My Favourite UK Reusable Advent Calendars For All Budgets
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Give single-use the shove this Christmas, starting with this guide to my favourite eco-friendly and reusable advent calendars. These refillable calendars will delight kids (and even grown-ups) for years to come.
About a decade ago, I decided to give single-use advent calendars the cold shoulder. After reading some scary facts about the excess waste generated at Christmas, I decided I wanted to lessen my family’s impact over the festive season.
One of the first things I did was invest in a reusable Advent calendar. It felt like a nice, easy starting point for greening our Christmas festivities. Small steps can lead to big changes, after all.
As well as being friendlier for the planet than single-use advent calendars, can I just tell you how much joy it brings? Reader, it brings my kids so much joy. The whole process of looking in the pocket each morning in December to see what’s there is so exciting for them. More so than with a standard shop-bought calendar.
And do you know what else? It brings me so much joy. Yes, me!
I find it so exciting to pick out what items are going to go in the calendar. From little chocolates to notes of fun family activities to do, to the occasional treat – I find the whole process of putting it together one of the Christmas activities that I look forward to the most.
Guide to UK Eco-Friendly & Reusable Advent Calendars
If you are looking to make an eco-friendly switch, then let me share my favourite reusable Advent calendars at a variety of different price points. And at the bottom of this post, I’ll also share some ideas of what to pop in the pockets, in case you are looking for any inspiration.
Under £10
Contrary to what you might think, reusable calendars can be done on a budget. Here is my top pick for calendars under £10:
Hessian Calendar
Coming in at a budget-friendly £9.90 is this cute hessian reusable advent calendar, available on Etsy.
With this set comprising 24 stockings, pegs, and 3 metres of string, you’re all set to begin the countdown to Christmas in a budget-friendly and sustainable style. Simply hang this calendar up on your wall or mantlepiece, and slip a little sweet treat into each mini stocking.
£25 Or Under
If you’ve got a little more to spend, there are a few more options to count down:
Personalised Gingerbread Calendar
This pretty personalised gingerbread hanging calendar (£25 from Not On The High St) features 25 pockets ready to be filled with treats to enjoy during the countdown to Christmas.
With a fun gingerbread-themed decoratio, and the ability to personalise the top, it’s sure to be a family favourite.
Wooden Advent House
This lovely wooden Advent house (£25 from Hobbycraft) is a great way to count down to Christmas.
It has twenty-four compartments, with a larger door on Christmas Eve so that it can hold a slightly larger treat.
It’s a bit bulkier to store, but it will be one that brings joy year after year.
£50 & Under
Here are my top picks for calendars £50 and under – from fun reusable bunting calendars to lovely boxes and wall hangings:
Personalised Fabric Calendar
This personalised reusable advent calendar (£50 from Etsy) is another cute way to count down to Christmas.
It’s made from high-quality canvas, and each pocket is printed with fun festive decorations.
It also comes with a rod with which to hang it – there’s no need to source your own.
Bunting Style Calendar
This pretty bunting-style reusable advent calendar (£36 from Etsy) features 24 numbered flags with pockets to add a small treat each day in the lead-up to Christmas.
Made from natural-coloured calico with patterned pockets, these are available in different festive designs.
It comes in at approximately 2 metres in length, but if wall space is an issue for you, then you can buy two shorter lengths of 12 flags each.
Personalised Wooden Calendar
This personalised wooden advent calendar (£49 from Etsy) is another fun, sustainable alternative.
Simply fill each compartment with a treat, and place a square of wrapping paper over the box. Secure the cover over it, and then your child can break through the paper window each morning.
It’s handmade in the UK, from FSC-certified wood (meaning it’s sourced from sustainably managed forests).
Christmas Village Calendar
For a reusable calendar with a difference, try this wooden Christmas Village advent calendar (£34 from Etsy).
Instead of finding chocolates behind each door, open the suitcase to reveal numbered trays featuring beautifully crafted decorative wooden festive pieces. Day by day, you’ll create a charming Christmas North Pole village scene.
After Christmas, the pieces can then be popped back into the suitcase and reused again the following year.
Under £60
Finally, here is my top pick under £60:
Scandi Advent Calendar
Finally, this Scandi-style reusable advent calendar (£59 from Etsy) is one you’ll be excited to pull out year after year.
This beautiful calendar is made from cotton and is decorated with various Christmas-themed illustrations. It also comes with a wooden rod for easy hanging.
What to Fill Your Reusable Advent Calendars With?
If you’re new to a reusable advent calendar, you might be wondering what to fill it with.
Personally, I mostly stick to chocolate. It’s cheap and easy, and it’s easy to find plastic-free chocolates. I go for foil-wrapped small chocolates, which are easy to find at Christmas time in any shop.
Some days I like to mix things up, and instead add a note about an activity to do that day. I find this helps to shift the emphasis away from stuff towards experiences at this often consumer-frenzied time of year. For example, the day’s note might say things like:
- putting up the Christmas tree
- a nighttime walk to see the local Christmas lights
- a Christmas crafting session – maybe making a popcorn garland or a dried orange slice garland.
- watching a Christmas movie together
- enjoying a hot chocolate
- reading a Christmas book together
- Christmas baking
I try to put these in the pockets on days when I know that I will have time to do the activity, or would correspond with when we plan to do a particular activity. I have to admit that some evenings I have reorganised the order of notes to fit a change in our plans! Ssh! Don’t tell my kids!
More Ways To Have A Green Christmas
I’ve got more advent calendar guides:
- Check out my guide to vegan Advent calendars. It’s packed full of dairy-free inspiration.
- Or if you want to make Advent more charitable, why not try a reverse Advent calendar?
And for more ways to green your Christmas, check out my ultimate guide on how to have an eco-friendly Christmas. I have tons of ideas in there, taken from almost a decade’s worth of writing here on Moral Fibres. From the most eco-friendly Christmas tree to zero-waste decorations you can make, to gift ideas as well as Christmas dinner ideas, it is all there!
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