How about making your own advent calendar this year, that you can use again and again. This was a project that I created for Take A Break magazine last year alongside a Santa Stop Here sign and Stocking holder all from the same pallet.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i0.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/How-to-create-a-herb-planter-from-a-chopping-board-4.png?w=1440&ssl=1)
Materials Needed:
- A pallet
- Paint of your choice
- Wooden clothes pegs
- Money envelopes or gift bags
- Hooks and nail to hang it
Equipment Needed:
- A saw
- Paint brush
- Pencil and spirit level/ruler
- Wood glue
- Sand paper or sander
- Dust mask and safety glasses
- Drill and screws
- Printer and paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Masking tape
Step 1: Draw out a triangle shape on the pallet making sure that a rear central beam is in the centre of the shape. Draw out a trunk too. My tree has two wooden panels for the trunk and 5 panels for the tree section.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i0.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bad.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 2: Using the saw, carefully cut out the shape. Wear a dust mask for this part and safety glasses too.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/P7281398.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 3: Turn the tree over and cut off the underside panels if there are any. I kept the underside panel behind the top spike as this can be used to hang it to a wall later.
![How to make a Santa Stop Here Christmas sign from wooden pallets](https://i0.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4baf.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 4: Sand all edges and panels to a smooth finish.
![How to make a Santa Stop Here Christmas sign from wooden pallets](https://i2.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bb7.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 5: Cover any parts that you don’t want to be painted with the masking tape. Lightly paint the panels in the colour of your choice and leave to dry.
![How to make a Santa Stop Here Christmas sign from wooden pallets](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bc1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 6: When it is dry, sand the painted panels to give a distressed feel to it.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i0.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bc2.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 7: Using the wood glue, attach 24 wooden pegs to the tree. You could also use bull dog clips if you’d prefer.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bc8.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 8 (optional) – using an off cut of wood, cut a star shape with the saw. This can then be painted and glued to the top part of the tree.
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i2.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bc7.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i2.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bd1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 9: Add envelopes or gift bags to the pegs to complete the calendar.
Step 10: I also created some numbers on my pc, using PowerPoint or Canva. These are then printed off and glued onto the envelopes. You could of course simply write the numbers.
![](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bcb.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i2.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4bca.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i0.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/P8021459.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Step 11: If you want to hang the advent tree to the wall, attach metal hooks to the back of the tree using a screwdriver drill and screws. You could however simply prop it up against a wall!
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i2.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4ba6.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![How to make a Christmas advent calendar from a wooden pallet](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/fullsizeoutput_4b98.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
If you like this idea, why not pin it to your Christmas Pinterest boards?
![](https://i1.wp.com/katebeavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/How-to-create-a-herb-planter-from-a-chopping-board-5.png?w=1440&ssl=1)