How to make an Advent calendar

What you’ll need:
• Approx. 3 m (10 feet) ribbon, 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide
• 2 large bulldog clips, or other fasteners (more if you hang a double row)
• Fresh or artificial foliage, to hide the bulldog clips (optional)
• 12 pairs socks in assorted sizes, colours and lengths (we used children’s socks)
• 24 small lollies (candies), chocolates, ornaments or other trinkets
• 12 reinforced brown paper tags, 3 x 5 cm (11/4 x 2 inches)
• 12 reinforced brown paper tags, 4 x 7 cm (11/2 x 23/4 inches)
• 2 packets white glitter number stickers, 2.5 cm (1 inch) high (or enough to make numbers 1–24)
• 24 miniature wooden pegs

1. Drape the ribbon in a garland across a mantel, bookcase or other piece of furniture. You may need to make a double row to fit all 24 socks. Attach the ribbon to the furniture with large bulldog clips or other fasteners. Hide the clips with fresh or artificial foliage, if needed.

2. Arrange socks on a work surface, mixing up colours and lengths at random. Insert a lolly or trinket into the toe of each sock. 

3. Place a reinforced brown paper tag at the top of each sock, mixing up the sizes but keeping the smaller tag size with the shorter socks. Stick a glitter number from 1 to 24 onto the tags at an angle, keeping the order random. Attach the numbered tag to the sock with a miniature peg.

4. Starting from the middle of the garland, attach both tag and sock to the ribbon with the peg, keeping the spaces between the socks even. If hanging a double row, make sure the numbers of the bottom row are easily seen.