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100 ideas for your homemade advent calendar

Anyone can do chocolate. Here are 100 ideas that make 24 doors personal – for your other half, the kids, your parents or your best friend.

Create a calendarSee an example

The easiest way: do it with us

Over the years we've collected loads of ideas – and most of them are already built into our online advent calendar as ready-made templates. When you create a calendar, all 24 doors are filled straight away with riddles, vouchers, photos and little tasks. You only swap what you'd like to make more personal.

Prefer to make it yourself – with little bags, boxes, envelopes and notes on a string? Lovely. We've written down all 100 ideas for you here: to copy, print and share.

It's all in the mix

A good calendar never gets boring. A good rule of thumb: about a third vouchers, a third personal things such as photos, memories and letters, and a third playful things like riddles, quizzes and little tasks. Save the highlights for special days: St Nicholas Day, the Advent weekends and Christmas Eve.

Little things to put inside – instead of chocolate

1. Home-baked biscuits from Grandma's recipe
2. A tea bag with a note: “Take a break today.”
3. A scented candle for cosy evenings
4. Thick woolly socks for cold feet
5. A mini jigsaw made from a photo of you two
6. Herb seeds for the windowsill in spring
7. A favourite snack from childhood
8. A bath bomb or face mask
9. A bookmark with a personal message
10. A pack of cards for long winter evenings
11. A homemade keyring
12. A small lucky charm for the new year

Vouchers for time together

13. Breakfast in bed
14. A movie night – the other person picks the film
15. Baking Christmas cookies together
16. A stroll around the Christmas market
17. A phone-free evening with a board game
18. A walk in the first snow
19. Trying out a new recipe together
20. A day trip in the new year – the destination is in the envelope
21. A cinema night with popcorn and all the trimmings
22. A picnic in the living room
23. A concert or theatre trip
24. A day where you say yes to everything
25. Stargazing with a blanket and hot chocolate
26. Choosing the Christmas tree together
27. A spa evening at home

Vouchers for a bit of pampering

28. A 30-minute massage
29. Cooking their favourite meal – washing-up included
30. A lie-in while you take care of everything
31. Clearing the snow off the car or cleaning the bike
32. A day off from all housework
33. One wish, no discussion
34. Doing the weekly shop
35. Getting all their Christmas presents wrapped
36. A foot bath with a foot massage
37. The remote control is all theirs for an evening

Riddles and games

38. A number lock: the code is a special date
39. A word scramble with a pet name or nickname
40. An emoji riddle about a favourite film
41. Quiz: How well do you know me?
42. A photo puzzle made from a holiday picture
43. A treasure hunt through the flat to the surprise of the day
44. A scratch card with a little surprise
45. A secret message to decode – written backwards, for example
46. A Christmas quiz with a small reward
47. Riddle: Where was this photo taken?
48. A crossword with words from your shared story
49. Name that tune: the first few bars as a voice message

Memories and personal touches

50. An old photo with the story behind it
51. … years ago today
52. 3 things I like about you
53. A handwritten letter
54. A voice message to wake up to
55. Your song – as a link or on a card
56. A list: things I still want to do with you
57. Compliment of the day
58. A recipe with a family story
59. A photo of the place where you met
60. Greetings secretly collected from friends and family
61. A heartbeat as a picture

Little tasks and challenges

62. Pay three people a compliment today
63. Call someone you haven't heard from in ages
64. Dance to your favourite song
65. Sing a Christmas song – loudly
66. Send me a photo of the best moment of your day
67. Write your wish list
68. Treat yourself to something just for you
69. Get 20 minutes of fresh air
70. Do something kind for a stranger
71. Write down three things you're grateful for
72. Try something you've never done before
73. Make a paper star for the window

For kids

74. A letter from Father Christmas
75. A mini treasure hunt in their bedroom
76. A colouring page or craft sheet
77. Voucher: stay up 30 minutes later tonight
78. A joke to pass on
79. Hanging up bird feeders together
80. A note from a Christmas elf with a little task
81. Voucher: the kids choose what's for dinner
82. A Christmas science experiment, such as growing salt crystals
83. Story time with a Christmas tale

For mum, dad and the grandparents

84. A childhood photo with the question: Do you remember?
85. A voucher for an afternoon of help around the house or garden
86. A question card: What was Christmas like when you were little?
87. A voice message from the grandchildren
88. A voucher for a day out together, just like old times
89. A family recipe you'll cook again this year
90. A promise to make a photo book together in the new year

For friends

91. A photo of your most embarrassing moment together
92. Your best inside joke, finally written down
93. A voucher for an evening just for the two of you
94. A playlist of songs that connect you
95. The plan for your next trip together

Highlights for special days

96. St Nicholas Day: leave a boot with a little treat outside the door
97. Advent weekend: a trip to a festival of lights or a winter forest walk
98. Door 23: a countdown note – “Tomorrow's the day”
99. Door 24: a long letter to finish
100. Door 24: the main present – with one last riddle as the key

Handmade or online?

A handmade calendar is something to hold – but it takes time and materials, and it has to be ready and in place by 1 December. Online is quicker: it's done in 30 to 60 minutes, photos, voice messages and riddles work right in the browser, and each door only opens on its day. That works even if you live far apart.

Many people combine both: little things to put inside in real life, and riddles, memories and messages online. See how it looks in our example calendar.

A few last tips

• Write all 24 ideas on a list first, then spread them across the days – that way you avoid three vouchers in a row.
• Set a budget before you start. Many of the nicest doors cost nothing at all.
• Actually plan the vouchers. A day trip in January keeps the excitement going long after Christmas.
• Keep two or three spare ideas up your sleeve in case something doesn't work out.

For couples there's more inspiration in our advent calendar ideas for couples.

Frequently asked questions