DIY Sustainable Advent Calendars
Hello everyone, although it is early in the year, the festive season is well and truly upon us here at The Little Green Larder. Our Festive window is out in full force, handmade using recycled items by our very on boss lady Jillian and Amazingly creative Alice!
They say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, however with the UK producing over 688,000 tonnes of waste at Christmas (according to packaging online) it is also the most wasteful times of the year!
According to business waste.co.uk “Christmas time generates 125,000 tonnes of plastic, with goods ranging from advent calendar trays and candy wrappers to enormous gift boxes.”
They also state that “The bulk of the plastic produced during the holiday season is single-use products”
Every year I see facts like this and although I'm expecting it, it still shocks me. How can we as a nation be so disconnected from the waste we produce.
Did you know that A typical advent calendar is made up of 43.7g of paper, 21.61g of PET plastic and 3.22g of aluminium. 22%.
Also there is over thirty-eight times the amount of packaging per gram of chocolate in an advent calendar. (Recycle more.co.uk)
Here at The Little Green Larder we want to combat that in every way possible. From gifts to tags, DIY crackers to your Christmas feast.
This year we have went one step further to bring you DIY waste free advent calendars.
These calendars are super cute and easy to make up. You can even get the kids involved in making them, then fill them up as a surprise.
You get 24 bags and stickers with numbers that countdown to Christmas. The bags are paper so can be recycled or composted, but do not throw them away, these bags are durable and can be used for years to come!
They also come with cute little pegs to seal them closed. These are also super handy for hanging them up on your wall with string.
Now you have your bags all made up, I know you are thinking “what should I put inside them?”
Never fear, we have you covered for that as well! We have premade bags with 25 mint chocolate crisp coins inside and also bags of pick and mix sweets. Grab a few bags and pop them inside.
You do not have to just put sweets inside, we have lots of other amazing ideas as well!
Advent Calendar Ideas:
- Scavenger hunt
- Treasure map
- Plans for the day e.g. lets have a winter picknick
- Popcorn kernels – lets have a movie night
- Baking ingredients – Christmas cookies or cupcakes
- Mae a gingerbread house
- Reasons I love you note
- DIY hot chocolate kit
- Side walk chalk for drawing outside
- Cinema tickets
- Bath Bombs
- Small books
- Pay it forward gift
- Letter to Santa kit
- Reindeer food (eco friendly of course!)
- Tickets to visit Santa
- Send Christmas cards to care home residents
- Read twas the night before Christmas
- Find donations in your house for the food bank
We also have lots of ideas for advent calendar gifts here at The Little Green Larder including:
- Sweets
- Dried Fruit (our apple rings taste like sweets to me!
- Nuts
- Lip balms
- Books
- Soap
- Bamboo toothbrush
- Make up
- Play Pres Toys
- Chocolate bars
- Fudge
- Bath bombs
- Shower steamers
We hope you have enjoyed reading our blog on these DIY advent calendars! We would love to hear if you have any other suggestions for what to put inside them, so please leave us a comment if you do.
Tag us on Instagram and Facebook in your calendar pictures so that we can see what you have created!
Jillian, TLGL