DIY 18" Doll Size Advent Calendar

       Our version of the Advent calendar here is in the shape of a small cabinet. Tiny gifts, messages or treats can be numbered with labels for each day of December. On each day your doll may open a package or letter leading up to the last day before Christmas, December 24th. On December 25th the Dolls would open gifts under their tree. I'll include a listing below of ideas that you might like to include inside your own version of this Advent Calendar.

Finished cabinet version of an Advent Calendar for dolls.

Supply List:

• wooden cut-out
• two bottle brush trees
• cardboard
• white school glue
• decorative paper
• Mod Podge
• acrylic paints: red, green or white
• box approx. 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• masking tape

       We acquired first a small box to build our tiny openings inside. Any box will due for this as long as it's sturdy and approximately the right size for a doll measuring 18" tall. The sample show here is 5 1/2" x 3 1/2". Use scrap, cut lengths of cardboard to divide the interior box space into 24 smaller spaces. I taped and glued these shelves into place. Then I painted the interior shelves with red acrylic paint.

       Decoupage the outside walls of the Advent calendar with decorative paper. I used a scrapbook paper with retro looking Christmas packages for our doll's calendar cabinet.

       I then cut and pasted a balsam wood cut-out of a moose moving through a forest to the top of the calendar and pasted a bottle brush tree at each side of this silhouette display. If you haven't a woodcut on hand, you can cut a silhouette from heavy paper to decorate the top of your doll's cabinet alternatively.

• Paper cutting for silhouettes from Thrifty Scissors
• Christmas silhouette patterns you can cut out from our Belznickle Blog

The doll Advent calendar prior to painting and applying decoupage. (seen from different angles)

The finished calendar seen from side, back and up-close.

Activities you might like to do on each day of the Advent calendar with your dolls according to the 25 Days of December: Some of these activities may found at our doll's Christmas Index.

1. Share a cup of hot cocoa with your dolls.
2. Mail a letter to Santa Claus for each from each of your dolls.
3. Your dolls might like to build a small snowman outside!
4. Assemble a festive doll photo shoot for December.
5. Play dress-up with your dolls for a Christmas party.
6. Print or Draw Christmas cards for all your dolls the receive through the Dolly Post.
7. Craft tiny ornaments for the doll's Christmas tree.
8. Read aloud a favorite holiday poem.
9. Share a Christmas themed bedtime story with your dolls.
10. Sew a fancy Christmas skirt for each of your dolls to wear on Christmas Day.
11. Sing carols with your dolls.
12. Pretend to bake Christmas cookies in your doll's kitchen.
13. Go shopping for your dolls at a local dollar store for Christmas.
14. Wrap presents for each of your dolls with beautiful paper and tiny bows.
15. Take a ride in the car with your doll's to grandmother's house.
16. Introduce the Christmas story to your dolls from the Bible. (Luke 2: 1-20)
17. DIY a Santa Suit for one of your dolls to visit your dollhouse on Christmas Eve.
18. Give a Christmas party for your friends and have them bring their favorite dolls along.
19. Visit a church to listen to a Christmas choir perform.
20. Watch your favorite Christmas movie with your doll.
21. Have a Christmas themed sleepover with your best friend and include your dolls at the event.
22. Teach your doll how to string popcorn and cranberries for the Christmas tree.
23. Make angels in the snow or build a snow fort outside.
24. Watch doll stop-motion film for Christmas at YouTube
25. Take a photo of your doll wearing a wooly hat and heavy coat. Print this photo, mount it to a paper frame and hang it on your own tree to remember all the fun you had this year! 

More Advent Calendars for Dolls:

• Totally Rudy's Advent for American Girl Dolls
• DIY Miniature Advent Calendar with real candy!