Countdown to Christmas

This year, I have been looking for new ways to get my family in the Christmas spirit all month long. I must admit, Pinterest has played a huge part in my craziness this year as well! I have found a ton of ideas for things to do this year as well as crafts to try next year. I am so addicted!

My project this Christmas is a great alternative I found to the traditional advent calendar. My fellow blogger friend Amy has posted a Christmas bucket over on her blog (which I found via Pinterest) that I instantly fell in love with!

Amy's Blog -- feel free to go and check out her blog and be sure to check out her bucket! She is so creative!

I must admit, my little basket isn't a snazzy as hers, but I quickly threw this together just to see how much fun my soon to be 10 year old son would have opening different things each day leading up to Christmas. So far, he's had a blast with this countdown project so next year, I will be able to add a little more detail to our basket! Ah, a new Spencer family tradition in the works!

This is my completed basket! I think it turned out great for a first time project!

To start out, I went to our local Dollar General and purchased a little Christmas basket along with a cheap roll of wrapping paper. I also cut out squares of construction paper in both red and green to write my messages on for the envelope days.

These are the items I bought for my gifts to include in my basket. The smaller things I wrapped just like a present and placed them in my basket. The Gingerbread House was put up in a safe place until Logan opened the envelope for this project. Luckily for him, it was what he opened on day three! He was so excited!

Here's another shot of the small gifts I purchased. You can do as many gifts as you want and as many envelopes as you want. I just chose to get a few small items this year as a trial run. Next year, my basket will have more gifts, I'm sure, and less envelopes. I got a coloring book, a reindeer paper chain craft, and a pack of Holiday Tic-Tacs.

These are the messages I wrote on the construction paper for Logan to open for each day that he didn't chose a present for the basket. I will include a complete list of things you can include in my blog post.

As you can see, this is pretty simple to assemble. I put mine together in under an hour! Here's some different things you may wish to include in your basket or bucket or whatever you use to place your creation in! Be as creative as you want! This project is totally up to you!

The ideas listed below do not have to be new items. You can wrap up things you already own as far as favorite Christmas movies and books. You may also want to consider wrapping one or two favorites and purchasing one new to add to your collection! The possibilities are endless as far as what you can create!

Also, if you have more than one child, you may want to add a some ideas they can work on together as well as some things each child can get for that day's project. You can put as little or as much into this as you wish!


Gift Ideas:

• Christmas movies
• Christmas books
• Christmas crafts
• Gingerbread house
• Christmas coloring book

 Envelope Ideas:

• Bake Christmas cookies
• Go look at Christmas lights
• Make homemade ornaments
• Wrap presents as a family
• Mail Christmas cards
• Take a family Christmas picture
• Watch a Christmas movie together
• Write a letter to Santa
• Make a Christmas cake or cupcakes

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Be sure to add your own creative touches when putting this project together for your family! I hope you children love it as much as my son has! Be sure to let me know how yours turns out!

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!