Advent Calendar
Some of my best Christmas memories aren’t from the day itself but rather from the days and weeks leading up to it: the letters to Santa, the evenings spent trimming the tree, the cookie baking (and eating), and, of course, the daily ritual of the advent calendar.
Every morning in December my sister and I would clamor downstairs to the calendar, eager to mark one day closer to Santa’s arrival. The Christmas countdown was a real tradition in our house, made all the more meaningful by the calendar itself. Ours had been hand made by my grandmother, and it saw us through every December I can remember. Even as a kid I knew how special this was, and I loved admiring all the details of her handiwork.
Now that I have children of my own, I am excited to bring the same kind of magic to their Christmas season. I wanted our calendar to be fun, modern and long-lasting, but mostly, I knew that nothing short of hand-made would do!
This Advent Calendar fits the bill perfectly. Made with a colorful selection of 100% wool felt and embellished with a bevy of beautiful sequins and beads, it’s built to withstand the test of time (and small fingers), with just enough vintage whimsy to remind me of where it all began. My girls are still too young to really appreciate the ritual yet, but I can see the spirit of Christmas Future, and it’s looking very bright!
To make your own calendar (and to start your very own family tradition) we’ve compiled everything you’ll need in our Advent Calendar Kit. It includes… (NOTE: The Advent Calender Kit is no longer available.)
- 100% wool felt in 12 colors
- Purl Soho’s Organic Cotton Sewing Thread in 3 colors
- Embroidery floss
- Embroidery needle
- Beading needle
- Sequins in 5 colors and beads in 3 colors
- Straight pins
- Iron-on transfer pencil
- Fabric marker
- Stuffing for ornaments
- Wood dowel for hanging
- 12-Page, full-color instructional booklet
- Cutting and transfer templates
P.S. Already have the materials? You can find the pattern on its own right here too!
Hi Cara-
The finished dimensions of the calendar are 15 by 29 inches.
Thanks!
Molly
Almost done with the ornaments…..takes some patience but has an addictive quality to it :). It's fun playing with color combinations. If I did it again, I might look at using ribbon, rick rack or small buttons for trim.
This is a wonderfully updated version of a calendar I remember from my childhood! I'd like to put my vote in for being able to purchase the pattern only – I have tons of odds and ends I would be able to use for this! How big are the ornaments themselves? Based on what you've said the calendar measures at, it seems they'd have to be pretty small…. Are they difficult to hand sew?
Would you consider selling one already completed? I love it, but know that I would never have time or ability to complete right now.
Hi Jana-
We don't sell any finished projects but if you wanted to have one custom made you could call our store (212-420-8796) and they might be able to put you in touch with someone who could sew it for you.
Thank you!
Molly
Hi Christi –
Thank you so much for writing in! The ornaments measure about 2 1/2 inches tall on average. They all take a little bit of time to sew, but they're not difficult at all. Also, the booklet has step by step instructions and photographs to help you along the way!
We will definitely keep your (and everyone else's!)request in mind for selling the pattern booklet outside of the kit for the next holiday season. It's a great idea!
Thanks again!
-Corinne
What a beautiful calendar! I imagine that with a little extra work, we could use snaps to attach to the tree. Without the ornaments, it could still be like little silver balls; and with the ornaments, so much color and dimension. Thank you for this gorgeous piece!
I used small Velcro dots on the last one I made. I sewed them on to the ornaments and they were easy to attach and remove from the ‘tree’.
If you are a little bit crafty, and also have some basic math skills, you can make one of these all by yourself without a kit!
My mom and I made three of these about 20 years ago, all out of felt, it looked exactly like this.
We had a little factory going with the sewing and making the ornaments.
We made 3 trees and made the banner just like this with the dowel.
At the bottom on each row calculate 6 little pockets for the ornaments
With the kids, we used to take turns each morning at breakfast.
We have a lot of fond memories of ours.
This is a good reminder. I want to make some for the grand children now 🙂
I am having the worst time trying to get the pencil to transfer to the felt. I've tried higher heat, and going over the numbers again but nothing is transferring. Any advice? Thank you!
You can buy felt numbers on eBay at a reasonable cost
Hi! I love the idea of this kit and I had ordered it. Why am I having difficulty with the transfer of the numbers. I believe I am following instructions but nothing appears on the felt! Help! Thank you.. Cathy
Hi Cathy –
I am so sorry you're having trouble with the transfer! To get the numbers to stay, I would first try ironing for longer (it definitely takes time for the transfer pencil markings to "heat up"), and if that doesn't work, go up incrementally on the heat on your iron until it transfers.
I hope this helps! And, please let us know if you have any other questions as you are putting your calendar together. We'd love to hear from you!
-Corinne
Hi Lily –
I am sorry that you are also having trouble with the number transfer, even after working with higher heat. I would also recommend working on a hard surface and holding the iron for a bit longer. If you can get at least a faint transfer, you can darken the lines by going over them with the fabric marker included in the kit.
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
I am in the process of making this advent and am having a difficult time with the iron transfer of the numbers. I have tried pressing very hard, using more heat and leaving the iron on for a longer time and nothing has worked. I also bought another transfer pencil and carbon paper and neither transfer to the felt. I have no idea what to try next.
Help1
Hi Lily –
I am so sorry that you're having such a hard time transferring the numbers! It sounds like you've tried almost everything! One last thing I would suggest is to use the iron-on transfer pencil to trace the numbers onto a piece of standard white copy paper and then iron them onto the felt from that paper. The paper that the templates are printed on is slightly heavier than standard text weight and this could be what is causing the problem. The lighter weight paper should transfer the numbers faster and with less heat.
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
Love it! I would love to order the pattern on its own, though, so I will wait until next year. Thanks!
I was also having difficulty getting the numbers to transfer. The following worked:
—-place the numbered strips face down on felt strips
—-pin in place
—using a large pin/needle or thin nail pierce numerous holes in the number outlines
—-using the fabric marker pen, push tip through holes
You should have visible blue dots to follow for stitching. Blue pen marks can be erased with opposite end of blue fabric marker.
Hope this helps.
To transfer the numbers, you could also run a needle tracing wheel or a pounce wheel along the outlines, creating perforations. Then you could wipe pounce powder over the holes in the paper. An alternative would be to take clay tailor’s chalk, crumble it, and rub it through the holes or to take a dressmaker’s clay pencil with a sharp tip and mark through the holes.
I think I may have asked this before the website updated, and now I don’t see the response, or my question! How do the ornaments ‘stick’ to the tree? Is it he magic of felt? Or is there something else that helps hold them? Thanks! Adorable kit! I want to make it for my 2 year old.
Hi Alicia –
This is a great question!
The ornaments attach to the tree with a straight pin at the back. The pins are all included in the kit.
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
I have all the supplies I need except for the felt. I wanted to buy them individually. Can you tell me the names of the colors in the pack so I can buy them?? Please help! : )
Hi Emily-
Here are the colors numbers of the felt: 02, 06, 12, 14, 18, 27, 33, 41, 69, 91
Thank you!
Molly
How do I order the Advent Calendar ? How much does it cost?
Hi Marsha-
The actual advent calendar isn’t for sale but the pattern and kit to make one can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9284
Please let us know if you have any more questions and thanks so much for getting in touch!
Molly
Okay, real talk: How long does this project take to complete. I love this project, and like many others, it reminds me of my childhood advent calendar. I have been planning all year to make it for Advent, but I haven’t sewn since I was a child. Is it more hand-sewing, or more machine sewing? As of today, there are 22 days until Advent starts. Do you think I would be able to complete it before Advent, or am I (and my sanity better off waiting and making it for next year?
It is lovely. The creator of this project really outdid herself.
Hi Charlotte –
Thank you for writing in! These are all great questions.
There is a small bit of machine sewing to piece the calendar background, but the project overall is mostly hand sewing and embroidery. The speed of completion really will depend on how fast and confident you are with these skills. Since you haven’t sewn since you were a child, my guess is that it could take you a little while to get in the groove so it may take a little longer to finish.
I suggest starting the calendar background now: embroidery the numbers, piece it together and sew on the tree. I think this is a good goal to finish in 22 days. If you don’t get it done in time, no worries, you can keep working on it in the new year, and if you do, you can move on to the ornaments! The ornaments are a great sit in front of the TV kind of project and can get finished over the course of a week or two. And, because they are sewn and stuffed first, then embellished, you can always use them without the sequins this year and wait and add the embellishments in time for next year’s Advent.
I hope all this helps! Happy sewing!
-Corinne
I, too, cannot get the numbers to transfer. Any other ideas, besides stencils, for transferring the numbers? Thanks.
Hi Susan –
Thank you for writing in! I’m sorry that you are also having trouble transferring the numbers. I’m not sure what you’ve already tried, but here are a couple of suggestions that could help!
First, you could use the iron-on transfer pencil to trace the numbers onto a piece of standard white copy paper and then iron them onto the felt from that paper. The paper that the templates are printed on is slightly heavier than standard text weight and this could be what is causing the problem. The lighter weight paper should transfer the numbers faster and with less heat.
Or, one of our commenters, Jayne, had another great tip that uses the fabric marker:
Use a large pin/needle or thin nail to pierce numerous holes in the number outlines on the template. Lay the Template on the felt numbered side down. Push the tip of the fabric marker through the holes pierced through the template. You should have visible blue dots to follow for stitching. After stitching, these marks can be erased with opposite end of blue fabric marker.
I hope one of these works for you!
-Corinne
Hi – I was having a terrible time transferring the numbers as well. I took Jayne’s advice and pushed holes through with the marking pen. I found that works best on my ironing board into which I could push the pen.
I am getting ready to order the kit and have one question the felt squares that are provided do you think you can get more than one ornament out of each square? I have three adult children that I was going to make these for as I had made one for them years ago when they were growing up.
Thanks,
Elise
Hi Elise –
Thank you for writing in. This will be a wonderful gift for your children!
The kit comes with one 18 by 36-inch piece of felt to make the calendar back and pockets, one 18 by 18-inch felt piece for the tree, and ten felt squares that measure approximately 9 by 12 inches for the ornaments. You can get roughly 6 ornaments per felt piece, so a total of about 60. If you would like to make two additional calendars with one kit, you will also need . . .
1/2 yard of 1mm Wool Felt Yardage in Ecru for the calendar back and pockets (this will measure 18 by 72 inches, enough for 2 additional calendars)
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/7211-Wollfilz-1-mm-Wool-Felt-yardage
2 pieces of the 1mm Precut Wool Felt in Olive for the tree
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6409-Wollfilz-1-mm-precut-Wool-Felt
1 piece of the 1mm Precut Wool Felt to accommodate the additional ornaments
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6409-Wollfilz-1-mm-precut-Wool-Felt
I hope this helps. Happy stitching!
-Corinne
Thanks so much for your response this helps a lot.
Elise
Just finished my calendar tonight on the eve of Advent! I’m so thrilled to complete it in time and it’s just lovely. I highly recommend this kit or pattern. I got the kit for Christmas last year and set a goal of chipping away at the project over the year. Someone asked how long the ornaments take, etc. I found it manageable to make 2-3 ornaments per month and then finished up the banner, embroidery numbers and the tree in the month of November. I’m sure it could be knocked out in a couple of weeks if you have evenings free. I have two kids so I knew to be realistic I had to spread this out. Anyhoo, just had to do a little “Woot, woot” that it all came together. Craft heaven I tell ya. Merry Christmas, y’all:)
Love this calendar! Making mine right now. Just wanted to tell you a customer came into our store today looking for an advent calendar and I directed them to this cute advent calendar!! 🙂
I recently purchased the kit for this, and found that there were only a few thread colors. Would you recommend getting other colors besides what’s included? In the example, it looks like you matched the thread colors with the felt colors. I’m a bit disappointed that the colors shown in the sample aren’t included in the kit.
Hi Carol –
To avoid including an excessive amount of thread spools in the kit we carefully chose thread colors that we thought would coordinate well with all of the felt colors, without “matching” them up exactly. You shouldn’t need any additional colors beyond what is included in the kit.
When you are choosing which color thread to use with a specific felt color, unspool a small bit of the different colors of thread and lay them on top of the felt. Choose the color that blends into the color the most. You will only see a small bit of the thread along the side edge of the ornament pieces, so any slight variation in color should not be noticeable on the finished project.
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
How do the ornamantes “attach” to the calendar?
Hi Sylvia-
They attach with a regular sewing pin. If you are uncomfortable with that you can certainly sew on snaps or safety pins!
Thanks for your question!
Molly
I love this! Do you have these kits available in-store? Or only online? (I tried calling the store a few times, it’s always busy)
Hi Kate –
I’m sorry you’re having trouble getting through to the store!
We do have Advent Calendars available in the store, both as a kit and as a stand alone pattern.
I hope this helps!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-Corinne
Thanks for the great project – brings back so many memories. This question will probably seem very silly, but how did you attach the sequins *after* the ornaments were stuffed…? In the pictures it doesn’t look like the sequin thread is running through the entire ornament so I’m assuming there’s another way. Any insight would be appreciated!
Hi Alyssa –
Thank you for writing in, and for your kind words about this project!
When stitching the sequins on you can use a “sewing” or “running” technique (pushing your needle through the fabric at an acute angle and picking up the stitch in one motion, always working on the right side of your work), rather than stab stitching (pushing the needle straight into the fabric, pulling the thread all the way through to the back side and then pushing the needle back to the front). This way your needle will only pass through the top layer of felt.
I hope this explanation makes sense! Please let me know if I can help clarify further, or if you have any other questions as you work!
-Corinne
Thank you, Corinne! That is very helpful.
I noticed in one of the comments that there is a bit of machine work necessary for this project, is that an absolute or can I do that particular work by hand? Love the project, am not great at sewing with a machine, just want to make sure I don’t get in over my head:)
Hi Allison –
This is a great question!
The Calendar pockets and hanging channel are all sewn on with a machine. It’s a total of 12 straight seams, about 18 inches long each. These can absolutely be sewn by hand, and may actually add to the hand-made beauty of the calendar, but should be done very carefully as they will need to withstand the tug and pull of the Ornaments coming in and out every year!
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
-Corinne
Hi there. Love this kit! And am almost done.
However, struggling with imagining an alternative way to fasten the ornaments to the tree. I have young children so do not want to use straight pins.
I saw (somewhere) velcro was one suggestion, but I cannot image that not looking tacky on the tree when there is no, or few, ornaments on the tree. (Or am I missing something – I’ve never used velcro before so maybe there is a nice looking application that I am oblivious to.)
Do you have alternate suggestions, or have you seen alternate suggestions that worked well?
thanks for your help!
-jen
Hi Jen –
I am so glad that you like this kit and that you will be bringing into your family tradition this year!
I understand your concern about the pins, and the velcro! I think another great alternative is to use snaps or hook and eye closures. These are less obtrusive on the tree when the ornaments are not up (and can actually look like part of the decoration). You will just want to carefully plot out the placement of the Ornaments before you sew the closures on to make sure to get the spacing right.
I will also say that I have been using the Calendar as is with my two girls since they were babies and have had no issue with the pins. When they were very young, it was their job to pull the Ornament out of the pocket (I always keep the sharp end of the pins stuck into the body of the Ornament to avoid any unexpected pricks!) and then point to where on the tree they would like it to go. In the early years, I would stick it onto the tree for them. Now that they are older (3 and 5), they are both able and excited to put them on the tree themselves (with supervision, of course!).
I hope this helps you find the finishing technique that is right for you!
-Corinne
I have looked absolutely everywhere, but nowhere in Norway am I able to find sequins that are 4mm – the smallest size available is 6mm. Would this work for the ornaments or would that just look awkward, do you think?
Hello Maria –
I’m sorry you haven’t been able to find the right sized sequins for your project! The 6mm sequins do seem a little big, and though they could look nice in their own way, I don’t think would work well for the same kind of border work we do on many of the shapes here.
Luckily, we ship all around the world! You can order 4mm sequins in 9-gram tins of individual colors, or the full Beads and Sequins for Purl Soho’s Advent Calendar set straight from our site, along with any other material you may need!
I hope this helps!
-Corinne
Has anyone tried using magnets or magnetic snaps to attach the ornaments? I’m trying to think of other alternatives that would allow my younger children to put up the ornaments without help. Would the magnets make it too heavy?
Hi Jessica –
This is a great question!
I have not tried to make this pattern with snaps or magnets, but maybe another reader has and can let you know how it worked!
Thank you for writing in!
-Corinne
For the machine sewing, does the kit already come with the thread needed for the machine sewing? I ordered my kit, but have not yet received it in the mail. If it is not included, what color and type of thread is needed for the machine sewing?
Hello Bonny!
Great question! Our kit does come with the Ecru thread needed to complete the machine and hand sewing portion of the kit with that color. Have fun making this lovely heirloom! -Alyson
Pattern? 404 🙁 -> http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/151204/404_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg
email-> victoria.kollar@gmail.com
Hello, Victoria!
Thank you so much for writing in! I am sorry the link to the pattern is broken, we are still working out some kinks in our brand new site! You can find the pattern for purchase here: https://www.purlsoho.com/advent-calendar-pattern-1.html
Again, thank you and happy crafting!
Best,
Kumeko
hello,
how are holding figurines ? with scratch or pressure ?
thanks, i m from France, and before check i would like this information
Lucie
Hello, Lucie!
Thank you so much for your question. We used small straight pins, similar to these to attach the figurines to the tree.
Please let us know if you have further questions and again, thank you for writing in.
Best,
Kumeko
Hi,
can you sew the ornaments together with a machine?
or does it have to be sewn by hand?
thanks!
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for writing in. Technically, yes, you could sew the ornaments face sides together with an edge stitch and then turn them right side out. However, this might be a bit tedious and could make the ornaments a bit smaller. I think hand sewing is best for this project, but you could give the machine a shot!
All the best,
Adam
Hi there,
I’ve never been a sewer, so as a beginner would this be a project that’s easy enough to do?
Hi, Nicole!
Thank you so much for your interest in this project! This is a great project for a beginner! I highly recommend taking your time with it so, if you want this completed for this year’s advent get started right away – each ornament can take a advanced seamstress an hour or more to make. Please let us know if you have any questions along the way! Again, thank you for writing in!
Best,
Kumeko
Hi,
This may be a silly question, but … how do the decorations stick to the tree? There doesn’t seem to be any velcro or press-studs or ???
Thanks
Hi Trudi,
Thanks for writing in! We pin the decorations to the tree but you can certainly try snaps or velcro. I find that the collarless safety pins work well and provide flexibility of placement and can be left on the ornaments!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Once completed, how do the ornaments attach to the tree?
Hi Laura,
Thanks for reaching out! Each ornament attaches to the tree using a small straight pin. The pattern includes a few handy pictures that demonstrate how to use the pin to attach the ornament invisibly!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Just finished reading the comments regarding this beautiful kit. Wish that I would have know about the marking pencil problems. I kept turning up the heat, only to discover that the felt shrunk!
Numbers to faint to see, felt lost quarter inch, and unhappy crafter…me!!
Hi Sandra,
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that your felt shrunk – I can only imagine how disappointed you are! Please contact us at customerservice@purlsoho.com and we will do our best to make this right!
Best,
Julianna
I love this design! Do you know when the Advent Calendar Kit will come back in stock? (Which includes the pattern and supplies) I put my email in to be notified when it’s back in stock, but wasn’t sure if you all had any other leads. I would love to have this fun project to work on during quarantine! Thank you!
Hi Abby
Thanks for writing in! We hope these kits will be back in stock sometime in late July. You may also purchase the components individually, they are listed under the Advent Calendar product details. The 10 colors of felt used are Tomato, Bright Pink, Coral, Peach, Yellow, Ochre, Pea, Moss, Mouse, and Ecru. These sizes are larger than what the kit requires, and would leave you with plenty of leftovers, but not all of these are in stock currently. But if you’re wanting to start right away, its an option! Hope this helps, and thank you for your patience!
Best
Jessica
Hello,
I would love to order the kit but I see it’s out of stock. Any chance to have it back in stock in the coming weeks?
Thanks a lot for your reply!
Hi Camille,
Thanks for reaching out! Although I don’t have an exact ETA, we are hoping to have this kit restocked very soon, and certainly well before the holidays! If you enter your email address on the product page, we will let you know as soon as it’s available!
Best,
Julianna
Hi, I notice with the felt ornament kit you do the beading before sewing the ornaments and stuffing them but with the advent you sew and stuff and then bead. Would it be easier to bead them flat and then sew them together? Or because they are smaller it is easier to do last? Any advice you have would be great!
Hi Liz,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, for this we instruct to bead once the pieces are sewn together since they are much smaller pieces than the ornaments, but if you would like, I think you can certainly try doing the beading first and then sew them together!
If you do, please let us know how this turns out!
Happy crafting!
Gianna