How to make advent calendar or festive bunting

Sam, our Community Network Developer in Wales, recently paid a visit to network members, Mandi and Katrina (along with Mandi’s daughter Kate) and the crafting group they have created called ‘All About Us’ in Llanelli.

As with all community projects, it's about so much more than the crafting only. It's where conversations are shared, problems are lightened, skills are exchanged and confidence is grown. Oh and the most delicious homemade cakes are eaten! They were making advent bunting the day that Sam visited, and this is the recipe they left her with so you can create your own too. If it's too late for advent, string your bunting up over the festive period and put little gifts or riddles in the pockets for guests who come to visit.

What you will need

Something to hang your bunting pieces from such as rope/bias binding/ribbon/string
Christmas-themed fabric or felt – patterned or plain colours, enough for 24 double sided shapes (extra for numbers)
Sharp scissors
Something to stick or sew it all together e.g embroidery thread, fabric glue, cotton, wonder web
Any embellishments such as beads or buttons
Sewing machine (optional)

Method

First things first, find your inspiration!

Cut out your template – for ours, we used ply-wood but you could use a stiff card

Draw around your template onto the fabric, then cut out your pieces

Add any embellishments first, for example your advent number or decorations

Decide on how you’ll put it all together

Whether that’s fabric glue, machine stitching, blanket stitching by hand or wonder web, go for it!

If you’re machine stitching, turn your templates back-to-back and stitch

Take care not to stitch the top of your pocket, this is where your advent treat will pop in! Then, turn the pocket back the right way. If you’re doing it the non-machine way, stick all of your elements together however it works best.

When you’ve finished, hang your bunting pieces onto your string or tape using pegs and pop in your little gifts