Many of us have now learned to save nearly everything because we’ve been taught how to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, and more. If you’ve got a junk drawer full of soda bottle lids, you’ve got what you need to make an adorable advent calendar for a child. Each day, from December 1st, to the 24th, your child can open a tiny door to a surprise, while marking off that day. As your child counts down the days, he or she will find a minute but cool gift inside each small compartment, all of which assembles to create a lovely Christmas tree.
You’ll need 24 red, green, or white bottle caps to make the advent calendar. It’s up to you if the caps are from a 20oz, 2-liter, or 3-liter. Start with a large piece of plain or colored paper, poster board, or something similar. To get an idea of how long the paper should be, align 9 bottle caps, vertically. To decide how wide to make it, align 6 caps, horizontally. The paper should be at least that large, but can be a bit larger.
Begin by gluing each cap onto the chosen paper. Put some hot glue, or another adhesive, on the top of each cap, then turn it over, and press it onto the paper. That way, the open area of the cap is facing upwards. Do this to each cap to create a Christmas tree shape. Glue the first cap to make the tip of the tree, then make a row of two, a row of three, a row of four, a row of five, and a row of six. With the remaining three caps, glue one under the last row – right in the center – and glue the other two under that one. This creates a trunk and a pot for the tree.
Before you start making the tree, draw around one of the lids, and use it as a pattern for all of the soda bottle lids. When you draw the circle around the cap, though, draw a tiny tab on one side. Make 24 of these.
Place a tiny object in each lid. Some ideas would include a temporary tattoo, a sticker, a tiny note that says “Merry Christmas”, a piece of candy, or even a penny or dime. When there is a prize in each cap, place a tiny bit of glue around the edges of each lid, and stick a circle with tab on it. Face all of the tabs in the same direction. If you place the tab on the right, the door will open to the left. If you place the tab on the top, the door will open downwards.
A child can simply tear a tab off, each night before bed, or each morning when he or she gets up, and reveal the surprise of the day. Before long, your child will open the last prize on the advent calendar, and awake to another beautiful Christmas.