Crafting Through the Holidays Advent Calendar: Part 1/5
In this first Crafting Through the Holidays Art Skills advent calendar video (and my first YouTube ever!), I opened and completed the first five surprise projects from the kit. These mini holiday crafts included a yarn wreath ornament, a painted rock, window clings, a plaster reindeer that I turned into a reindeer-otter, and a felt stocking ornament. Some projects were simple, some were a little frustrating, and one became unexpectedly creative, but it was a fun start to the advent calendar series.
Project 1: Yarn Wreath Ornament
The first project in the Crafting Through the Holidays advent calendar was a simple yarn wreath ornament. This holiday craft used string wrapped around a circular base to create a mini Christmas wreath, finished with tiny holly leaves and berries for a classic festive touch. It was a pretty straightforward project, but a nice warm-up for the calendar and a cute way to start the series. This beginner-friendly Christmas craft would be easy to recreate with yarn, ribbon, or string, and it would make a sweet handmade ornament, gift topper, or holiday decoration.
Project 2: Painted Reindeer and Penguin Rock
The second project was a painted rock craft, and this one felt especially nostalgic. The kit included a real rock, a temporary tattoo-style design, and paints to create a cute holiday reindeer or moose character. I used paint pens for part of the design, although my toddler had definitely gotten to them first, so the markers were a little destroyed and harder to use than expected. I also tested the paint that came with the kit, which worked fine but needed several coats for better coverage. The finished painted rock turned out cute and festive, making this a fun holiday craft idea for kids, families, or anyone who loves simple Christmas painting projects.
Project 3: Window Cling Stickers
The third advent calendar project was a set of holiday window clings. This was definitely the simplest project of the video and felt more like placing stickers on a clear film than creating a full craft from scratch. While it was quick and easy to complete, it was not my favorite project in the kit because I usually prefer window cling crafts made with puffy paint or more dimensional materials. Still, this would be a good low-mess Christmas craft for kids, especially if you want a fast holiday activity that can be displayed on a window, mirror, or glass door.
Project 4: Plaster Reindeer Otter
The fourth project was a small plaster reindeer figure, but I decided to get more creative and turn it into a wintery reindeer-otter hybrid. I painted the body in shades of blue, mixed blue and green paint to create murky water around it, and added snowflakes to the antlers for a magical winter look. There was a brief moment where the nose started to look more like a pig or cow, but switching it to a deeper blue helped pull the design together. This ended up being one of my favorite projects from the video because it gave me room to personalize the kit and turn a basic plaster painting craft into a unique holiday character.
Project 5: Felt Stocking Ornament
The fifth and final project of this video was a small felt stocking ornament. I was excited for this one because it felt different from the other crafts and leaned more into fiber arts, which I already enjoy because I crochet. The project involved sewing felt pieces together, but the needle that came with the kit was difficult to use and not sharp enough to easily go through the felt. After switching to one of my own needles, the project went much more smoothly. The finished felt stocking is a cute handmade Christmas ornament and a nice beginner sewing craft, though I would definitely recommend having a better needle nearby if you try this kit yourself.
Overall, this first advent calendar craft session was a fun mix of holiday DIY projects, from beginner-friendly ornaments to painted keepsakes and simple window decorations. The yarn wreath and window clings were quick and easy, while the painted rock, felt stocking, and reindeer-otter gave me more room to experiment. I’m excited to keep opening the rest of the Crafting Through the Holidays advent calendar and see which projects are simple, surprising, or worth putting my own creative twist on.
