Christmas Tradition: Advent Angels

I love the Advent season and all of the excitement and reflection that comes with it. My family always focused on the meaning of the Advent season, and the special time leading up to Christmas! 

I can't remember when my family started the tradition of the Advent Angels, but it was always one of our favorites growing up. This tiny spiral bound book, The ABCs of Advent, sat in the middle of our Advent Wreath on the kitchen table, with daily reflections and activities to read and do as a family. If my memory is correct, my parents got the idea of the Advent Angels from this very book. 

Every week, we drew names and whoever we got, we were to be a secret Advent Angel for that person. Each Sunday, as we lit the candle for the week, we would all put our names on a small piece of paper and into a pile in the middle of the table. Snickering and making googly eyes and funny faces, my sisters and I would always laugh uncontrollably, trying to hide the name that we had drawn. By the time Christmas arrived, we all had the chance to be an angel for each person in our family of five. As a little Advent Angel, you just do nice things for the person you have for the week, usually once a day. My mom was always famous for fancy, crafty treats on our pillows at night and my dad liked to send Wizard of Oz postcards in the mail with nothing but a little angel outline drawn. I remember leaving glitter everywhere and I always thought it was the funniest thing to prep everyone's toothbrush for the night, ready and waiting by the sink. The point of the angel tradition was to take a few minutes out of our days to do something nice for someone in our family, even if it was a tiny yellow post-it note with a heart left on the bathroom mirror. 

This is another Nido family tradition that I adore!! 

Handmade Holiday Cheer: Advent Calendar

Advent is such a special season and growing up, my family created so many traditions that became a fixed part in our celebrations during the month leading up to Christmas. Each week, we would light our Advent wreath and read from a special Advent devotionals book. During these four weeks, among the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, our Advent traditions kept us grounded and reminded us why we celebrate Christmas. While Advent wreaths are lit every Sunday, for the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, Advent calendars are typically twenty five days in length and start on December 1st.

My mom and I rolled out the craft supplies while I was home and we spent the majority of our Saturday with stamps, punches and delightful little embellishments. Being crafty and creative with my mom is one of my most favorite ways to spend time together, especially during the holidays. I am absolutely in LOVE with the Advent calendars we made! This was not a quick project but the tiny details are what make this calendar so personal and special. It's not December yet and there is still time to make your own! If after checking your list twice you find you don't have time for this project this year, you can stock up on these supplies so that you are ready for next Christmas!

Here are some up close shots of my favorite details. How cute are the little pearl snowballs, the mini tags, the glitter and rhinestones! I adore mini sized bling.

All of the supplies listed below can be ordered through my mom's Stampin' Up! website. She will get you set up and help you order everything that you need. (you can also access her website through my sidebar to the right. Just click on the Holiday Mini catalog image) If ordering this entire list of materials is a little too much, I suggest at least ordering the stamp set and filling in the rest of the supplies from your favorite craft store. Whether you want to order these supplies or use this as inspiration to make your own version, I promise the work is worth it! All of the calendar squares are glued on a 12 x 12" canvas. A bow is tied around the frame to complete this cheerful creation!

Supplies Needed

Key:
HM= Holiday Mini Catalog
IB= Idea Book & Catalog

· 25 & Counting Stamp Set, #123792 wood ($44.95), #123794 clear ($32.95) HM

· Big Shot Die Cutting Machine, #113439 ($99.95) IB

· Peekaboo Frames Die, #124587 ($32.95) HM

· Northern Frost Die, #120901 ($21.95) IB

· Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, #124096 ($7.95) HM

· 1" Square Punch, #124094 ($15.95) IB

· Scallop Square Punch, #119884 ($16.95) IB

· Scallop Circle Punch, #119854 ($16.95) IB

· Doily Triple Layer Punch, #122465 ($23.95) IB

· 1-3/8" Circle Punch, #119860 ($15.95) IB

· 1-1/4" Circle Punch, # 119861 ($15.95) IB

· Postage Stamp Punch, # 122344 ($15.95) IB

· 1-3/8" Square Punch, #119877, ($16.95) IB

· 1-1/4" Square Punch, #119865, ($16.95) IB

· Glimmer Paper, #121792 Red and #124005 Silver, $4.95 HM

· Dazzling Details Iridescent glitter glue, # 124117, $2.50 HM

· Designer Buttons, Holly Berry Bouquet, #125636, $8.95 HM

· Mini Jingle Bells, #124116, $2.95 HM

· Baker's Twine, Early Espresso #123124, $2.95 IB

· Crochet Trim, Victoria, #118481, $6.95 IB

· Jewels, Rhinestones, # 119246, and Basic Pearls, #119247, $4.95/150ct IB

· Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Paper, #124004, 12.95 HM

· Cardstock: Wild Wasabi #108641, Real Red #102482, Early Espresso #119686, Very Vanilla #101650, Whisper White # 100730 (all cardstock $6.95/24 sheets, vanilla and white have 40 sheets/$8.50 IB)

Supplies Note: I realize this list is pretty pricey when you add it all up! I am fortunate that my mother has a craft room filled with everything we need when we tackle a project. She has built her stock over the course of several years. I'm slowly adding to my inventory...

Happy Crafting!