Top 10 advent calendars

With the start of December approaching now is the time to buy your advent calendar. The supermarkets have been selling cardboard advent calendars for some time, but nothing beats a classic advent calendar which can be brought out year after year. Here are our top ten favourites – which would you choose?

1. Shabby chic design advent calendar box

This unusual shabby chic design advent box with numbered drawers for Christmas has a Cath Kidston feel about it.

The wooden advent box comes with numbered drawers 8cm deep. The box itself is 35cm x 35cm and is painted red, with some of the outsides of the drawers covered in fabric. The Christmas Boutique sells the calendar for £26.24.

2. Tweed fabric advent calendar Santa

Aspen & Brown sell this beautiful fabric advent calendar for £39.95. The santa’s tweed outfit has contrasting brown and fur advent pockets. There is not a hint of Christmas red anywhere, which makes the Santa quite endearing.

3. John Lewis LED wooden advent calendar house

If there is one advent calendar I think I would like to have out all year round it is this John Lewis led wooden advent house.

The advent house resembles a dolls’ house, with a door for each day up until Christmas. John Lewis sells the advent house for £50.

4.  Felt Christmas tree advent calendar

Marks and Spencers sell this simple felt Christmas advent calendar for £15.  The green tree with the yellow star on top would make a beautiful decoration also.

5. Colourful owl advent calendar

This colourful owl advent calendar is absolutely gorgeous and unique looking.  It is made up of many different colours and comes with a decorative gingham ribbon for hanging. It is also one of the cheapest on our list – just £5.95 from the Pod Company.

6. Create your own advent calendar

This one is a good idea for kids – a create your own advent calendar. For £9.49 you get a  fun pop-up stable-scene advent calendar.

Each day you open a door to press out a small cardboard nativity character to make up the full set by December 24th. This is a great idea from Traditional Advent Calendars.

7. John Lewis wooden nativity advent calendar

Another one from John Lewis is this wooden nativity calendar. The drawers are big enough to place little sweets or treats. Wooden figures make up the nativity scene on the top of the red drawers.It costs £25.

8. Gisela Graham Christmas wooden Santa lorry advent calendar

Cameo Home Accessories sells this Gisela Graham Christmas wooden Santa lorry advent calendar for £21.95.

The red truck has boxes with Santa driving the truck. Young children will love it!

9. Christmas wooden advent countdown calendar snowman train

Unlike the others this Christmas wooden advent / coundown calendar snowman train doesn’t have drawers. Instead it has twelve wooden plaques with numbers on each side so that you can count down to Christmas.

The train is painted red and green with a snowman driving the train. Amazon sells the advent train for £17.95.

10. Unusual wooden reindeer advent calendar

This unusual wooden advent calendar reindeer heads with jute number bags is pretty unique looking.

The reindeer has bags hanging on its ears each numbered.  It comes with hooks on the back so that it can be mounted on the wall.

The reindeer advent calendar costs £32.99 from The Christmas Boutique.

By Jackie Cosh

By Jackie Cosh on October 9, 2013.