Advent calendar ideas

While advent calendars are traditionally for Christmas with either a 24 day or 12 day countdown, they actually have become popular as a countdown for other occasions, too. We’ll be focusing on festive countdowns here but birthday advent calendars are a trend we can definitely get behind. 

Another trend we’ve seen in advent calendars is a rise in reusable, refillable designs but also more unique and niche calendars. Just think of a hobby or thing you like and there’s probably already a calendar for it. And, if there isn’t, you can create one yourselves. 

Unique advent calendar ideas

This is advent, small brand style. Get ready to be inspired. 

Food and drink calendars

Whether you want a boujee twist on the chocolate classic or something really out of the box, we’ve got options for every kind of foodie. Tuck into 24 days of marshmallows or upgrade your daily brew with this calendar from tea experts, Bird and Blend Co.. Or, if you’re looking for something truly inclusive, we’ve got this braille calendar which is both gluten free and vegan. Nice work, Dotty About Braille. 

Cheese advent calendars

Fromage fans, this one’s for you. Our small brand Partner, The Chuckling Cheese Company, have created the ultimate cheesy countdown with 24 days of cheese, chutney and biscuits. No wonder this sells out every single year. Brb, just adding one to our basket.

Alcohol advent calendar

Planning to drink your way through December? (Responsibly, obviously). Enter our alcohol calendars. From gin to prosecco and rum, we’ve got you covered. And, if you want a reusable option, this fancy advent decanter can be used year after year. Not to mention, you can also personalise it. *Chef’s kiss*. 

Candle advent calendar

If you secretly love it when people cancel plans, our cosy candle advents might just be for you. Whether you fancy burning one candle to countdown or lots of little ones, we’ve got tons to help you unwind. Take these 12 days of wax melts. They come with string so you can even hang them as decorations on your tree before you burn them. How lovely! 

Other creative ideas
Boring advent calendars? Not on our watch. From jewellery to matcha to 24 days of embroidery, we’ve got advents for literally every interest. And, there’s even a cold case calendar that was developed in collaboration with a real police detective. Pretty cool, eh?

Make your own advent calendar!
Fancy filling your own advent calendar this year? Start a new tradition with our refillable calendars. Filling your own is a great way to make it feel really personal and is perfect for those people with lots of different niche interests. You can even turn it into a bucket list for a budget-friendly alternative. We love this one from small brand, Mijmoj, where you can reuse leftover paper to create the doors’ of your advent calendar. Genius.

But wait – there’s myrrh! (Sorry). Discover tons of incredible advent ideas from the UK’s best small brands.