Budget-Friendly Advent Calendar Fillers 📅

Get into the holiday spirit without breaking the bank! 🎅

Growing up, one of my favorite parts of the holiday season was when my mom pulled out the family advent calendar and hung it in its usual spot in the hallway. It felt like the green light to finally begin singing our beloved carols and to send my Christmas List off to the North Pole! 

Now, one of the things I look forward to most during this time of year is creating my own advent calendar tradition. As someone who embraces DIY culture, I found the Idea Chíc Advent Calendar to be a wonderful way to introduce some festive cheer to my home this season. Each pouch is handheld in size - about 2” x 3” - a delightful hideaway for small gifts (and ideal if you’re on a budget like me this year!) 

Below, I’ve collected some ideas for tiny but thoughtful budget-friendly advent calendar fillers, perfect for stowing away in your own Idea Chíc Advent Calendar. Take a peek at this list and then let us know what your own ideas are in a comment below. We’d love to see how your creativity sparkles this special time of year.  🎄


🍴 Recipes: Printing or writing out your favorite holiday dish (or a yummy new cocktail recipe!) is a great filler for one of these little pouches. Plus, it gives you and yours an excuse to get messy together in the kitchen later that day. 


🍪 Christmas Cookie Coupon: And speaking of recipes, this year, I also plan to handwrite my great grandmother’s cardamon sugar cookie recipe as a “Christmas Cookie Coupon” - good for any use before Santa’s arrival! 


📖 Bible Verses or Inspirational Quotes: Pick out a few of the quotes or verses that got you through the year. Plus, Idea Chíc’s Berry Branch Bird Tags are the perfect size to sneak a handwritten quote into one of these pouches. 


⛄ Stickers: Who doesn’t love snowflakes, wreaths, little gingerbread men, and candy cane detailing? Holiday stickers are a fun way to bring a little extra festivity into the day. 


🔥Matchbook From Your Favorite Restaurant: Pairs well with a gift certificate to the restaurant for a date night! 


💸 Scratch-Off Lottery Ticket: Put your luck in fate’s hands with a holiday-themed scratch-off. Who knows, maybe Santa will be good to you in advance this year! 


💌 Stamps: Did you know that saying thank you has proven health benefits? Check out our blog post on the #GratitudeGlow here, then pick out a few holiday-themed stamps and encourage your loved ones to send a thank you card (or two!) this December. 


✏️ Poem or Little Love Letter: Remind your loved one how much you care with a favorite poem or a little note about why you adore them. (Bonus points if you sneak a sprig of mistletoe in for a smooch, too!)


🍬 Mini Candy Canes, Holiday Candy, Chocolate Coins: A quick trip to the Dollar Tree had me stocked up on plenty of small sweeties to fill in a day or two each week. Everything is permissible in moderation, right? 


💰 Real Coins: This one will be especially fun if you have little ones starting out on a quarter collection. Find special state quarters from your spare change jar or run by the bank for an oversized silver dollar.

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