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Mini Tree Advent Calendar + Free Template

It’s advent calendar time! Anyone who has read this site knows I love advent calendars. In our family we print out a list of Christmas related activities and put one in each box with a little toy or candy. Some activities are big, like “go see the Nutcracker” or “Sit on Santa’s lap” but others are simple, like: “Drink Spiced Cider” or “Hang Mistle Toe.” I started doing this as a way to avoid missing Christmas. Sometimes it gets so busy that we forget to do the things that make us love the Holidays in the first place. This helps me make time for the fun traditions and my children love it. (Check out our other advent calendars here.)

This might be my favorite advent yet. All you need is the free downloadable template and glue to make this little forest come to life.

Click through for full details and sources.

Materials Needed: 25 Mini Pine Trees, 25 2″ Brown Boxes, Free Downloadable Template, Quick Dry Tacky Glue, Scissors

Step 1: Download the free template, print it out and cut out the little flags.
Step 2: Take the flags and bend them around a pen so they are wavy.
Step 3: Take the quick dry glue and add a little to the end of the flag before attaching it in the tree branches.
Step 4: Add glue to the bottom of the tree stand and put it on the lid of the box until dry.

Credits and our Talented Contributors:
Photography by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day
Art Directed by Jordan Ferney
Produced by Ashley Rose Kirschling
Crafting and Calligraphy by Julie Manwaring at Flourish & Whim

  1. laura parke

    November 20, 2012

    these are so cute and so easy! i love the miniature forest, capped off by the little red car with the tree on top. so adorable!

  2. Carrie Rosalind

    November 20, 2012

    Love it!! One of the cutest advent calendars I’ve seen…I might just have to make one this year! 🙂

  3. Helen Jane

    November 20, 2012

    This is absolutely adorable.

  4. Ez

    November 20, 2012

    How wonderful! This is my favorite holiday idea I’ve seen in ages! You are such an inspiration Jordan! Thank you for sharing your beautiful ideas with us. xo Ez

  5. little kitchie

    November 20, 2012

    soooooo cute!!! i’m going to try to make this after all the thanksgiving craziness. i don’t have kids of my own, but i’m a teacher and i do have a classroom full of little ones who would love this!

  6. Sarah

    November 20, 2012

    This is brilliant–I love it! Thanks for sharing!

    Have been following your blog for awhile, but this is my first comment–just want to say that I adore all your stuff, really! And, my husband & I were in San Francisco in October, so I came to your blog to get all the good details. We loved the ferry building!

    xo

  7. Holly

    November 20, 2012

    You always have the most adorable DIY crafty projects, Jordan!!

  8. Gina

    November 20, 2012

    Advent calendars were always a favorite when I was young. This is darling!

  9. kristin

    November 20, 2012

    I reeeeally love this, Jordan! If I don’t end up sewing one, this is the perfect idea.

  10. Carina

    November 20, 2012

    Ohhhh my goodness, this is by far the best advent calendar I’ve seen. I LOVE it!

  11. Karen A

    November 20, 2012

    This Advent calendar is so adorable!

  12. LARY@ Inspiration Nook

    November 20, 2012

    This is lovely. 🙂

  13. Tara

    November 20, 2012

    This is my favorite advent calendar of all time! Thanks for inspiring us 🙂

  14. mary @ B&Gjournals

    November 20, 2012

    loving this lots and lots. and how sweet that there are fun activities within each little box, so thoughtful.

  15. Lisette

    November 20, 2012

    Cute and clever like always!

  16. mundart

    November 20, 2012

    WOW WOW WOW! So amazing!

  17. Casey

    November 20, 2012

    What a sweet project! I especially love the little flags attached to the trees. And I totally need to tie tiny Christmas trees to all of my mini MINI Coopers! 🙂

  18. Stefy

    November 20, 2012

    That’s brillant ! I love this advent calendar ideas , thank you for sharing 😉

  19. mom in mendon

    November 20, 2012

    So clever.

  20. Pilar

    November 20, 2012

    It’s a great project. I have to search for this little trees in my town!! I love it and specially the philosophy behind it. Your children have a great and sweet mama! I still have to decide what kind of Advent calendar I want!

    Hugs from Spain

    secondopilar.blogspot.com

  21. deana

    November 20, 2012

  22. sarah

    November 20, 2012

  23. Chrissi Holt

    November 21, 2012

    Oh Hi !

    How can I thank you enough ! I have been fretting these past two weeks about whether or not to make my own Advent Calendar and whilst I loved the idea of it … the presents for each day was making me feel queasy. But now after having looked back over your previous ones there is so much you can do that doesn’t have to be so expensive ….

    Thank you thank you thank you in a million !

    Love Chrissi xo

    http://www.christianaholt.blogspot.com

  24. magalerie

    November 21, 2012

    Adorable!!
    Enjoy the Holiday Season.
    Love from Paris,
    Anne

  25. madeleine

    November 21, 2012

    so nice! what a lovely advent calender!

  26. Eve-Marie

    November 21, 2012

    Hi Jordan ! This is beautifull. I adore your blog, ideas, DIY,… I’m working for the french magazine Avantages. I did send you mails end tweet because we would like to work with you. It’s urgent. Can you contact me ?

  27. Jessica Doll

    November 21, 2012

    This is one of the cutest advent calendars I’ve seen to date!

  28. giulia

    November 21, 2012

    this is definitely the best advent calendar i’ve ever seen!!!!

  29. anna - Today I Like Blog

    November 21, 2012

    such a nice idea!!!! thanks

  30. Nicole Jung

    November 22, 2012

    Die Idee ist so schön! Die Fotos dazu sind Dir sehr gelungen:-)
    Lieben Gruß,
    Nicole

  31. doro von Hand zu Hand

    November 22, 2012

    that’s so absolutely cute!!

    I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!

    doro K.

  32. Fleur - What House?

    November 22, 2012

    Just love this idea! and you are so right when you say it’s easy to miss all the nice parts of Christmas on the run-up to Christmas, especially when we are busy working. This simple idea gives a nugget of Christmas every day and reminds you of the important things and the things we should enjoy. Thank you for sharing.

  33. Cathi

    November 22, 2012

    I’m over the top in love with this! Especially the tiny red VW bug. I drove one just like that 38 years ago!!! Ha!

  34. Joe

    November 23, 2012

    Where did the car come from? Thanks!

  35. Cam_lle

    November 24, 2012

    I really love your blog and I wrote an article with your advent calendar DIY if you want have a look it will be a pleasure ( http://lapetitepouledort.blogspot.fr/2012/11/j-30.html )

    Greatings
    Cam_lle

  36. Emily

    November 24, 2012

    I’ll second that! I want my own little car!

  37. Tomas & Jones

    November 24, 2012

    Agree! Agree! This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! That VW just completely tops it off!

    Really nicely put together 🙂

  38. elli by studio34E

    November 25, 2012

    This is an amazing idea!Wow!

  39. Liz

    November 25, 2012

    Jordan,
    Omg I love this and must make it!!!!! What size boxes did you use- 2 inch by 2 inch?

  40. ti (matimuk)

    November 26, 2012

  41. Annie

    November 26, 2012

    I LOOOVEEE this trees! I already purchased this lovely one from etsyL http://www.etsy.com/listing/115230005/advent-calendar-pdf?

    But I will def keep this in mind for next year!

  42. JADE

    November 28, 2012

    Where oh Where did you find that Mini Cooper? It is the perfect accent! This is my favourite calender by far! Cannot wait to make one for myself!

  43. éva-mona

    November 28, 2012

    That looks really cute!

  44. Kate

    November 29, 2012

    This is is such a lovely idea and what a cute accent the tiny car is too!

  45. Kathrin

    November 29, 2012

    Hi there this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you
    have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  46. Fräulein Maier

    December 1, 2012

    Hi Jordan,
    I used your template with the numbers for the advent calendar I made for my husband. The rest is quite different from your version, although I like it very much! It’s really cute, but I needed something for a larger space of wall. Please have a look if you like: http://fraeuleinmaier.de/advent-advent/

    Kind regards, Lisa

  47. Ellie

    December 1, 2012

    Oh I adore this… I particularly love the little red car with the mini Christmas Tree strapped to the roof as it just reminds me of the annual buy the Christmas Tree and carefully drive it home routine.

  48. miss b

    December 4, 2012

    What a brilliant, original idea. These are so cute.Thanks!
    http://justwhite.blogspot.co.uk/

  49. miss b

    December 4, 2012

    What a brilliant, original idea. These are so cute. Thanks!
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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