Kraft Paper Creations: How To Make A Gingerbread Man Advent Calendar

Who said kraft paper can’t be festive? Dive into our DIY guide and create a gingerbread man advent calendar. A merry and bright project for the holiday season!

As tradition dictates, I roll up my sleeves each year and craft a homemade advent calendar for the family.

What is the beauty of a DIY calendar? Utter control. Fancy a bit of chocolate to sweeten the countdown? Sorted. Perhaps a festive sketch? Why not. Or even a Christmas joke that’s so cheesy you’d spread it on toast? Absolutely. The choice, as they say, is yours.

Now, a little anecdote about my dear husband. He’s quite the whizz in many areas, but when it comes to gauging the amount of wrapping paper required, let’s say he’s somewhat challenged.

During his eBay days, he decided to stock up on Kraft paper. The result? We’re now the proud, albeit slightly overwhelmed, owners of a small Kraft paper empire.

You might wonder, “How does this relate to an advent calendar?” Simply put, I resolved to tackle that mountain of Kraft, one festive calendar at a time this year.

And speaking of crafting quirks, let me share another: I adore stitching paper. If you’ve never sent paper for a whirl through your sewing machine, it’s quite the experience. It offers a thrill that even fabric struggles to match. But if machinery isn’t your cup of tea, a trusty glue pot will serve you just as well.

From heart maps for Valentine’s to eerie treat bags for Halloween, my sewing machine has been a trusty sidekick for many seasons. So, when Christmas sewing beckoned, it was high time for Kraft paper gingerbread men to debut.

Fancy giving it a go? Let’s get cracking!

Kraft Paper Gingerbread Man Homemade Advent Calendar

What you need

• Kraft paper (brown paper) – I only managed to use about 3/4 of a roll of the stash of craft paper in the cupboard. About 3 meters of paper.

• Large gingerbread cookie cutter – If you don’t have one, you can always draw a template onto cardboard and use that.

• Number stencil ruler
• Red Sharpie and white chalk pen
• Bakers twine and small wooden craft pegs

• Scissors
• Sewing machine (or glue)
• Treats to go inside the Christmas advent calendar

How To Make Paper Gingerbread Men

Step 1: Place the gingerbread man cookie cutter onto the kraft paper and draw around it. Then cut out the gingerbread man shape. You will need 48 of these gingerbread man shapes in total.

I suggest stacking the kraft paper into at least four layers before cutting to speed up the process. This way, you can cut four gingerbread men in one go.

Step 2: Pin two of the gingerbread shapes together in the centre. Then starting under one of the arms, stitch around the edge of the two gingerbread men on a sewing machine, leaving a small gap in the side of his body.

Step 3: Using the stencil and the red sharpie, number the gingerbread men from 1 to 24. This can be done before or after the sewing. But must be done before filling the gingerbread men with their treats. Use the white marker to give the gingerbread men a face.

Step 4: Through the gap in the side of the gingerbread man, stuff whatever treat you want inside his belly. Then sew up the belly hole.

Step 5: Finally, all left to do is display the homemade advent calendar. To do this, string up the bakers’ twine across a door, wall or mantle. Then use the craft pegs to hold up the gingerbread men.

If you noticed, I have hung my gingerbread men in random order. Half the fun of an advent calendar is hunting for the right day. However, if you prefer a bit more order, feel free to hang your gingerbread men in sequence!
 
Don’t forget to check out my other Christmas paper craft ideas and advent calendars.
Handmade paper envelope advent calendar
Jeans pocket handmade advent calendar