DIY Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

What better way to count down the days until Christmas than with a fun reusable, DIY advent calendar? If you have a muffin tin lying around, a stash of leftover Halloween candy, you’re in luck! Not only is this craft a creative way to re-purpose your Halloween sweets, but it’s also an enjoyable activity for the family. For an extra personal touch, or don’t have candy to use, you can slip small toys, notes, jokes, or meaningful affirmations inside some or all of the muffin tin cups. Get even more creative with holiday-themed riddles, holiday activity ideas, a Lego set broken up across multiple days, or scavenger hunt clues! For adults, consider adding coupons for things like a movie night, extra coffee breaks, or even a “home spa” day. Think about what your gift ideas might be in advance.

What You’ll Need:

Muffin tin (24-cup): This will serve as the structure.
Card stock or download our free printable squares: This will be used to cover the cups.
Magnet sheet with adhesive back: To secure the cup covers.
Scissors
Ideas of things to fill the cups:
- Leftover Halloween candy or other treats.
- Acts of Kindness Notes
- Fun Activity Idea Notes
- Mini-gifts: Nail Polish or small Toys
- Legos or Puzzle (broken up to build all month long)
- Notes, Coupons, Etc.
Optional:
- Wrapping paper or tissue paper: Used to wrap each item if needed.
- Metal hole punch: This has been a fun addition to our craft supplies
- Ribbon
- Paper Corner Rounder

Step-by-Step Instructions

Choose Your Muffin Tin:
- First, select a muffin tin with cup sizes that fit your needs. A 24-cup mini tin is perfect for counting down to Christmas.
Sort and Portion Your Fillers:
- Portion out your candy or fillers. You don’t need to have 24 pieces of each candy (unless you want to). Just make sure there’s enough variety to make each day a fun surprise. You can add variety by adding in small toys or other mini-gift ideas.
Wrap Each Item (optional):
- For a fun twist, cover each piece of candy or mini-gift with wrapping paper, or tissue paper. You can cut small squares of wrapping paper to cover each gift item, and tape it shut or tie it with a ribbon.
Create and Label Cup Covers
- Using thick paper card stock—with a marker, stickers or printer—label and design each cup cover with the corresponding dates to countdown to Christmas December 1-24. You can draw a series of 24 squares, sized appropriately to fit over the cups, and decorate as you please. We’ve also included this link to free printable squares.
Covering Each Cup:
- Cut out each square. If desired, use a paper corner rounder to round the corners. Place a magnetic backer (make sure it has adhesive backing) on the back of each square. With the small gifts in each cup, cover each cup in any order you wish. Tip: The magnetic tape backer will help hold the numbered cover over the cups more securely but you might want to add a piece of tape to each gift to help hold the item in the cup if hanging your calendar on the wall.
Display Your Calendar:
- Use a metal hole punch to punch two holes in the top of the tin. Tie a decorative ribbon through the holes to hang on the wall. If you don’t want to hang the calendar on a wall you can use a small stand or simply display it flat on the counter. Place your muffin tin advent calendar in a spot where you can easily access it every day.
Enjoy!
- You’re done and we hope you and your family enjoy your calendar.