There are a plethora of advent calendar ideas out there this year—I know, because I’ve seen dozens and want to do them ALL!—and while you might think it’s too late to start your holiday countdown, there’s still plenty of time to make your own advent calendar to use from now until Christmas. You could also simply make one for a friend for next year.

With my father in the hospital and half of our household sick, we were a little strapped for time this year. So e didn’t fill up little mesh bags labeled with numbers in a Christmas box like we did last year. Instead, we went for a simple paper chain with daily activities written on the back of each chain. This is something that anyone can do. We made ours red and green; feel free to use any colors you like.

We also added a twist to ours, adding decorative touches on each chain. Some had origami stars we had previously made and had lying around; others had candy wrappers, foil squares, or even paperclips. Fun!

If you do have more time or want to construct a beautiful advent for a gift, here are some awesome ideas:

An adorable Christmas tree advent with pockets, or this simpler version

Vibrant cones stuffed with goodies

A fun string of origami cups

Gorgeous little mini-piñatas

Awesomely diverse boxes

A funky baking sheet design

A super cute idea featuring packs of gum

Really cool use for toilet paper rolls (this is the one we were going to make to begin with; maybe next year!)

As far as what you put in each container or paper, it’s up to you. You could have a small toy or treat each day, or a coupon for a fun activity. Here are a few things we have in our advent calendar this year.

Make real hot chocolate (not the packaged stuff!)

Have a crazy hairdo day

Make cone Christmas trees

Go to the library for story time

Write a letter to Santa

Decorate for Christmas

See Christmas lights

Paint our toenails

See a movie

Paint our faces for no reason

Make origami ornaments

Have a Christmas “clay cartoon” marathon

Donate to Toys for Tots

Dress up for dinner

Make a cotton ball snowman

Do you have any advent ideas—either for the creation of the calendar itself or for the activities or treats to use? Please add your ideas below and share them. Together we can create unique advents to use every year.