DIY Christmas Advent Tree

I know we've been in December for 7 whole days, but I'm JUST now showing you my Christmas Advent Tree. I loved the way it turned out! I was going to do a hanging advent calendar, like I did last year. But, while visiting a friend, I spotted her adorable tree and knew I wanted one too! Lucky for me, she had the supplies in her garage and we whipped it up in no time!

The tutorial we used can be found on Shanty-2-Chic. I didn't bother photographing our process, since we followed their instructions exactly! 

Last year, I focused on creating family memories, so I filled our advent bags with special activities. It was a great idea, in theory, but it really did get overwhelming in reality. Trying to come up with 24 activities (even though some were as simple as a coloring sheet), was kind of a mommy-drain. Know what I mean? So, this year I went SUPER simple and focused on what the advent countdown is really about; preparing our hearts for Christ's birth. With that said, each bag contains one new scripture verse and 1 hershey kiss. That's it!

I printed the sweet Bible verse advent cards from Happy Home Fairy. They're free and super cute! I just printed them on plain paper and cut them into 25 squares. Quick and easy!

I got 25 red and white treat bags from a craft fair. And, the chalkboard labels and clothespins were found on the dollar spot at Target.

Each day, when we open a bag, we read the verse and then clip it to the tree. Periodically, I read back through all the verses (maybe once every 3 or 4 days). I have an almost-3 year old, so I keep it pretty simple. I really play up that we're counting down to Christ's birth, which is Christmas day. I try to be as repetitive as possible with my language so she really grasps the concept.  Obviously, you would tailor your approach to suit your child's age.

And, that's it! This year's advent countdown! Fun, don't you think?

Here are my advent calendars from the past two years:

Red, Green & Aqua Advent (with Free Printables!)

Green & Red Hanging Advent + Free Printables

 Did you put up an advent this year? What's in your countdown? I'd love to hear about it!

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