I love advent calendars. I had one when I was a kid that I opened year after year until the windows became creased and ragged.

Even though I love the advent calendars you can buy that have chocolate inside *yum* I wanted an advent calendar that was more personal. So I designed this Photo Advent Calendar, that you can print out and customize with your own pictures! I created the house illustration with 24 windows to open and the photo template to go behind it.

Making one is really pretty simple. Download the front "house" panel and back "photo" panel pdf's and print them out. I used a Kodak All-in-One Inkjet Printer so the prints come out dry and I can start cutting and gluing right away. Patience sometimes goes out the window when I am crafting.

front "house" panel pdf | back "photo" panel pdf

Using an exacto knife, cut three sides of each window so they can be opened.

Then you want to choose 24 of your favorite photos and print them out small to match the boxes on the back panel. Note that the top windows are pointy on top, so make sure the photo subject matter doesn't get cut off for those windows.

(If you are particularly handy with photo software you could open the back panel pdf up in a program and add your photos to the pdf and print the back panel out with pictures already added.)

Glue your photos to the boxes on the back panel and then glue the front panel to the back one. You can find more detailed shots in the Inkjet Project Gallery.

Now you can open a window for each day of December and see a new picture until Christmas!

If you don't have enough time or energy to pull together your own photos for a Photo Advent Calendar, here is a special release Oscar and Stewie back panel you can print out and use! 24 days of pug and kitty mug shots! That oughta get you in the holiday spirit!

Oscar and Stewie back panel pdf

- Jenny Cisney

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