DIY Advent Calendar

Happy December 1st! The countdown to Christmas has officially begun and I'm sharing a last minute advent calendar DIY inspired by this tutorial I spotted on Pinterest a few days ago. I know it's a little late but I honestly didn't get around to making this myself until yesterday afternoon . . . getting things done at the 11th hour seems to be my new norm these days. The good news is that the tutorial from start to finish should only take you about an hour or so. It's the decorating and filling of the bags that takes the most time, but at least it's also the most fun. I've included printable downloads of the numbered dates, in the supply list, to help save you time. Happy holidays, everyone!

You'll Need:

muslin drawstring bags (small, large)
coffee mug wall rack
printable t-shirt transfers
downloadable number templates (block print 1, 2 & 3; script 1, 2 & 3)
scissors
iron

Print the number templates (see supply list for printable downloads) on t-shirt transfer paper. If you type up your own letters, just make sure to flip the image so they print backwards. Cut out the numbers and try to get as close to the numbers as possible.

Flip your number over and center on the muslin bag. Layer a doubled-up dishcloth below the bag. With your iron on the "cotton" setting, and without steam, press the number onto the muslin for about 15-20 seconds. You don't want to move the iron back and forth here as it might budge the number out of place.

Let the transfer cool before peeling off the paper. If the number is still stuck to the backing, give it a few more seconds under a hot iron. Allow to cool completely before attempting to remove the backing. And that's it!! I get a lot of questions about I fill the bags with. The reason why I like these bigger muslin bags is because you can actually fit more substantial things, besides candy! I like including socks, toothbrushes, markers, notepads, bubbles, legos . . . it's fun to get creative!!