive play!
This Dinosaur Advent Calendar comes with dinosaurs, trees, an egg and a play mat to give their daily dinosaur discovery somewhere to roam!
11. Barbie Doll Dress Up Advent Calendar
Have a Barbie doll fan? Than this stylish and sweet advent calendar will be the perfect choice!
Open the first flap to reveal a Barbie, and each pocket after contains a Barbie fashion surprise to dress up you doll with!
This Barbie Doll Dress Up Advent Calendar is cute, colorful and a fun way to count down to Christmas!
With plenty to choose from, you'll have fun finding the perfect Advent Calendar for your Lego fan!
Whether they are into Star Wars, Marvel Avengers, construction or Harry Potter, there are plenty of Lego Advent Calendars for every interest!
This Lego City Building Advent Calendar includes a play mat to go with the mini Legos that await each day and rounds out the fun!
13. Disney Storybook Advent Calendar
This Disney book advent calendar is true to our hearts! With mini books and new stories waiting behind each day of the countdown, they are the perfect way to get or keep your kids excited about reading!
This Disney Storybook Collection Advent Calendar will not only add to the holiday festivities but add to your child's library as well!
The mini books are perfect for a bedtime story or bringing along on those car rides or visits with family and friends!
14. Harry Potter Hogwarts Christmas Pop Up Advent Calendar
Join Harry, Ron, Hermione and the wizards of Hogwarts as Christmas approaches!
A large pop up tree is waiting to be decorated in the Great Hall at Hogwarts as each day an ornament is revealed for the countdown!
Also included in the Harry Potter Hogwarts Christmas Pop Up Advent Calendar is a booklet featuring stills from the movie along with a guide to all of the ornaments which are magical artifacts and other elements from the legendary films.
15. Ulta 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
Got a tween or teen who has a passion for make-up? Than this 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar is perfect!
The 12 day calendar can be a bit more flexible too! If you're looking for a cute, early Christmas party gift or want to have a small sweet treat advent calendar the other days, this 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar by Ulta is a great option!
16. Mattel Hot Wheels Advent Calendar
Do you have a car-loving kiddo? If so, than this Hot Wheels Car and Vehicle Advent Calendar will be a blast to open during the days leading up to Christmas!
Drive your way through each and every surprise door to find vehicles, accessories and a fold-out play mat that'll make each day holly and jolly!
17. The Purple Cow Crazy Scientist Advent Calendar
Got a budding scientist in the house? Than this science-themed Christmas countdown is just the ticket!
A whimsical take on the holiday countdown, open each flap to reveal a different experiment you and your kids will enjoy conducting!
Filled with interesting and fun experiments, this Crazy Scientist Advent Calendar will be a hit with the science fans!
18. Beary Merry Advent Calendar by Build-a-Bear
Build-a-Bear has a 'beary' fun advent calendar for all of the teddy bear lovers on your list!
Kids will open a little door on the advent calendar to reveal two bears and a new piece to complete their outfits each day!
Shaped like a classic gingerbread house, the Berry Merry Advent Calendar will be festive and fantastic surprise to spend the holidays opening!
19. The Official Home Alone Advent Calendar
Channel your inner Keven McAllister with the official Home Alone Advent Calendar!
This Christmas advent calendar will add a special flair when you open each flap to reveal an ornament recalling one of the many memorable events that takes place in the movie!
Decorate the pop-up tree with the ornaments and enjoy the fun booklet that accompanies this fun calendar!
Both nostalgic and perfect for newer Home Alone fans, this is the ultimate treat for movie lovers and kids of all ages!
Speaking of Christmas movies... Click here to visit our Christmas Movie Bingo post and get this free printable!
DIY Christmas Advent Calendars
...And, if you love to craft and DIY, here are some fun Advent Calendar ideas that you can put together yourself!
20. DIY Paperbag Advent Calendar
With simple supplies that you can either purchase or gather from around your home, this DIY Paperbag Advent Calendar will be ready in no time!
photo: Home Made Lovely
21. Gumball Machine DIY Advent Calendar
Super cute and fun, this Gumball Machine Advent Calendar uses the humble gumball machine bubble containers to hold those daily surprises!
22. Muffin Tin Advent Calendar
A muffin tin, magnetic sheets cut into circles (or paper with tape!) and some fun surprises are all you need to make this cute DIY advent calendar!
23. Hanging Envelopes on a Clothes Line Advent Calendar
photo: homestolove.com.au
Envelopes, string, mini clothespins and little surprises are all you need for this advent calendar that can be chic or whimsical depending on how you decide to decorate!
24. Family Fun Activity Advent Calendar
photo: loveandrenovations.com
Well, if you're trying to cut down on sweets, toys, spending money and adding to the to-do list, then this DIY advent calendar is for you! Each day during the Christmas countdown a fun activity is enjoyed- be sure to take pics!
25. Printable Holiday Hershey's Kisses Advent Calendar
photo: momswhosave.com
This clever and simple calendar is oh, so sweet! Click here for this free printable that makes your easy DIY Advent Calendar dreams come true!
Well, there you have it! 25 Christmas Holiday Advent Calendars to Buy or DIY!
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Do you have an advent calendar tradition or favorite way you spend the time leading up to Christmas? Let us know in the comments below or tag us @mykidzbookshelf!!
Thank you so much for reading and we hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!
Happy Holidays!
April & Cenzia
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updated 11/07/2023 originally published 11/16/2021
Thank you so much for reading! The envelopes on the clothes line is such a sweet idea and the materials are easy to come by! If you make it, we'd love to see a pic! We've made several advent calendars throughout the years and have always enjoyed the process -although one of them took years to finish! Not kidding! So, we appreciate that there are plenty of DIY advent calendars that are a bit quicker to put together!!❤️💚
We love lots of these but we love the envelopes on the clothes line most of all. I think we'll be making a version of that one. Thanks for the great idea!