Last Minute Stocking Advent Calendar

No time for your handmade, hand-sewn stocking creation?  Don't worry - here's a quick alternative!

Holidays are coming! 9 more sleeps until we can open our advent calendars [Hotel Chocolat? Yes please!]  I love handmade advents, but as last year and the year before that [and probably the year before that], I've left it too late to start the felt, bead and sequin creation I had planned.

So, today I post a free card-craft Stocking Advent download - if you're running a bit short on time before the 1st December, but still want a handmade advent, this is the perfect project for you!

What You Need:

7 A4 Sheets of White Card

Scissors [& a craft knife if you have one]

Hole Punch

Hanging String

Cellotape/Glue

[Right click on the images to save to your computer to print]

To create a 24 day advent, you will need to print 6 pages of the Advent Stockings download and 1 sheet of the Advent Numbers download on to white card.  

However; if you are not so keen on the colours I have chosen for the stockings - you could print one sheet and use the shapes as templates to trace on to the colour or pattern of your choice.  Or use the downloads as a background and add glitter, fabric, paint - whatever you like to use to add your own design - perfect for crafty kids to decorate as well.

Cut out the Advent Stockings and Advent Numbers [I varied the style of cutting the numbers: following the lines, cutting into squares and leaving a white border - and I wont lie, my fingers were hurting a bit after all the stocking cutting out].

To hang the stockings, you can either punch holes in the top right hand of the stocking [I used the top far right spot detail as a guide], or place with fasteners such as pegs or paperclips.

To store goodies [chocolate and sweets to me], the Advent Stockings have a dotted line across 
the opening of the Stocking and using this as a guide, cut a line using a craft knife or sharp end 
of scissors about 2/3 across.  [Sweets from the tins that are rather cheap to buy at the moment are the perfect size - but what to do with the left overs?....]

Measure your hanging space with decorative string or thread and evenly thread the stockings [you can secure on the back with some cellotape if needed].  Attach the Advent Numbers with cellotape/glue to the stocking and/or string or ribbons tied in a bow.

A couple of fairy lights and it's all beginning to look very much like Christmas.  
Please have a go - and if you do, show me the result!

P.S - I've also added a 25th Advent Number in the download, just in case you wanted to add an extra special something to open on Christmas day.