Let’s prepare a very original advent calendar for next Christmas!

Don’t worry, it’s really easy and affordable!

Here’s what you need:

• Walnuts (possibly large)
• Card stock
• Markers
• Coloured ribbons
• Tiny objects to hide inside the walnuts

The process is very simple: you will have to open the walnuts in half, clean them well inside and enclose a small object inside each one.

No clue on what tiny things to hide?

If the calendar is for kids, you can opt for puppets, miniature nativity characters, or marbles, beads, erasers, sweets, stickers, etc.

If the calendar is for an adult (your partner, friend, or family member), you could hide some notes in the walnuts, each with a different phrase. It will certainly be a much-appreciated thought!

Once all the walnut shells have been filled, wrap a coloured ribbon around them and tie them, inserting in the ribbon a card stock with the date written on it (from 1 to 24 December).

While waiting for all the walnuts to be opened, you can hang the advent calendar on the Christmas tree or on a twig, or place it on a centrepiece, using it as a decoration for the house.

Once you open all the shells, if you want, you can keep them to reuse the idea the following year, changing the surprises contained inside.