DIY Felt Christmas Lights Advent Calendar (Free Template)

Materials and Tools to Make a DIY Felt Christmas Lights Advent Calendar

This is a great scrap-buster felt project and a fun handmade Christmas craft.

Light Template:

Get the free template below!

Felt:

I recommend stiff felt for this felt Christmas advent calendar, but any type of felt will do.

• Stiff felt in multiple colors for the light bulbs (check out this multi-colored pack of felt sheets)
• Contrasting colored for the “lit” light
• More felt for the light tops
• Optional: Extra scraps if you want to make a different kind of day marker (like the elf or snowman shown here)

Stringing:

• Rope, cord, or yarn. Even bias tape will work. For a 25-day felt advent calendar, plan for at least 8 feet feet of cord.

Sewing:

• Thread for sewing
• Needle (a universal needle will work great for this)
• Fabric scissors
• Pins or clips
• Optional: free motion (or darning) presser foot for your machine

Glue

• I highly recommend using Gorilla Hot Glue for this felt project or any other of your craft projects. It’s seriously the BEST hot glue for a no-sew felt advent calendar.

Marking:

• Fabric marker, chalk pencil, or washable marker for drawing numbers

Optional extras:

• Embroidery floss for details

Download the free DIY felt Christmas lights advent calendar template here.

The free template includes:

• The light bulb and pocket shape
• The small rectangle for the fold-over loop

This template is for the felt Christmas light pockets only (elf and snowman not included).

How to Make a DIY Felt Christmas Lights Advent Calendar

• Download and print the template at 100%.
• Cut out the paper pieces.

Cut the Felt Christmas Light Pieces

For each numbered pocket in your felt Christmas lights advent calendar, you’ll need:

• 1 light
• 1 pocket
• 1 rectangle for the loop

For a 25-day calendar:

• Cut 50 light bulb pieces total (two per number)
• Cut 25 rectangles

If you’re making a special yellow “lit” bulb, cut:

• 1 extra yellow bulb shape (cut off the top portion)

Add the Advent Calendar Numbers to Each Felt Light Pocket

Add the numbers onto the pocket pieces first whether you’re using the free-motion method shown here or another method (ideas below).

On our Felt Christmas Lights Advent Calendar, I chose to draw the numbers with a fabric marking pen onto the front of the Pocket pieces and then use my free-motion presser foot to “draw” the number. I used a gold colored thread in my bobbin and a yellow top thread that gave the numbers a unique look and texture. To create the thick line of the numbers, I went over the line several times to make the numbers really pop.

Free-motion stitching Numbers:

• Set up your machine for free-motion presser foot and feed dogs according to your machine’s manual.
• Carefully stitch over your drawn number, “writing” with the needle as you move the felt.

Your numbers do not need to be perfect. The wobbly, hand-drawn look gives the calendar charm and makes each light feel unique.

If not free-motion, here are some other creative ideas for adding day numbers:

• Hand embroider the numbers
• Cut felt numbers and sew (or glue) them on
• Use fabric paint or a permanent fabric pen
• Use fabric puff paint or glitter paint
• Glue wood numbers onto the felt Christmas lights
• Cut out numbers from the pockets and layer a contrasting colors behind

If sewing:

• Starting and stopping with a backstitch, sew just along the edge (about 1/8″ seam allowance) at a top corner near the top side and sew around the curve of the bulb, leaving the top edge open

If glueing:

• Add a bead of glue onto the backside of the pocket with number just along the edges of the sides.
• Place the pocket on top of the matching light.
• Allow glue to set and dry.

Repeat for all 25 lights.

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MORE CHRISTMAS: Make a 3D Christmas Tree Ornament – free template and tutorial!

Sew the Fold-Over Loops

The small rectangles become loops for each of the felt lights along the hanging cord.

For each light:

• Fold the loop rectangle in half.
• Place the loop over the top center of the light so the bottom edge is aligned with the top edge of the light. Pin or clip to hold.
• Sew (or glue) along the bottom of the loop to attach to the top of the light.
• Repeat with all lights.

The “Lit” Light Day Marker

The moving yellow light day marker is the little detail that makes this felt Christmas advent calendar extra fun to use.

For the yellow, current day “lit” light, I drew random swirls onto the yellow light and free-motion stitched those with gold thread. Onto the backside, I placed a rectangle piece with a point that slides into the pocket. This can be sewn on or glued to the back.

To make the yellow light:

• Cut one yellow light using the same light template except eliminate the extra piece at the top of the light.
• Optional: Add stitched swirls or radiating lines to the front to help it look like it’s glowing.
• Add the extra felt piece to the backside and sew or glue to hold. This part will slip into the light pocket to hold in place.

String the Lights

The last step is to string the felt lights onto the cord to create your full felt Christmas lights advent calendar garland.

• It’s best to add all the lights onto the cord, then determine how long you want your cord to be. The spacing between each light and how much cord is left at each end will determine the final length.
• Slide each light onto the cord through its loop, arranging them in order from 1 to 25.

Options:

• Keep them close together for a full, clustered look
• Space them out for a longer garland
• Split them into two shorter strands (1–12 and 13–25, for example)

Other Ways to Mark the Day on the Felt Advent Calendar

If you’d like an alternative to the yellow light, or an extra friend to move along the strand, you can create a small character from felt scraps to move along your felt advent calendar day by day.. There’s no template for these characters. I’m including them as inspiration so you can sketch your own shapes and have fun with felt scraps.

Snowman and Elf

• Snowman: stacked circles, a scarf, tiny carrot nose, and stitched eyes
• Elf: a simple t-shirt body shape, two hands, circle head, circle nose, stocking hat with long tail and a puff ball at the end.

Each of the characters slip into the pocket of each day in the DIY Felt Advent Calendar.

What to Put in a Felt Advent Calendar

Many DIY advent calendars, including this felt Christmas lights advent calendar, are filled with tiny treats to enjoy during each day of the countdown to Christmas. The small pockets in the lights are the perfect size for a small chocolate, mint, or stick of gum. Or fill with small trinkets or fidgets for kids to find each day.

Ideas for filling:

• Small wrapped candies or chocolates
• Mini toys: erasers, stickers, little figures, beads
• Craft supplies: buttons, washi tape, special thread
• Activity notes, such as:
  • “Bake cookies tonight”
  • “Christmas light tour”
  • “Read a holiday story before bed”
  • “Hot cocoa and movie night”
  • “Make a paper snowflake”

Make This DIY Felt Christmas Lights Advent Calendar in Your Own Style

This project is easy to tweak so it fits your style and your home.

Color palette:

• Classic red, green, and white
• Rainbow lights across the whole garland
• Neutral and soft tones for a calmer look
• Sparkly or metallic felt for extra shine

Number of days:

• Traditional 1–25
• 1–24 if that’s your family’s usual countdown
• 12 days of Christmas version
• A custom start date that works with your holiday schedule

Materials:

• Use new felt sheets or try upcycled textiles for a totally unique felt advent calendar.

Extra details:

• Add decorative stitching to some bulbs with your machine or a blanket stitch sewn by hand.
• Add a tiny felt banner above your garland with a phrase,your family name, or “Countdown to Christmas.”
• Mix in shaped pieces (stars, trees, etc.) between the bulbs

The Countdown to Christmas Begins!

This felt Christmas lights advent calendar is one of those projects that doesn’t just decorate your home, it becomes part of your family’s December routine. The pockets give you a spot for tiny surprises, and the moving yellow light (or whatever your chose) gives kids a daily job they look forward to. If you’re looking for a DIY felt advent calendar you can reuse year after year, this one is simple to make, easy to store, and so fun for kids.

I hope you enjoy making and using this Felt Advent Calendar as much as we do!

Save this DIY felt Christmas lights advent calendar for later.

Pin this project to your Handmade Holiday or DIY Felt Project boards.