Learn how to make this Christmas Tree Advent Calendar to countdown to the big day!
Family gatherings. Holiday songs. Special treats. These are just some of my favorite things at the holidays. But you know why I REALLY love the holiday season? It’s because I have more opportunities to give presents to those I love. And this year, I’m including my blog and all of my lovely readers in this gift giving extravaganza. Beginning December 1st, I am embarking on a project called MAKE IT MERRY: 25 Days of Maker Projects. That means each day I will have a new project for you here on the blog—it’s a virtual advent calendar. And to get us started, I’ve offer this super cute and easy-to-make Christmas Tree Advent Calendar.
The inspiration for this calendar came from my love of Christmas trees (I’ve had one up in my craft room for over a month now!). But I can’t take credit for the original idea for this design. I spotted something similar on Pinterest over on a French scrapbooking blog, which inspired me to design what you see here. It is completely created from scratch, with nothing more than a little photo to go on. It took about 10 tries to get all those angles right! But the end result for you is an easy to cut and fold project. It only takes a couple of hours to make.
The free pattern for this Christmas Tree Advent Calendar is in my free resource library (it’s design #64) and it’s available in SVG and DXF for those with cutting machines, and PDF for those who want to cut it out by hand. Get the password to my resource library by filling out the form at the bottom of this post!
If you make this Christmas Tree advent calendar, please let me know! Share a photo with me at [email protected] or share it over in our Facebook group. Here are some Christmas Tree advent calendars made with my pattern by my readers:
This sweet candy-colored Christmas Tree calendar was made by reader Robin Nahhas as her VERY FIRST PROJECT with her new Cricut (after she made the tutorial project)!
Here is a pretty pastel advent calendar made by reader Amy at Amygonnacraft.com
And check out this festive version by Barb Schafer, who did a lovely job on her Christmas Tree Advent Calendar:
And here is a lovely gold, blue, and red version made by reader Jane Johnson:
I’m so excited to show this fun and easy advent calendar to you! This post contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
Christmas Tree Advent Calendar Materials
- 18 sheets of 12″ x 12″ patterned cardstock (80 lb. or higher, preferably) or Kraft board (I recommend a holiday-themed stack of double-sided paper—the cardstock I used is no longer for sale, but here is a good one that would work well!)
- Tacky glue
- (Optional) Masking tape
- (Optional) 1 self-adhesive magnetic sheet (about 4″ x 6″, no more than 5mm thick)
- Things to put in the treat boxes, like candy or little toys
- A way to cut out your pieces (I use this!)
- (Optional) Scoring stylus or scoring wheel tool (if you don’t have one, use the “perforated” version of my pattern file)
- Design #64 – My free pattern/files (available in my free resource library—get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this page)
How to Assemble the Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Watch my full assembly video in my new craft room!
Learn how to cut and assemble a unique Christmas tree countdown calendar with room for goodies! First, cut out all your pieces using the file (Design #64) from my free resource library (get the password to it in the form at the bottom of this post). If you use a Cricut cutting machine, you'll need to upload the SVG. If you’re not sure how to upload a SVG, please watch my SVGs Made Simple training videos training videos. Please note that you'll need to set and attach score lines if you intend to score it —check my scoring tutorial if you're unsure how to do that. This is how the design should appear in Cricut Design Space once the score lines are set and attached. I also have a version of this design that has perforated designs instead of scored lines — this is for those of you who do not have a scoring stylus or scoring tool. It will take a little longer, but it will be a little easier to fold. Begin by folding the eight vertical supports. Just fold them in half along the score line. You want to line up the four slots along the side as best you can. If you are off a bit and the slots overlap, just trim them a bit so there’s a clear slot—you’ll need this to create a stable structure. Keep the supports folded and closed with a line of glue along the edge. Now begin sliding each vertical support into the slots on the octagonal bases, starting with the largest (bottom) octagons. I found it easiest to slide the vertical supports into the two bottom octagons first, then go back and do the top two octagons. Make sure everything is slid in all the way. Fold up each of the 24 box drawers by first folding along all the score lines, then gluing the tabs to the sides. I found it easiest to glue the front two tabs, then glue the back tab, You can attach the ornaments as you please, but I chose to simply use masking tape so I could remove them or switch them up later. Sometimes you have larger gifts for a certain day that may need a larger drawer! If you got the magnetic sheet, you can cut out the rectangles in the pattern using your Cricut and a deep-cut blade. To use them, peel off the backing and place it on the bottom front edge of the box, as shown here. Now take another strip, peel off its paper backing, and place it MAGNET side down on the magnet you stuck to the bottom of your box. Pay attention to whether it attracts or repels itself. If it seems to repel, or not want to go on straight, turn it around 180° Now gently slide the box into the Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar without letting the bottom touch until it’s in place, then press down gently. The adhesive on the second magnet should adhere to the cardstock of your calendar and remain there. If it does not, use a tool to press down on the box while you press up on the underside. This magnet will allow you boxes to stay in place even when they are not full. To assemble the tree top, just fold along all score lines and glue the tab to the other side to create a cone. The assembled tree top just rests on top of your tree. And it is the secret hiding spot of day 25’s gift—just lift off the top to see the gift! Now put all of the drawers into your Christmas tree and admire your work! As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Christmas Tree Countdown Calendar
Materials
Tools
Instructions
STEP 1: GET MY FREE PAPER CHRISTMAS TREE CALENDAR PATTERN
STEP 2: CUT YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE PIECES
STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE
Recommended Products
Get my free template and cut files for the Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Also, be sure to see all the fun crafty gifts in my MAKE IT MERRY: 25 Days of Maker Projects Christmas! If you want to be notified of when there is a new gift ready to open on my blog, just fill out this form!
Love,
Want to remember this? Save the Christmas Tree Advent Calendar to your favorite Pinterest board!
More gifts for you in my MAKE IT MERRY: 25 Days of Maker Projects Christmas:
Wow, thank you for creating and sharing these 25 Days Gifts for us. Your designs are beautiful.
You’re welcome, Deb!!
I love your advent tree, however, it says it needs a password, which is supposed to be found at the bottom of this page. I do not see it, and most likely I am just plain blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other. LOL Could you possibly help me out?
Thank you!
Hi, Karla! You sign up to get the password in email. There are two signup forms — one right above my signature near the bottom of the post, and another at the very bottom of the post (scroll all the way down) with a green background. Let me know if you still cannot find them. 🙂
Hi Jennifer! I’m obsessed with your site, love all the ideas! I just downloaded the file for the advent calendar (planning on creating a Spiderman and Batman version for my sons!) and had a question about the file. At the bottom of the file, the octagonal horizontal supports look like they should be cut out, but there’s no color selected, so should they be scored? I’m guessing no, but wanted to make sure. Thanks for this awesome file!
Thank you so much!!! Your creations are truly inspiring. Looking forward to Christmas crafting.
Thank you, AnnaMaria!
Do you just use the scoring stylus for this project? I have to go buy one so I need to know what to get 🙂
I used the scoring stylus, yes.
What type of glue did you use, specifically? I used my usual glue runner and they ALL came undone!! UGH!
Thank you!!
In my photos I can see that I am using Scotch Permanent Tacky Glue.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the lovely advent calendar that I have just finished. If I select all the pieces on the mat and reduce in size (my granddaughter wants a smaller one for University) would it still work please?
Regards maureen
Hi, Maureen! Yes, if you reduce the size of all the pieces on the canvas at the same time, you should have no problem getting it to work. 🙂
You are amazing!! DIYs that WORK and work well! Thank you! And did I imagine it or did I see a cricut cover/tool stroage someplace? I can’t find it. Can you help?
Thank you so much, Susie! And yes, I have a Cricut cover + tool storage pattern at Cricut Maker Mat 🙂
I can’t find the svg file. After I extract everything, an svg file is not listed. What am I doing wrong?
Sometimes it will show up as a “Chrome HTML” file. If you see that, upload it.
I keep trying to make it but I get to that part & it says I have something to large for a 12×24 mat. What am I doing wrong??
Be sure you ungroup first. 🙂
My Girls loved making these.. Thank you so much for the file and tutorial..
what font are you using for the numbers? its so handy to have the middles attached, and if its available I’d love to use it for other projects
Hi, Tylinn! I’m using a font called Milkshake.
I have downloaded the file and now it will not load into design space. What am I doing wrong? I am very frustrated with this already
Hi, Jennie! Did you try to upload the zip file by accident? You need to upload the SVG, not the ZIP. If you’re not sure how to do that, these videos will help: https://jennifermaker.com/svgs
Hi Jennifer. I love your advent tree and am trying to make it for my grandsons. I’ve uploaded it to Design Space (using and Explore Air 2) but when I change cut lines to score I am not getting the attach prompt. While I have located your assembly video, I know I saw a more detailed video of this project in which you go over how to upload this tree file and convert to score lines but I am unable to find it now. HELP!!
I did a video for the Halloween version of this project over at https://youtu.be/ZMFoIWK2_LI — perhaps that will help you? Basically if you can’t attach, it means you have probably have things in groups still. Make sure everything is ungrouped, then try to attach. 🙂 Alternatively, use the version without score lines, then you don’t have to worry about it!
I’ve uploaded the Scored version of the Advent Tree and the size is by what your instructions say but when I click Make it, it says its to big and to use a bigger mat or resize. Also it is grouped, do I need to ungroup. I don’t have a larger mat than the 12 x 12 size. Will it still work? Help!!!
Hi Linda! This is a super simple fix! After you hit “Make It,” look through your mats on the left-hand side and click on the drop-down box of those that are showing 12″x24″ and change to what you will probably find to be 12″x19″, this will allow you to use your 12″x12″ cutting mats.
I desperately want to make the advent tree> I want to print the template so I can cut out by hand, but I can’t figure out how to do that.
Hi Wendy! You will still need to download the file and once you do, look for the PDF document, this is the file you will want to print.
So glad you loved it!
I love the beautiful advent calendar. Thank you so much for this. I am going to run out to get pretty Christmas paper to make some for all my nieces. I am having to flat pack them to go in the mail so I edited your boxes to flat pack. I linked to a blog post so that others can enjoy.
That’s wonderful!