If you’d like to do more to celebrate Jesus’ arrival on earth outside of Sunday mornings with your family or roommates or pet, check out the following, compiled by several of you from around The Table (pun intended).
Advent/Christmas Eve Ideas:
CHEAP/FREE, MINIMAL EFFORT (aka Charlie Brown Christmas tree style)
Find candles around your home
Draw flames with paper and colored pencils/markers
Play a candle video on YouTube - it’s not quite the real thing but requires zero cleanup :)
Make a wreath from evergreen branches:
Gather some branches outside from the ground
Collect pine cones for added decor
Arrange 4 pillar candles around the wreath
Share something you love or appreciate about each person in your family.
If you live alone, consider calling a good friend or family member to share a moment with them.
Make a mug of hot chocolate / spiced (or spiked!) cider/eggnog
SIMPLE YET REFINED, Griswald Christmas Vacation style
Buy an Advent wreath:
Buy an Advent Calendar Kit:
CRAFTS
$3 3-wick jar candle (& add one more candle from around the house)
$40: Beeswax Make Your Own Advent Candles (set of 3)
KIDS (CRAFTS + CONTENT)
Crafts
DIY Advent Wreath Craft for Kids Using Dollar Store Supplies
$40: Beeswax Make Your Own Advent Candles (set of 3)
Devotionals/Reading Guides
[FREE] Jesse Tree
Print ornaments, hang on a garland, & use suggested scripture
[FREE] Happy Hymnody
Monthly hymn w/ free printables & YouTube channel
[FREE] (younger) Jesus Storybook Bible
Free Advent guide - coloring pages, printable ornaments, reading schedule, etc.
[FREE] Learning through Literature
4 week Christmas reading plan
Includes a book list, activity suggestions, and discussion topics.
Get books at the library
Instagram: @learningthroughliterature has the freebie!
$15 A Spacious Season: A Weary Mom Rejoices
6-episode audio devotional + workbook to help you have a meaningful Advent + Christmas
$15.99 Wonders of His Love: Finding Jesus in Isaiah, Family Advent devotional
“Perfect for busy families with younger children, each week of Advent focuses on one of Isaiah’s images and has readings related to the week’s theme—Jesus the Light; Jesus the Branch; Jesus the Shepherd; Jesus the Savior—and, on Christmas Day, Jesus the Bread. Each week also includes fun stories, discussion questions, crafts, recipes, games, and suggestions for family service projects.”
$12.49 Advent Jesse Tree devotional
Write out verse for the day
Draw a symbol on 3”x 3” paper
Put on fridge one by one, in the shape of a tree
The book does a great job of connecting it all to Jesus and it has a daily devotion for both kids and adults as well as song ideas to sing with your kids for each day, etc.
(Older) $16.99 Ann Voskamp’s ‘Unwrapping the Greatest Gift’
Pop-up tree book with an ornament each day + very short reading
$19: Jennifer Naraki’s Slow & Sacred Advent curriculum
Go to Menu / Blog to see updated curriculum or instagram for other ideas on how others have used her curriculum
Beautiful and organic, more involved
(Younger) $35: The Star from Afar
Book + nativity set
Read-aloud Ideas
DIY Instruments
**Kids Sing-a-long Hootenany with Elle Tyler & Danny Rankin during the December 20th Sunday service - more details here at 1:41.