DIY ORIGAMI BOX ADVENT CALENDAR.

It's that time of year again. Time to start thinking about counting down to Christmas and what better way is there to countdown than with this DIY origami box advent calendar.

Normally I end up with one of those store-bought chocolate filled calendars but last year my Mum made me one complete with glittery snow scene. I loved having a homemade advent calendar so this year I decided to step up my game and make one as well.

And make sure to check out the rest of my Christmas Origami projects.

Do you remember my easy origami gift boxes? Well, I decided smaller versions would be perfect for holding some chocolate coins.

Each finished box measures 2x2 inches square and is 1 inch high so if you don't want to use chocolate coins they're still big enough to hold a small gift or treat. To make each box you need a piece of paper measuring 6x6 inches for the lid and a piece measuring 5.5x.5.5 inches for the base. If you're using scrapbook paper like I did you can get 2 out of each 12x12 piece with only minimal waste. I used the American Crafts Maggie Holmes 12 x 12 Paper Pad.

You can find a full tutorial for how I made the origami boxes here.

I filled each box with a couple of chocolate coins and decorated them using stickers and bakers twine.

I didn't have any number stickers so I wrote the numbers 1-24 on the bottom of the origami boxes using a gold gel pen.

Once decorated all you need to do is arrange the boxes in a Christmas tree shape. I used yellow patterned paper with a silver star sticker for the tree topper. You can leave your boxes as they are but if you're short on space you can glue the back of each box to a piece of card so you can stand your advent up instead.

Make sure to check my other Christmas crafts and recipes for more diys.

DIY ENVELOPE LINERS.

I've been making a lot of things with wool lately like these weavings and these crocheted hats which mean it's been a while since I made and shared a paper project. I made a couple of birthday cards earlier this week and was looking for a way to jazz up the plain envelopes. I decided to make my own diy envelope liners and thought I'd share them here as well.

Here's how I made them.

Supplies:

• Scrapbook Paper

• Plain Envelopes

• Card

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Ruler

• Glue or Double-Sided Tape.

1. Lay your envelope flat and trace around it onto some card.

2. Cut out your envelope shape. Trim 3/4 inch off the bottom and a 1/4 inch off each side, this will ensure it fits easily into your envelope. You don't need to trim anything off the top.

3. Trace around your envelope liner template onto some decorative paper and cut it out. I like to use scrapbook paper but wallpaper would also work well.

4. Slide your liner into your envelope. Make sure to push the liner to the bottom of the envelope so it leaves the envelope glue clear. Fold the top of the envelope down including the liner and crease.

5. Open the envelope and glue the liner flap down using a glue stick or some double sided tape. Don't tape the bottom of the paper as it makes it harder to slide in.

6. To finish fold the envelope flap back down.

I love envelope liners. They're such a simple yet effective way to add personality to your cards or invitations and the best thing about them is they can be easily customised to fit any size envelope. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Like this? You might want to check out my other envelope tutorials below.