Fill-Your-Own Advent Calendar: 24 Gifts Worth Opening | Good Gifts
There is a particular kind of guilt that arrives around the middle of November, when you realise the reusable advent calendar needs filling and the easy option is a bag of plastic bits that will be lost or broken by Boxing Day. A fill-your-own calendar is a lovely tradition, but it only feels good if the little things behind each door are actually worth opening. So here is a different approach: two dozen small gifts a child will genuinely want to keep, make, wear or play with, almost all under a fiver.
This is also one of those quiet chances to show a child you have been paying attention. A parent can build a countdown around exactly what their four-year-old is into right now, and a grandparent, godparent or aunt who lives a little further away can put together a whole calendar as their Christmas gift, posted early, so they get to be part of every morning of December.
Cotton Twist Make Your Own Angel Peg Doll
A tiny festive craft that turns a wooden peg into a proper character.
The peg doll is one of the most satisfying craft formats for young children, because the result is a real little character they have made themselves and can then play with. The glue-dot assembly means even a three-year-old can finish it largely on their own, and the angel design gives the whole thing a gentle Christmas feel. A perfect door to hide near the end of the calendar.
Ages 3-8 · £3.95 · Includes peg doll, cardboard decorations and glue dots · Recyclable kraft packaging
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Cotton Twist Make Your Own Rainbow Bracelet
Quick to make, wearable straight away and universally loved.
One of the simplest kits in the range, and no less lovely for it. Children thread the rainbow beads onto the elastic and have something to wear within minutes, which is exactly the kind of small win that makes a December morning. The threading is gentle fine-motor practice for little hands too.
Ages 3-6 · £3.95 · Includes rainbow beads and elastic cord · Recyclable kraft envelope
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Cotton Twist Make Your Own Mini Beast Bracelet
A bug-themed bracelet for the child who loves anything with legs.
Insect and leaf beads make this a lovely, slightly unusual option for a nature-mad child, and the finished bracelet is something they will be genuinely proud to wear to nursery or school. It is the sort of small, specific choice that tells a child you know what they are into.
Ages 3-8 · £3.95 · Includes insect beads, leaf beads and threading cord · Recyclable kraft envelope
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Rex London Ladybird Glitter Rings
Instant sparkle for a child who loves dressing up.
A cheerful little set of glittery ladybird rings that children put on the moment the door opens. There is no assembly and no waiting, just immediate delight, which makes it an ideal early-December pick to build momentum. Charming, nature-inspired and completely guilt-free at the price.
Ages 3-8 · £3.95 · Glitter costume jewellery ring set
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Rex London Fairies in the Garden Glitter Butterfly Hair Clips
A small accessory that adds a bit of everyday magic.
Sparkly butterfly clips are the sort of small thing children immediately want to wear, and they are practical as well as pretty. The fairies in the garden theme is particularly lovely, and clips like these tend to become a daily favourite rather than a five-minute novelty.
Ages 3-8 · £3.95 · Set of glitter butterfly hair clips
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Rex London Magical Unicorn Nail Stickers
Twenty-five little stickers for endless mini manicures.
An easy, mess-free way to add a bit of unicorn magic, with twenty-five stickers featuring unicorns, rainbows, suns and clouds. They apply and remove easily, so there is plenty of play in one small packet. A brilliant tiny door for a unicorn-loving child, and the cheapest kind of joy.
Ages 3-10 · £2.95 · 25 nail stickers · Easy to apply and remove
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Namaki Nail Polish: Glitter Pink
A gentle, peel-off polish for a child who loves painted nails.
Namaki make the kind of nail polish parents actually feel good about: water-based, non-toxic and gentle enough for little ones. This sparkling glitter pink goes on like a grown-up manicure but peels off like a sticker, with no remover needed, so there is all of the fun and none of the fuss. A lovely small door for a child who has been eyeing up the nail varnish.
Ages 3-8 · £5.95 · Water-based, peels off without remover · Non-toxic
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Namaki Nail Polish: Lavender Blue
A second shade to collect, and a nice idea for a different door.
A dreamy lavender blue with the same gentle, peelable formula, this makes a lovely companion to the glitter pink. Tucking a second shade behind a later door turns a small treat into a little collection, and a child who loves choosing their colour will enjoy building up a set over the month. Just as easy to apply and just as easy to peel away at bath time.
Ages 3-8 · £5.95 · Water-based, peels off without remover · Non-toxic
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Nailmatic Crackling Bath Salts: Pink
A colour-changing bath potion that turns the tub into an event.
A little pot of magic that turns the bath water pink with crackling, popping sounds, made with sunflower and sweet almond oils and vitamin E so it gently moisturises while it fizzes. It is exactly the sort of small, sensory surprise that makes an ordinary December evening feel special, and a brilliant way to make bath time something a child looks forward to.
Ages 3-8 (with supervision) · £4.50 · Berry scent · Sunflower and sweet almond oils and vitamin E
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Natural Play Make Up Vanilla Lip Balm
A gentle first taste of grown-up make up that actually looks after little lips.
For the child who wants to join in when a grown-up does their make up, this vanilla-scented balm is a sweet, low-key place to start. Made from completely natural ingredients and designed for delicate young skin, it nourishes lips rather than just decorating them, so it earns its place well beyond December. A calm, gentle alternative to the glitter and colour, and a thoughtful little door.
Ages 3-8 · £6.95 · Natural ingredients, vanilla-scented · Washes off with water · The Natural Play Makeup Company
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Natural Play Make Up Bio Glitter: Pink Stardust
All the sparkle of glitter, with none of the plastic.
Ordinary glitter is one of the worst offenders for exactly the kind of December waste this list tries to avoid, so a pot of certified biodegradable bio glitter feels like a genuinely better choice. Made in the UK from natural, sustainably sourced materials, this pink stardust lets a child add sparkle to face and body art without the guilt, and pairs beautifully with the brand's stencils and primer for proper dressing-up fun.
Ages 5-10 (safety tested from 3+) · £6.50 · Certified biodegradable Bioglitter Pure · Made in the UK · The Natural Play Makeup Company
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Mojo Fun Giraffe Calf
A beautifully observed little figure to start or grow a collection.
That slightly too-big head on a still-short neck is perfectly observed, and it makes the giraffe calf a genuinely charming little figure. A single well-made animal is a lovely thing to find behind a door, and it quietly builds towards a collection they can add to over months of calendars and birthdays.
Ages 3-10 · £6.45 · Hand-painted figure · Part of the Mojo Fun African range
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gifts do I need for a fill-your-own advent calendar?
Most reusable calendars have 24 doors, one for each day up to Christmas Eve. You do not need 24 different things, though. Mixing a few of these small making kits and wearable treats with some sweets, a satsuma or a handwritten note works beautifully, and keeps the cost sensible.
What should I put in the bigger doors?
It is nice to save a slightly more special pick for the weekend doors and for Christmas Eve. Something like the angel peg doll, a little animal figure or a Namaki nail polish works well as a small highlight, while the rings, clips, stickers and bath salts are perfect for the quick everyday doors.
Is children's make up like this safe for younger ones?
The make up and nail picks here are all chosen for exactly that reason. Namaki and Nailmatic are water-based and peel or wash off easily, and Natural Play Make Up is made in the UK from natural, gentle ingredients with no nasties. As always, follow the age guidance on each item and supervise the youngest children, especially around bath products.
Can a grandparent or godparent give the whole calendar as a gift?
Absolutely, and it is one of the loveliest things a step-removed giver can do. Filling a calendar with things chosen for that particular child, and posting it in good time for the 1st, means you are part of every morning of December even from a distance. Building a shared gift list first makes it easy to pick things the child will actually love.
Are these gifts worth keeping, or just more clutter?
That is exactly the thinking behind this list. Everything here is either made and kept, worn, collected or played with, rather than the party-bag plastic that tends to disappear by Boxing Day. The idea is 24 small things worth having, not landfill in waiting.
Building your own advent countdown? Save the pieces you like to a shareable gift list on Good Gifts, so you can plan the whole calendar in one place, or share it with family who want to help fill the doors. Start a gift list here →