ADVENT CALENDAR HOUSE - BAKING MEMORIES COUNTDOWN | with Tya

The holiday season is upon us, and there's no better way to count down the days to Christmas than with an advent calendar filled with festive surprises! I was so excited when I learned that Doodlebug came out with their very own customizable advent calendar! Why settle for a store-bought one when you can create a super cute Doodlebug-themed personalized one!

I wanted to create an advent calendar but add a fun little something extra to it.  In this post, I will share with you the process of crafting your very own advent calendar complete with a unique twist – a baking-themed journal to record your sweetest Christmas memories! With all the cute baking-themed icons and papers in the Gingerbread Kisses collection, it was so easy to whip up this fun-themed advent calendar.

Here is how I put this together:

**Step 1: Decorating the Calendar**

I wanted my Advent to look like a gingerbread house, so I painted the house with some light tan paint. I then decorated the roof with some Blush colored Textured cardstock and cut scallop border strips on my Silhouette. I adhered these to the roof section. I wanted to decorate the roof with some real candy so I hot glued 2 mini candy canes and some gumdrops to the scallop strips. In the center of this section, I added the "Baking Spirits Bright" Chit Chat piece to a kraft-colored doily. I added the "Baking Spirits Bright" banner sticker from the This and that sticker sheet on top for some dimension. I also added some white Chunky Twine as a border along the edges of the house.

For the drawer fronts, I used the Holiday Sprinkles paper. I picked up some little wooden drawer knobs at the craft store, painted them white, and glued them to the fronts of the drawers.

I added this cute Santa, who is from the Odds and Ends, and a couple of Gingerbreads from the Puffy Stickers to the chimney part of the house! He looks so cute peeking out!

**Step 2: Add Mini Cookie Cutters and create the Numbered Tags

Next, add a mini cookie cutter to each drawer. These mini cookie cutters will serve as the key to your calendar. They'll not only look adorable but also provide a fun surprise for each day. To add the numbers to the cookie cutters, I die-cut a small stitched square tag from the Mini Tags Doodle Cuts. I cut the small number squares, found in the 6x6 paper pad, and added them to the tags. I tied the tags onto the cookie cutters with some baker's twine.

This is where the magic begins. Each day, open a drawer, find the number on the tag, and uncover a memory prompt.

Every day, as you open a drawer, you'll also pull out a decorated tag with your daily journaling prompt. Write down your memories, experiences, and thoughts related to baking during the holiday season. These journal entries will become a cherished keepsake for years to come.

**Step 3: The Baking-Themed Journal**

Here's where the unique twist comes into play with my calendar. I decided to go along with the baking theme of the collection to create a baking-themed journal to capture the precious memories of your holiday baking adventures. I bought a white chipboard box from the craft store. I decorated the box with some Cookies for Santa paper. I decorated the front with a 3x4 card from the Gift Wrap paper. I added the "Christmas Memories" sticker label to the card. The sticker is on the This and That sticker sheet. I added a few Puffy stickers to the label as well.

I then cut out 24 tags from some textured cardstock. I wanted to add some lined paper to the tags so they can be written on so I used the Bright Ideas paper from the Cute and Crafty collection. I then used some papers from the Plaid and Polka Dot Petite Prints and cut out a 3-D bow from a cut file on my Silhouette. I added the bow to the top of the tag and added a button and some twine to the bow. The Tags are held in a Kraft Slimline Evenelope that I trimmed down just a bit on one end to hold the tag. The envelope is then decorated with the 12x12 paper version of the numbered boxes found on the Christmas Jammies paper.

On each tag, I added a journaling prompt related to baking, such as "Share your favorite cookie recipe" or "Describe the scent of fresh gingerbread cookies."

So -with your handmade baking-themed advent calendar and journal, you'll not only savor the joy of the holiday season but also create lasting memories. The combination of the Gingerbread Kisses line, mini cookie cutters, and daily prompts will make each day leading up to Christmas a sweet adventure. So, gather your crafting supplies, get creative, and bake your way to Christmas bliss with this delightful DIY project. Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a great week and a Happy Holiday Season!

INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | BLOG

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

Gingerbread Kisses Collection
Advent Calendar House
Cute and Crafty "Bright Ideas" paper
Gingerbread Kisses Textured Cardstock Assortment plus 3 sheets of Blush Textured Cardstock
Plaid and Polka Dot Petite Prints Paper
Mini Tags Doodle Cuts
Doodle Twine
White Chunky Twine

OTHER

Silhouette Cameo
3-D Bow cut file
Kraft Slimline Envelopes
Buttons, twine
Kraft Doily
Light Tan and White Paint
Wood Drawer Knobs
Gumdrops and Mini Candy Canes
Hot Glue Gun
White chipboard box
Green ric-rac
Mini Cookie Cutters

Christmas Town - Wish List Journal | with Jomelle

Christmas Wish List

Dear Santa, Merry Christmas! I have been good this year so here are my wish list.

I've created a fun way to keep my kid's wish list that I can keep and treasure every year. I originally wanted to create a junk journal, but then I thought "Hey why not create a wish list for Christmas" This way I can keep all my kid's wish lists every year.

I cut different 12x12 papers from the Christmas Town collection to the size of the Daily Doodles Insert ( which is a Standard size) so that I can keep in it my planner. I also cut smaller size paper and punch the edges to give it more layered look.

 This is my 10 year old son Jaden's wish list for Christmas. I love seeing my kids handwriting and compare how they progress as they grow older. I decided to use the Petite Papers and used my Tag die cut for listing all their wish for Christmas.

 You can see the different pages I have created. This can also be used as a mini album and I can add pictures later on.

 Do you still believe in Santa? I do!

 I decided to laminate the odds & ends pieces I used as tabs since I know I'm going to be using it a lot to flip the pages. This way they can last longer.

 Of course I had to create my own list to give to Santa.

 I added the clear pocket adhesive I got from Target to hold all the "wish list" and I've added them to the pages.

 Are you on the naughty or the nice list this year? Here are the tags and ornament shape I cut for my kids to write on. I added the twine to the tag to complete the look.

I like all the layering I've created. I just love staring at it. I can't wait to add my kid's list each year that I can look back on and reminisce with them someday.

Have you been good this year? Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my fun "wish list" inserts/mini album I created to add to my Daily Doodles. Happy Holidays!

INSTAGRAM

Christmas Town & Daily Doodles TN | with Jomelle

"We're walkin' in a Winter Wonderland" 

As soon as I finished my Christmas Set Up in my Daily Doodles TN, I knew I wanted to create another set up creating a winter wonderland. What can be more perfect to pair with my theme other than the lots 'o dots Daily Doodles TN? They are a perfect match.

Doodlebug is well known for their bright fun colors. I couldn't resist and I just had to create my theme using all the fun pink and blue pieces.

 I picked out the elements that matches the theme I was going for and I created my insert cover. The front also serves as my dashboard. It's the first thing I see when I open my TN.

 If you don't already know me, I love decorating my pockets with all the fun elements. I used a washi to keep my embellishments in place.

 I feel so jealous of everyone who is celebrating the magic of the holiday with the snow falling above their heads. The white snow just makes everything so beautiful.

Even though there is no winter season here in Southern California, I still wanted to have that "winter" feel even if it's just in my planner. 

 I love adding decorative poms to the edges of my insert to add more texture and it always looks oh so pretty.

I really wish I can be walking in the Winter Wonderland. Thank you for stopping by.

INSTAGRAM