I’m sharing a series of felt projects, starting with Arlo’s felt truck advent calendar. One week into December and it’s finally finished — and I love how it turned out. When Arlo saw it he immediately said “CAR!” which made me smile.
Each morning he’ll choose the item from that day’s pocket and place it on the truck. Next year I plan to pair each day with a small gift, a kind gesture, or a give-back activity to emphasize giving rather than just receiving. Ideas include writing a card to grandparents, baking cookies for a neighbor, selecting a gift for a teacher, or shopping for a family we’re supporting that season.
This DIY felt advent calendar takes some time and patience, but it’s straightforward and worth the effort. Done well, it will last for many seasons.
DIY Advent Calendar Supplies Needed
Truck template
1 1/2 yards off-white felt
1/2 yard mint felt
9×12 sheets of felt in various colors (I used eight colors and about 1–2 sheets per color)
Sewing machine and thread (or glue for a no-sew version)
Hot glue gun
Polyfill stuffing
Velcro (rough side for attaching presents)
Scissors
Wooden dowel
Rope or ribbon for hanging
Step-by-step Advent Calendar Instructions
1. Enlarge the truck template to 400% and have it printed at a local print shop or on a large-format printer. The finished truck will be approximately 24″ wide. Cut out the template.
2. Cut all felt pieces: one truck shape, two large wheels and two small wheel details, a window, a handle, a bumper and a bow. Cut twenty-four 3.25″ squares and numbers 1–24. Cut pieces for the twenty-four little presents—mostly rectangles (two pieces per present) with a few varied shapes. Cut bows from felt as well.
3. Arrange the truck and the 24 squares on a large backing piece of felt. Lay the present cutouts in the truck bed to estimate stacking height. Cut the backing rectangle so it is about 1.5–2″ wider than the assembled pieces on three sides and about 4″ taller at the top to allow for folding over the dowel.
4. Sew or glue the decorative pieces (bumper, window) to the truck. Pin the 24 squares and the truck to the backing and sew along the edges of the felt pieces. For each pocket, sew three sides and leave the top open to create the pocket.
5. Stitch each present together, leaving a 1/2″ opening to insert a small amount of stuffing. Close the opening and attach the felt bow with hot glue.
6. Fold 1/2″ of the bottom and both sides under and stitch to create a neat hem. Hemming felt isn’t required, but it gives a cleaner finish.
7. Fold 2″ under at the top and stitch to form a tube for the dowel to slide through.
8. Glue the truck bow and the numbers onto each pocket. Attach a small piece of the rough side of velcro to the back of each present so they stick to the pockets.
9. Slide the dowel through the top pocket tube and tie rope or ribbon to each end of the dowel. The calendar is ready to hang.
More Felt Christmas Projects
If you enjoyed this truck calendar, try these other felt projects for the holidays:
- DIY Felt Christmas Tree Wall Hanging
- DIY Felted Stripe Christmas Stockings
- Needle-Felted Doll Tutorial: Sugar Plum Fairy Tree Topper
Photos by Jeff Mindell
Next I’ll share the tree wall hanging I made for our family to assemble together, followed by the stockings tutorial many of you have asked about. I can’t wait to show those — Christmas crafting is one of my favorite things.