The Advent Calendar

Advent calendars date back hundreds of years, with some families drawing a chalk line to mark each day of December. One hand-made fabric advent calendar is known to date from 1851, while other communities used Advent candles, lighting one for each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas – not too dissimilar to the Advent Wreath still in use today.

The first printed advent calendar was apparently produced in Germany in 1908, and a few years later the same maker introduced an Advent calendar with opening doors.  With rationing and war in the 30s and 40s advent calendars became less common but eventually in the late 50s we began to see advent calendars with chocolate in them. These remain popular, even ubiquitous today, but with concerns over waste (all that plastic), quality (not everyone wants to start their daily diet with a piece of sugar-laden chocolate!) and cost (cheapest chocolate calendars from around £2, but calendars with luxury gifts running in to hundreds of pounds) we’re seeing a resurgence of handmade calendars that you can personalise.

With a handmade calendar each year you can choose what you will put behind  the numbered pockets….. so what will you put in yours?

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Wobbly Pins, the soap opera (Act 1, Scene 1)

The Wobbly six – the first six soaps in our new range are now going through their safety assessment and they will then be out and about at local craft fairs and small outlets for sale. The wonderful natural scent from the essential oils that I have put in the soap has been filling the house for weeks whilst they cure. My pedigree Schnauzers have been washed in the Paws Appeal Dog Soap and smell very fresh but they assure me they will roll in the grass again today.