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Contributor: Eileen E.

Just love advent calendars. When we were in Germany about 20 years ago, I heard someone talk about lighting the advent wreath each week and the signifigance of each candle--has anyone ever heard of this?  Would love to know it.

Have a really simple calendar made for me (a lot of work, but it's out of felt so kiddos can use it)  It's a large rectangle--maybe 12 by 24 hanging on a dowel and string.  It's got 24 numbered pockets at the bottom.  There is a basic creche glued on--just two side posts and the roof so four strips.  There are wisemen, shepherds, angels, stars plus The Star, animals, Mary Joseph and the baby (put out on 24th), a cradle, not sure what else, but you could fill it in and everyhings pretty simple shapes--kings probably have crowns and gifts, shephards have staffs.  These are pinned on--my children were older when we got it--will probably put velcro or spray that adhesive stuff on when grandchildren start wanting to touch it.

I also have a wonderful one I made that's from a German craft book--it's a huge arched "window" with 24 sections--five rows of four sections each are squares, then the top is divided into four pie wedges.  This is a heavy paper--poster board-type.  The little pieces are all of paper also, and some are three dimensional, but most are just simple paper pieces with some ornamentation--windows on the church and house, angel has a dot eye and holds a harp.  Three dimensional ones are stars and hearts, I think.  It took a lot of work, but it's one of my favorites.  Use tiny paper clips as hooks to hang each piece in it's window.

These are just a couple of several that I have.  Saw one done in Sunset using a design of your own (or dream home) out of paper, then behind doors and windows, up in the eaves, below the porch, etc. are 24 little numbered openings with pictures of your family, the dog, the cats, grandparents, cousins, aunts, etc