Every Capsule Kitchen needs a few staple Christmas cookies! For seasonal nibbling, for gifting and for making advent calendars.
If you have been considering making your own advent calendars and don’t quite know how to start, here are three suggestions for the minimalist, the realist and the perfectionist in you. Pick one and give it a go! Totally do-able. And don’t forget to check out the extra bonus tip at the end, which will make them shine.
The Minimalist
So you want to create something yourself, rather than buying an advent calendar but you loathe the idea of extra work (I don’t blame you).
This one is for you!
Get your butt over to the dollar shop, buy a bunch of plain gift tags (black makes it look cool I think but I’m also partial to brown paper tags, or white if you wish – whatever tickles your fancy) and a roll of string. This shouldn’t set you back more than $5.-.
While you’re out, pop over to Aldi and get some of these adorable mini chocolate santas. I think they’re about $4.- for a box, but you will need two lots to last you till Christmas. There are other cute little chocolate figures in the big supermarkets, but if you’re on a budget I will say that the chocolate at Aldi, that’s made in Germany, is waaaaay better and cheaper: win win.
How to:
- Use some sticky tape to fix the santas onto the tags.
- Number them if you feel like it, but it looks super lovely without numbers too.
- Hang them on a piece of string.
- Give yourself a pat on the back!
If you’ve got some spare time: Make them extra special with the Bonus Tip below.
The Realist
Ok so you want to make it homemade all the way, including the sweets, but you know you don’t have hours to slave in the kitchen.
This one is for you!
How to:
- Head over to the craft shop or dollar shop to buy string, mini pegs and cellophane bags.
- Make a simple shortbread dough, here’s my family recipe.
- Depending on the level of time and energy you have, either roll it out and cut out shapes, or simply form a log and cut off rounds. Use a straw or toothpick to make little holes in about half of them before you bake them.
- Place those without holes in cellophane bags and the others get a piece of string to hang them from.
- Use mini pegs to hang them on a line of string and add some christmas decoration for a pop of colour.
- Give yourself a pat on the back!
If you’ve got some spare time: Make them extra special with the Bonus Tip below.
Important note: I would recommend that you use cellophane bags for freshness on at least half (or all) of them. Naturally, the last cookie has been hangin’ out for some time… Bake them as close to the first of December as possible.
If you’re worried about homemade cookies and how long they keep, maybe the Minimalist calendar might be a good alternative.
The Perfectionist
You want it all! You want homemade, beautifully tasting and whimsical looking gingerbread men but you also want to feel like you are giving your loved ones a healthier option (without them even noticing).
This one is for you!
- String, cellophane bags, mini pegs and pretty bells are from the dollar shop.
- Make gingerbread men, recipe here, and use a straw or toothpick to make holes for string before baking.
- Package half of them up in cellophane bags for freshness.
- Hang them from a line of string with the help of the mini pegs.
- Pat yourself on the back!
If you’ve got some spare time: Make them extra special with the Bonus Tip below.
Important note: I would recommend that you use cellophane bags for freshness on at least half (or all) of them. Naturally, the last cookie has been hangin’ out for some time… Bake them as close to the first of December as possible.
If you’re worried about homemade cookies and how long they keep, maybe the Minimalist calendar might be a good alternative.
The Bonus Tip
If you are creating an advent calendar for an adult, there is a simple way to make them shine.
Take a piece of paper and brainstorm:
24 reasons you are a wonderful mum/dad
or
24 quirks I love about you
or
24 memories we made together
or
24 things we should do together next year
or
24 ways you light up my life
or
24 reasons I’m grateful to have you as a friend
I’m German and go with 24 but if you celebrate Christmas on the 25th you may need to come up with an extra one :).
Cut up your paper with one reason on each strip, roll it up and tie it to each day on your advent calendar. Boom! I promise you it will make their day, every day until Christmas. And likely it will have made you happy thinking about them all too.
Go forth and bake!
Much love,
Katrine x