Looking for a fun, festive, and personalisable project this holiday season? I’ve designed a charming cut-and-sew fabric panel for an Advent calendar with little fabric bags that you can customise to fit your personal interior design style. With so many pattern options available, you’re sure to find a version that complements your home perfectly! Plus, the same patterns on the little bags are available across my range of wallpaper, bedding, and home decor, allowing you to create a beautifully coordinated look.

This easy-to-follow project is ideal for sewists of all skill levels, making it a wonderful activity for beginners or children, especially with a little help from parents or grandparents.

This Advent calendar project is not only enjoyable to sew, but it’s also sustainable, creating a unique decoration that can be cherished for years to come. Hand it down to your children and grandchildren to start a family tradition that lasts through the generations.

What you need to sew the advent calendar

Materials needed for sewing the Advent calendar:

• Advent calendar fabric panel
• scissors
• matching sewing thread

Optional:

• pins
• electric iron
• satin ribbon, approx. 6 mm (0.23 inches) wide, about 7.5 meters (8.2 yards)
• chopstick or similar tool to shape the corners
• safety pin

Materials needed for hanging the Advent calendar:

• thick cord, about 1 cm (0.4 inches) thick, 4-5 meters (4.4-5.4 yards) long

Optional:

• small clothespins

Instructions:

Sewing instruction advent calendar fabric bags

Wash the Advent calendar fabric panel according to the instructions.

Iron the Advent calendar fabric panel.

Cut the fabric panel into 25 pieces along the dashed black lines.

Take the first piece of fabric and lay it down with the “right” side facing the table.

Fold the shorter sides along the colored markings twice and sew the folded fabric down.

Repeat all steps for the (short) left side.

Fold the fabric at the top edge along the narrow colored marking.

Fold the fabric along the next marking.

Sew along the bottom edge to create a tunnel.

Fold the fabric piece in half, right sides together.

Sew the fabric piece into a bag.

Start at the top right below the tunnel.

The tunnel must remain open!

Trim the bottom corners slightly.

Turn the bag right side out.

Use a chopstick to shape the corners.

Cut a piece of satin ribbon about 30 cm (about 12 inches) long and thread it through the tunnel at the top of the bag using a safety pin.

Tie the ends of the satin ribbon together.

Repeat all steps for the remaining 23 Advent calendar bags;))

Sewing Instruction “Merry Christmas” banner

Fold the short sides of the banner twice along the narrow marking strips and sew them down.

Repeat this process for the bottom side of the banner.

For the top side of the banner, fold the fabric first along the narrow marking and then along the wider marking.

Sew it down to create a tunnel.

DONE!!!

Well, now I am curious.

Have you ever sewn your own fabric bag Advent calendar?

If so, did you use a pre-printed fabric panel?
Or did you measure each bag individually, look for fabrics that make a nice combination, etc.?