DIY Goody Bag Garland Advent Calendar

Whip up an easy kid friendly DIY advent calendar using treat bags from the dollar store to make a fun garland you can hang anywhere.

Just stuff it with tiny surprises or activity cards and you're good to go! 


This morning I hung up my new advent calendar and it looks great!

I'm thrilled with the way it turned out.

In true Exquisitely Unremarkable form, it was super cheap and super easy.

This year, I wanted to shake up our advent routine a bit and these goody bags from the dollar store proved to be just the ticket.

Now I have a fabulous countdown calendar and a cute new garland for my family room, all in one.

There were six bags in each package.

I picked up four packages. One snowman, one penguin, two Santas. I am a red girl after all.

If online shopping is your gig, you can check out these adorable options instead:

• Traditional Christmas gift bags
• Cute and Colorful Character paper treat bags 
  
• Small character gift bags
• Adorable Plaid and Character jute bags
  
• Red truck Christmas jute gift bags

I brainstormed a few ideas for family fun and printed them out and then I popped into the local drugstore and grabbed a bag of candy.

But I love that these bags are generously sized, so they're big enough for some larger treats, too.

I stuffed the bags and then I laced them together with the ribbon provided.

I always put up a string of very simple white lights around the window seat in the family room to add some seasonal sparkle, so I just pinned the garland on top of it.

The gifts can be accessed by gently pulling or snipping the bag and the garland will remain intact for the entire season.

I was a bit unsure at first if the bags would look cheesy or cheapen my normally grown up and elegant Christmas decor, but I actually love them.

They're playful and colorful and I think they look very cute and country.

Besides, the rest of the house can be simply dressed, staged and serious, but Christmas should be filled with a little bit of whimsy.

Bringing out the kid in all of us.

The garland lends itself to lots of interpretation, too.

It could be hung on the tree, over a doorway, across a stair banister, on the Christmas mantel and of course, as I said earlier, any kind of small gift bags will do.

And if you have any bags leftover you can make one of these really sweet holiday signs with them.

This set only cost me $4.00.

Not a bad price for a new take on our old tradition.

And what could be better than that?

🎄🎄🎄

Psst- Ummm...how about a free advent calendar? ?

Do you countdown to Christmas?

Looking for more holiday inspiration?

Ceiling Fan Blade Christmas Crafts

Rustic Triple Wreath How To

Happy Christmas Countdown, Friends!