Homemade Christmas - Advent calendar

So I felt inspired this year to make as many of my gifts and Christmas items as I could, so I started in January to get a good head start although the majority was done in the last few months.

I decided to make the kids an advent calendar that would last as they grew and that would be an activity in itself.

I loved these bags I found on Etsy but  not so much the price although after making them I can kind of understand as to make 24 of them took me a good chunk of time.

So I used a lighter wait unbleached cotton. I threaded each bag with red ribbon and then used transfer paper to add the numbers. I wanted the hand print look so when I ironed the numbers on I wasn't too careful so that it didn't hold the ink in some areas to give it the uneven look.

I wanted it to be more than just putting candies or toys inside each year. I came across this idea for an advent calendar and I used her pattern but made it smaller in Adobe Illustrator to make a template for my birds. I loved the shape of the birds but wanted to change the look of them. I edged mine with contrast back stitch and adding a button eye and leaving out the wings and tail feathers but keeping the heart that also looked like a wing. I did lots of different colours so none of the birds were the same so my kids would be surprised each day. Then I added little hemp string loops to them.

I managed to pick up 2 mini $2 trees from the Superstore - one for each of my kiddies. This way as they pulled their bird out of the calendar each day they have had fun being able to hang them on their very own tree.

I think the birds would also make good gift tags for presents too. You could add a paper back or embroider the recipients initial on the little bird.