A couple of years ago I made these cute little lanterns as Advent calendars for the Tiddlers and they were so admired by everyone that I decided to put them into a downloadable and editable PDF file.
The idea originally had been to hang them up using little pegs, but after the problems of the year before when the calendar was mysteriously empty by the 8th of December, it was decided that the Santa would send his Christmas Elf to deliver them daily instead. So on the 1st of December a letter arrived from Santa introducing Elfred the Christmas Elf.
Inside the lanterns, there was a joke, a gift (usually a sweet) and a task to be performed that day, which if carried out would ensure Elfred would look kindly on them and deliver a lantern overnight for the next day.
Now, our Elfred has a wicked sense of humour and hid the lanterns in different places every day, so as you can imagine great fun was had running around in the morning trying to find them!
The lanterns themselves were very quick and easy to make - just as well as I had to make 72, owing to a little cousin getting in on the act!
Requirements for making the Calendar
1. The PDF download - which includes the 24 lantern boxes, a fully editable letter from Santa and 24 editable 'task for today' inserts for the boxes - available below
2. 12 sheets of A4 size good quality photo paper, 240gsm preferably or the heaviest card that will go through your printer for the boxes
3. 2 sheets of A4 card for the inserts
4. 1 sheets of A4 card for the Santa Letter
5. A pair of scissors
6. Double sided sticky tape,
7. And maybe, if you're bold enough, some little pegs to hang them up with.
The 'tasks' inserts can be edited by highlighting and replacing the 'your text here' with the task of the day, and the letter from Santa can be fully edited with all the text being replaced in the same manner or if you prefer just the names where indicated
The pdf file has two boxes per page and instructions for putting them together. The boxes themselves measure 3.5inches high (excluding the hanger) by 1.75 inches at the widest point and as you can see a individual size Haribo packet of sweets fits inside very nicely.
I hope you have as much fun making them as I did and your Tiddlers aren't outsmarted by your Christmas Elf.
Lantern's Glow Advent Calendar Boxes
Price - £4-00p
wonderful idea!! Thanks for sharing!
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