christmas eve box diy (part I)
I've been SO excited to share this holiday DIY with you all! Not only because I had SO much fun putting it together, but also because I can't wait to put it to use, year after year in this new Christmas Eve tradition (and hope it gives you inspiration to start a similar tradition with your own family!).
So what is a Christmas Eve Box? You don't hear about this tradition as much in the states, but with it's German roots - it's much more common in other parts of the world (Germany, the UK, Australia, etc.). I heard about it a couple years back and knew it was something I wanted to start with my own kids one day. SO the box is just what it sounds like -- a box or crate delivered to your little ones on Christmas Eve. It is filled with small goodies, a family activity, maybe a small toy, and then some Christmas Eve essentials (reindeer food, a plate for Santa's cookies, etc.). If your children have been good, you can even include a Nice List Certificate, straight from the North Pole... more on this in my next post!
Which reminds me... this will be a two part blog post. Today I'll be sharing how to DIY an adorable crate you can use again and again, and come December I'll be sharing all of the goodies we are putting in ours!
Y O U ' L L N E E D
Wood crate - I found ours at Hobby Lobby
Acrylic paint and brushes
Wood letters
Wood banner plaque or any other design you want to add!
White glitter
P U T I T T O G E T H E R
You can either paint your crate or leave it as-is. Mine came in a slightly darker 'rustic' wood tone, so I created a white-wash (1 part white paint, 1 part water) and gave the whole exterior a coat, to lighten it up.
Next paint your wood letters. You can spell out your kids names, or if their names wont fit, you could do your family's last name, initials, OR just keep it simple and lose the names all together! I decided to add a coat of white glitter to the light pink and powder blue letters. This is totally optional - have fun with it and make it uniquely yours!
Add any fun decorations - ribbons, bells, wood cut-outs etc.! I already had a banner shaped cut-out from a few years back (I linked a similar one from Etsy in the supply list above), so I painted it white and then painted 'Christmas Eve' on it.
Use a hot glue gun to secure your letters and any other decorations to your box.
And that's it! All that's left to do is fill with goodies and gift to your kiddos on Christmas Eve (or at the start of the season!). Make sure to check back next week for all sorts of ideas on what to put in your box!
