Decided to make an advent calendar for Cooper this year. I searched the web until I found something I felt I could take on and do cheaply and without having to make a trip to Michael's. This is what I found: http://craftastica.blogspot.com/2008/11/recycle-bin-advent-calendar.html
And this is how mine turned out!
Initially I was using brown Trader Joe's bags, but when we dropped Thanksgiving dinner off to our friends, they in turn sent us home with a pumpkin pie, salad and bottle of wine. These pretty white grocery store bags were what those contents were in, so I scrapped the work I did with the TJ's bags and started over (all I had done was cut the bags and tape them together.)
I admit I didn't cut the pockets as the crafty blog lady advised. I was either too tired or it was too mind boggling, so I figured out a way around it, which was probably more time consuming than had I followed her instruction.
I had recently picked up 3 rolls of $1 wrapping paper at Target and repeated those 3 papers throughout the calendar, instead of (ideally) a different print every day. There's always next year for these improvements ;)
Cooper loves it and looks forward to what he's going to get every day. He says in a sing-songy voice, "What's in theeerrrreeee????" Chocolate snowmen and hand stamps are so far his favorite advent prizes.
