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9 of the best DIY advent calendars to fill with treats of your choice

*Puts bottle of gin in each day*

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DIY advent calendar - DIY advent calendar kit
Etsy

They say Christmas is a time for giving, which is undoubtedly true, but it's also a time for eating, drinking, and being very merry. Kick things off the right way every morning in December with these adorable DIY advent calendars, which you can fill with whatever you fancy - so will it be a mini bottle of gin or a massive bar of chocolate? We're going for both.

And as we were saying, what would Christmas be without a bit of excess? Once you've nailed your DIY advent calendar, have a peep at the alcoholic advent calendars, the chocolate advent calendars and even the cheese advent calendar(!) on offer, too, just to make sure each day is truly festive.

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1

FrenchMelody DIY advent calendar -25 little Polar Bears Kit, £4.00

DIY advent calendar -25 little Polar Bears Kit, £4.00
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Have you ever seen anything cuter? With this DIY advent calendar printable, you can create 25 little polar bears to count down to Christmas with, and you might even be able to hide a little sweet in each one. 

2

CraftSupplyHouse DIY advent calendar - Wood advent calendar, £24.00

DIY advent calendar - Wood advent calendar, £24.00
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If you're more into the rustic vibe than something too OTT, this DIY advent calendar is perfect for filling with goodies of your choice (they're kept secret until they're opened, too!) and reused year after year. 

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3

supersweetparty DIY advent calendar - Star Gold Advent Calendar, £11.56

DIY advent calendar - Star Gold Advent Calendar, £11.56
Credit: Etsy

These fill-your-own stars could even be hung on the tree, combining your count down to Christmas with the rest of your decorations.

4

DIY advent calendar - Fill Your Own Bauble Advent Calendar, £44.95

The best DIY advent calendars for getting creative
Various

OK, so this might be a ~little~ bit more expensive than your average chocolate advent calendar, but it makes for a lovely decoration and is something you can have forever. Fill each transparent bauble with something of your choice - whether that's sweets, chocolates or even mini gins!

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5

supersweetparty DIY advent calendar - Kraft House Advent Calendar Boxes, £12.86

DIY advent calendar - Kraft House Advent Calendar Boxes, £12.86
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The top of this clever DIY advent calendar is held together with a little peg, which means you can easily put gifts of your choice inside. And how sweet are the little windows?

6

DesignsbyBeatrice DIY advent calendar - Reindeer Advent Calendar Boxes, £11.63

DIY advent calendar - Reindeer Advent Calendar Boxes, £11.63
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This kit comes with ready made reindeer templates, string and numbered stickers, so all you need to do is fold 'em up and stick 'em on! Between each set of antlers, you also have a chance to fill the days with whatever you fancy. 

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7

CustomLabelDesign DIY advent calendar - 24 Gold Advent Crackers , £12.33

DIY advent calendar - 24 Gold Advent Crackers , £12.33
Credit: Etsy

Combine crackers with the countdown to Christmas with these cute gold creations, which you can fill with whatever you please before twisting them up to open each day.

8

supersweetparty DIY advent calendar - Fill Your Own Advent Calendar, £11.56

DIY advent calendar - Fill Your Own Advent Calendar, £11.56
Credit: Etsy

If you're a candy cane fan, these fill your own boxes will be right up your street. Fill them with actual candy canes if you're feeling very ~meta~.

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9

BeePrinted DIY advent calendar - Printable Gingerbread House, £3.50

DIY advent calendar - Printable Gingerbread House, £3.50
Credit: Etsy

These easy printables mean you can create a whole village of gingerbread houses to count down to Christmas with, hiding whatever you please under the roof.

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Dusty Baxter-Wright
Entertainment and Lifestyle Director

Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.

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