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Do you have holiday traditions that you do each year?  We have several. A few of our favorites are reading a Christmas book each night starting December 1st. We have been building our collection over the last few years. I have a list of all of our favorites HERE. We also read a bible verse each night that tell the story of the Nativity. I want my boys to remember what the season is truly about and why Jesus was sent to earth.

This year I decided to combine both of these traditions using an advent calendar I made as the center for both. 

Everything I used I had on hand from years past- I love a free project! 

First, I found a sign in my garage that I no longer used that was the perfect size!!! I painted it with one coat of black paint in the color Tricorn Black. After the first coat I loved the distressed finish – it looks almost like a chalkboard- which was the exact look I wanted. 

Then I used two 6 ft stocking garlands I have had for about 3 years (I found the exact ones- linked here– I love that craft stores tend to stock lots of the same items each year.😉). Each garland has 12 stockings – so using 2 gives me 24 stockings- one for each day in December leading up to Christmas Day!!! 

I hung the garland on the wood frame using little nails- you could also small clear command hooks. I spaced them evenly and put 6 stockings per row, four rows total.

I then hung the sign up. Added some beautiful faux cedar garland, a wood bead garland and bells. 

To each stocking, I added a verse card that I printed from my friend Bethany’s blog . She has so many amazing printables, gift ideas and year round decor ideas! Click HERE for Bethany’s advent printable.

I added one printable verse per stocking and then one numbered clothespin (from hobby lobby holiday craft section). 

I made sure we had 24 books total- one for each day. (You can find all of our favorites are HERE.) I wrapped all the books individually and numbered them 1-24, making sure that “The Night Before Christmas” is number 24. 

Then for part 2- the Christmas books!!!

Each night I let my kiddos get the verse of the day from the stocking and we read it together. Then they find the book numbered for that day- each day will be a surprise which book we will red that night! 

I am so excited to continue this tradition each year and hope my boys will have many memories of the Christmas season that they can carry over into their own families when they are grown.

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