Christmas is coming! There’s no harm in thinking ahead, especially if you want a low-impact celebration. And what better way to kick it all off than with an eco-friendly or reusable advent calendar? (Except maybe building a gingerbread house… 😉)
As well as being a more sustainable countdown alternative, an advent calendar that can be reused and refilled can become a treasured piece of holiday décor and a fun add-on to your family’s festive traditions.
Why choose a reusable or eco-friendly advent calendar?
Because they cut back on holiday waste, often feature organic or natural fabrics, FSC-certified wood, or compostable packaging, and support small makers and artisans. They’re kinder to the planet and make for more meaningful traditions.
How we found the eco advent calendars on this list:
We looked for small makers, artists, and indie brands (many Etsy-based) that craft unique, handmade calendars with quirky details and sustainable touches. Low- or zero-waste options were prioritised to keep your December as eco-friendly as possible.
If you’re feeling crafty or are on a budget, scroll to the end of this guide for a whole heap of DIY reusable advent calendar ideas which include affordable, low-waste, and non-toxic ways to count down to Christmas.
We independently research all featured brands, and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. We explain this further in our Terms of Use.
Our Top Picks: The Best Reusable Advent Calendars We Think Yule Love
Craftspring’s Linen Advent Calendar is made with a cotton-linen blend and hand-embroidered with festive motifs. You can choose their reusable advent calendar with or without their beautiful felt ornaments. Craftspring is Fair Trade certified, Carbon Neutral, and supports women artisans to create heirloom pieces
Nini’s Family’s Rustic Linen Advent Calendar is made with linen which is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. There’s an option to have your family’s name hand-embroidered across the top, and the pockets on some of their calendars are extra large for those slightly bigger advent gifts.
We discovered that Etsy has a large assortment of vintage advent calendars which we would recommend for a nostalgic and unique advent calendar that gives new life to the old and beautiful.
Index: The Best Eco-friendly Advent Calendars
- Craftspring’s Linen Advent Calendar + Mini Ornament Bundle Jump to section
- Nini’s Family’s Rustic Linen Advent Calendar Jump to section
- Closet Eclectic Co’s Seed-Vent Calendar Jump to section
- Hudson Valley Maker Co’s Nativity Advent Calendar Jump to section
- Arcadia Home’s Felted Wool Tree Advent Calendar Jump to section
- Amber Wind Studio’s Botanical Advent Calendar Jump to section
- The Cotton Lane’s Embroidered Canvas Advent Calendar Jump to section
- KPort Gift Company Jump to section
- Vintage Advent Calendars on Etsy Jump to section
- Other Reusable & Eco-friendly Advent Calendars Jump to section
- DIY Advent Calendars Jump to section
Craftspring’s Linen Advent Calendar + Mini Ornament Bundle
Brooklyn-based and women-owned, Craftspring brings handmade magic to the holidays. From their studio tucked behind a tiny storefront, they collaborate with women artisans in India, Kyrgyzstan, and beyond to create heirloom pieces that support fair wages, preserve traditional crafts, and keep joy (not plastic) at the heart of gifting. They’re Fair Trade certified, Carbon Neutral, and committed to keeping every link in their supply chain ethical and transparent.
Their Linen Advent Calendar + Mini Ornament Bundle is as beautiful as it is meaningful. The wall-hanging calendar is sewn from a cotton-linen blend and hand-embroidered with festive motifs like holly, stars, and berries. Twenty-four pockets wait to be filled with surprises or you can use the accompanying set of 24 mini ornaments, each hand-felted from sustainably harvested merino wool.
Price: ~$250-$375 USD (without/with ornaments)
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Ships To: USA and international shipping available
Nini’s Family’s Rustic Linen Advent Calendar
Handmade in a historic Lithuanian manor house, Nini’s Family is a small, family-run workshop founded in 2020 by Agne. Rooted in Baltic and Nordic folklore, their work combines traditional materials with a modern sustainability ethos. Everything is crafted in small batches, with the intention that each piece becomes an heirloom rather than another disposable holiday trinket.
Their Rustic Linen Advent Calendar is sewn from pure Lithuanian linen which is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. Two natural wooden rods keep it hanging straight, while 24 pockets are ready to hold sweets, notes, or tiny gifts. For an extra special touch, you can have your family’s name hand-embroidered across the top.
Price: ~$160-$180 USD (varies with embroidery option)
Location: Lithuania
Ships To: Worldwide, including USA, UK, Australia
Closet Eclectic Co’s Seed-Vent Calendar
Forget chocolate, this calendar is for the green-thumbed (or green-thumb-curious). Closet Eclectic Co’s Seed-Vent Calendar swaps sweets for seeds, with 24 tiny corked glass bottles filled with a mix of heirloom vegetables, herbs, and pollinator-friendly flowers. Each bottle is handwritten and carefully assembled by hand, so no two calendars are ever quite the same.
Measuring 8 × 11 inches and weighing just over 7 oz, it’s a compact package with a big impact: every day in December adds a little more biodiversity to your garden and more buzz for the bees. Handmade, plastic-free, and designed to be both a holiday treat and a sustainable gift that keeps on giving, this eco-friendly advent calendar makes counting down to Christmas a little more down-to-earth.
Price: ~$100 USD
Location: Florida, USA
Ships To: USA
Hudson Valley Maker Co’s Nativity Advent Calendar
For those who prefer to keep the nativity front and center, Hudson Valley Maker Co’s Nativity Advent Calendar is a handcrafted heirloom made from FSC-certified maple and walnut wood. Each handmade advent calendar is cut, painted, and finished in a solar-powered Hudson Valley studio, using only water-based paints and stains.
The design is interactive: move a wooden angel along the numbered houses as you count down to Christmas, and slide the star above the manger in and out as you decide whether it shines all month or only on the 25th. Available in three lengths (15, 24, or 32 inches), there’s a size for every mantle, shelf, or tabletop.
Price: From ~$65-$223 USD (depending on size)
Location: Hudson Valley, New York, USA
Shipping: USA (international shipping available)
Arcadia Home’s Felted Wool Tree Advent Calendar
If you’re after color, craft, and conscience, Arcadia Home’s Felted Wool Tree Advent Calendar checks every box. This heirloom-sized wall hanging (23.5″ × 39″) features 24 bright felt pouches, perfect for stashing daily treats or tiny treasures. Each design is hand-felted, hand-appliquéd, and one-of-a-kind, reflecting the skill of the artisan who made it.
Founded in Brooklyn in 2001 by Dawn Kikel, Arcadia Home has built long-term partnerships with artisan groups around the world. This particular eco advent calendar is crafted by fair-trade artisans in India, in a workshop that runs on solar power, harvests rainwater, and recycles water on-site.
Price: ~$199 USD (often on seasonal sale)
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Ships To: USA and international shipping available.
Amber Wind Studio’s Botanical Advent Calendar
Nature lovers, this one’s for you. Amber Wind Studio’s Botanical Advent Calendar transforms the December countdown into a daily practice of slowing down and savoring the small things. Each of the 24 windows hides either a pressed Alpine flower with its botanical name card, an inspirational quote, or a hand-drawn artwork. The final surprise is a delicate botanical necklace: a gold-plated pendant set with a real pressed flower, chosen from four styles.
Founder Renata, a Swiss-based painter and jewelry designer, gathers flowers from meadows and forests near her farmhouse, drying and pressing them by hand. Every calendar is slightly different, reflecting the rhythm of the seasons and the uniqueness of each bloom. Renata uses eco-friendly packaging and vegan-friendly materials.
Price: ~$49 USD
Location: Switzerland
Ships To: USA and international shipping available
The Cotton Lane’s Embroidered Canvas Advent Calendar
For Kyla, the mom-of-two behind The Cotton Lane, advent calendars are about more than gifts, they’re about tradition, nostalgia, and the everyday magic of family. And she brings that joy into homes with her heirloom-quality embroidered advent calendars.
Each calendar is sewn from sturdy cotton canvas, with 24 generously sized 4×4″ pockets (yes, they even fit a couple of Hot Wheels cars). Unlike printed calendars that fade or peel, every detail here is carefully embroidered, ensuring it will last for generations. Personalization is available with your family’s name stitched across the top, and each reusable advent calendar comes with a cotton storage bag and bonus digital printables like Santa letters and activity cards.
Price: ~$70-$115 USD
Location: Canada
Ships To: Canada, USA and international shipping available
KPort Gift Company
KPort Gift Company keeps things simple and charming with their vintage-inspired Cotton Bag Advent Sets. Each set includes 24 or 25 drawstring bags in your choice of size (from petite 4×6″ to roomy 8×12”) all sewn from chemical-free cotton. Handmade in Maine, these reusable bags are washable and tough enough to last for years of holiday countdowns.
The fun comes in how you display them: string the bags along a mantel, clip them to twine across the wall, arrange them in a basket, or tuck one into your kids’ breakfast spot each morning for a surprise. With designs ranging from retro Santas and classic Night Before Christmas motifs to cheeky pop-culture themes like Christmas Vacation or Outlander, there’s something for every family’s style.
Price: From ~$45 USD (depending on size and design)
Location: Maine, USA
Ships To: USA and international shipping available
Vintage Advent Calendars on Etsy
Give a second life to preloved advent calendars by buying vintage. Many are reusable wooden or fabric designs from past decades, each with its own nostalgic charm. Choosing vintage keeps items out of landfill and makes your holiday tradition truly one-of-a-kind. For the full experience, just make sure they really are vintage and not “vintage inspired” or “vintage themed”.
Price: Varies
Location: Global sellers
Ships To: Worldwide depending on seller
Pictured: Vintage Danish Hand-Embroidered Christmas Advent Calendar by PeleMeleByElliott on Etsy
Other Reusable & Eco-friendly Advent Calendars
Here are some other ideas for reusable, ethical and/or eco-friendly advent calendars we found this year:
10: Pukka’s Tea Advent Calendar (UK & US), ~$24 USD: A wellness-focused countdown with 24 organic herbal tea sachets, from calming chamomile to zesty turmeric blends. Made with ethically sourced, fairly traded ingredients, and packaged in fully recyclable, home-compostable materials for a relaxing festive ritual.
11. World Market’s Felted Wool Christmas Tree Advent Calendar (Nepal/USA), $50 USD: Hand-felted from 100% wool by fair-trade cooperatives in Nepal. Roomy pockets hold sweets or notes, and the vibrant tree doubles as wall art.
12. Lush’s Advent Calendar (UK), £205: A refillable, trunk-style, eco-friendly beauty advent calendar packed with vegan, handmade bath and body treats. Cruelty-free and the sturdy chest doubles as long-term storage.
13. Orange Tree Toys’ Winter Wonderland Wooden Advent Calendar (UK), ~$40 USD: A cheerful wooden scene crafted from FSC-certified wood, with 24 figurines to reveal daily. Colorful, child-safe paints and plastic-free packaging make it eco-friendly festive décor.
14: Create Gift Love’s Personalised Children’s Activity Advent Calendar (UK), $45 USD: Swap sugar for family fun with this wooden activity calendar. Each day reveals a suggested adventure or craft, from stargazing to baking cookies. Handmade in the UK from sustainably sourced wood and customizable with your child’s name.
15. MMT Play’s Reusable Activity Advent Calendar (UK), $42 USD: Designed for sensory play and hands-on fun, this reusable calendar features daily prompts and activities for little ones. Plastic-free, durable, and all about memory-making over consumerism.
16. She Grows Veg’s Heirloom Seed Advent Calendar (UK), £70: A botanical countdown with 25 packets of rare and heirloom seeds in compostable envelopes. Comes in a reusable cotton bag for zero-waste storage, keeping the gardening spirit alive through winter.
17. The Beautiful Book Company’s Book Advent Calendars (UK), £65-£120: Perfect for bookworms of all ages, this advent delivers 24 beautifully wrapped books in children’s, YA, or adult genres. Sustainably packaged and thoughtfully curated for a story-filled December.
18. The Felt Box’s Needle Felting Advent Calendar (UK), ~85 USD: 25 days of creative joy with wool roving, tools, and instructions for mini needle-felting projects. A hands-on advent that builds skills and ornaments instead of waste.
19. The Brew Company’s Advent Coffee Collection (Denmark), ~$65-$115 USD: Each day brings a specialty coffee brew bag sourced from smallholder farmers. Organic, Fairtrade beans in compostable packaging for a caffeine-lover’s sustainable countdown.
20. OYOY Living Design’s Rainbow & Circus Fabric Calendars (Denmark/USA), ~$55-$65 USD: Scandinavian minimalism meets festive fun in these cotton canvas wall calendars with 24 pockets. Fill them with trinkets or notes for a colorful, reusable countdown.
21. Castle & Things’ Hanging Advent Calendar (Australia), ~$145 AUD: A linen/cotton wall calendar screen-printed with whimsical motifs. Includes 24 pockets for small gifts or messages, designed to last for years of festive cheer.
22. Kylie & the Machine’s Label Advent Calendar (Australia), ~$120 AUD: A quirky advent for sewists, with 24 surprise woven garment labels hidden in numbered envelopes. Plastic-free packaging from a small Aussie studio. A fun way to “stitch” joy into December.
DIY Advent Calendars
You can also make your own advent calendar, credit to your own creative juices. But before you get stuck into reusable advent calendars DIY-style: what’s your skill?
If you can knit, crochet, or sew, there are plenty of sustainable advent calendar ideas out there. From mini crocheted stockings to fabric wall hangings, a quick internet search will throw up a heap of patterns.
Etsy is also a good place to buy PDF patterns. Have a read of the reviews first to see if other crafters have found the pattern easy to follow. Likewise, if woodworking is your thing, have a search for DIY wooden advent calendars. Then put your elf hat on and get crafting!
If you don’t possess any of those skill sets, that’s okay, too. There are plenty of Christmas advent calendar designs for the craft-challenged—like this one by Design Mom that only requires you to snip some fabric, operate an iron, and tie a bow.
Or take inspiration from the list of ideas above or elsewhere to make more unique and affordable advent calendars that are especially eco-friendly and low waste. For example:
- Collect 24 small envelopes (reuse old ones or make from scrap paper), decorate, number, and pin them on a cork board or string them up with clothespins.
- Repurpose 24 baby food jars, spice jars, or small mason jars. Decorate lids with numbers and fill each with a surprise. Arrange them in a wooden crate or on a shelf.
- Cut simple felt shapes (like mittens, stockings, or stars), stitch or glue the edges, and string them onto ribbon or twine for a reusable garland-style advent.
- Use 24 brown paper bags (or saved gift bags). Decorate, number, and hang them on a string with clothespins. This is cheap, chic, and endlessly reusable.
- Save 24 toilet rolls, paint or wrap them in festive paper, and glue them together in a pyramid or Christmas tree shape. Cover the open ends with tissue paper so kids can punch through each day.
- Wash and paint 24 food tins, number them, and stack into a tree shape. Each day reveals a new treat or trinket.
- Collect a fallen branch, hang it on the wall, and tie 24 little parcels (like cloth bundles or paper bags) from it. Minimal effort for a lovely rustic look.
- Upcycle 24 empty matchboxes, decorate them, and glue them into a tray or onto cardboard backing for a sliding-drawer style advent.
What To Put In A Reusable Advent Calendar
If you’ve opted for a pocket advent calendar, mini bags, envelopes, boxes, or advent stockings your next question might be, “What do you put in a reusable advent calendar?” The options really are limitless. It depends on who the calendar is for and what they’re into.
If you’re stocking up (pun intended) on reusable fillers here are some ideas for small eco-friendly gifts.
Advent Calendar Fillers For Kids:
- Books: Buy 24 little books from the thrift store (they’re 50c at our local store!) and wrap each individually, with a little numbered label.
- Found natural objects: Use special stones, pinecones, feathers, and other foraged objects to create a natural advent calendar.
- Activities: Activity ideas such as “baking cookies”, “making Christmas cards”, and “reading a Christmas story” help keep little ones entertained (whilst ticking some Christmas activities off your list).
- Toys: Hunt for second-hand sustainable toys and treasures in your local thrift store and if you do need to buy new, help support planet-positive brands.
- Puzzle pieces: Pick up a puzzle at your local thrift store and pop a few pieces into each advent pocket or envelope. If you make the puzzle yourself first, you can then add the pieces to the calendar in order so that children can build more of the puzzle each day, adding the final pieces on the 24th/25th.
- Beads: Add a bead to each day and by the 25th, recipients will have a new festive necklace to wear!
- School supplies: From plantable pencils to sustainable notebooks, eco-friendly stationery and non-toxic art supplies are a useful gift for all ages.
Advent Calendar Fillers For Adults:
- Toiletries: Who doesn’t love some planet-friendly pampering a là sustainable toiletries?
- Seeds: Have any green thumbs you need fillers for? A packet of heirloom or organic seeds from a sustainable seed brand can be a real treat especially if it’s for a unique plant, food or vegetable.
- Affordable organic makeup: Small compacts or singles of things like zero waste lip balm or non-toxic perfume minis will fit easily in most reusable advent calendars.
- Edible treats: Munchies are always a winning option, and you’ll still be responsible by choosing ethical chocolate or other snacks from sustainable food brands.
- Acts of kindness: Write 24 acts of kindness on cards (call a friend, donate food, write a thank-you note). A beautiful way to give back throughout December.
- Photos: Print 24 favorite family photos, pop each in an envelope, and open one per day to relive memories together.
Final Thoughts: Reusable & Eco-friendly Advent Calendars For 2025
Disposable advent calendars are so last decade, nay, century. Let’s all switch to reusable advent calendars for 2025 and beyond. Besides, we need a bit of festive cheer to look forward to—minus the eco guilt that inevitably appears during the holiday season. Make or buy one that you really love. Pack it away carefully post-Christmas, making sure it’s clean and dry and then you can look forward to using it every year.
We ho, ho, hope you’ve been inspired by these reusable advent calendar ideas. Feel free to share them with your family and friends and help them create a conscious Christmas countdown.
Other holiday guides you may find helpful include
- Eco-friendly Christmas crackers
- Sustainable Christmas decorations
- What Are The Most Sustainable Christmas Trees?
- Zero Waste Gift Ideas
- Non-Toxic Gift Ideas
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in September 2022 and has been updated multiple times since. We gave it a major refresh in September 2025 to ensure all recommendations and details are current.
Joy has been a passionate advocate for the environment since she was a small child. She grew up in South Africa and has been lucky enough to be exposed to the wonders of nature not just in Africa but all over the world. She founded Sustainable Jungle (together with her husband Lyall) back in 2017 after becoming enraged by the devastating impact of palm oil. She then founded the Sustainable Jungle Podcast and together with Lyall interviewed remarkable people from all over the world who were finding ways to create positive impact. Outside of Sustainable Jungle, Joy has always worked in the corporate world, starting out as an auditor and later moving into management consulting. More recently she specialized in Climate Investing for the Asia Pacific region. Given her experience, her current passion is Brand Ratings. She is very much enjoying going deeper on what it really means to drive sustainability performance and true impact through business operations.
