DIY Advent Calendar Washi Tape Christmas Tree

A washi tape Christmas tree is a creative and temporary way to literally deck the walls for the holidays and DIY a simple advent calendar.

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Make a washi tape Christmas tree to add a festive touch anywhere in your home. It’s fun and budget-friendly, and you can put it in places that a full-sized tree might not fit.

Washi tape is great because it sticks where you put it, but comes off easily without leaving any residue. Use it to make a tree in your apartment, office, or classroom. Or even stick up a whole forest of them on a bigger wall!

After I shared my 12 Days of Christmas calendar, many readers asked for a 24-day version. Of course, you could just make that one larger, but I decided it was time to create a bigger advent calendar.

Whether you want to make a washi tape tree for Christmas decor or are looking for a creative advent calendar to DIY, this is a fun family activity that adults and kids will enjoy.

How to make a washi tape Christmas tree

Supplies

For the tree:

• a roll of green washi tape
• scissors
• dot stickers, optional
• tape measure, handy if you love symmetry
• Command removable light clips
• red cotton yarn

For the ornaments:

• 24 clear plastic ornaments
• silver cord
• Happy Planner number stickers (mine are from this book)
• red, yellow, green, and blue tissue paper
• candy or other goodies if you’re filling the ornaments

Instructions

1. Lay out the tree on a wall.

Start by choosing where to stick the tree. The best part of this project is that it can go almost anywhere. My Christmas tree is 4 feet tall and just under 3 feet wide at the base. You could make it smaller or larger, though, depending on how much space you have.

Use tiny pieces of tape or removable dot stickers to mark all of the points of the tree on the wall. Start at the top point of the tree, then add the outside points. I used a tape measure to make sure they were relatively the same distance from the center.

Once you’re happy with the dots, it’s time to connect. Cut pieces of washi tape and line them up, removing the dots as you go. If a line looks crooked, you can easily remove and re-stick it. Cut pieces to zig-zag back and forth until you’ve finished the tree outline.

2. Add removable wall hooks.

Stick the Command clips to the wall inside the washi tape. I wanted 4 rows, so mine are about 12 inches apart.

3. String yarn along hooks.

Cut lengths of yarn twice as wide as each set of clips, plus enough extra to tie a knot. Loop the yarn over each clip to create a row for the ornaments to hang.

4. Hang ornaments onto the yarn.

Hang ornaments from the rows of yarn. For decorating, any ornaments will do. If you plan to use this as an advent calendar, I’ve got step-by-step instructions for making these ornaments below.

DIY advent calendar ornaments

A washi tape tree is a cute holiday decoration and a unique way to display ornaments. It can also be used as an advent calendar by filling the ornaments with small treats.

To make ornaments for your washi tape tree, you can use clear ball ornaments that open in the middle, or that just open at the top. You’ll need the ones that open in the middle if you’re using them for an advent calendar.

1. Cut tissue paper squares.

Start by cutting the tissue paper into small squares that are big enough to cover each ornament. Ball up the tissue paper and smooth it back out; this softens it up so it will fill up the ornament a bit easier.

2. Stuff the paper into each ornament.

For top-hole ornament decorating: Feed the tissue paper into the ornament and put the cap back on. I used a chopstick to poke it around after the paper was inside.

For open ornament filling: Wrap the tissue paper around a treat, shape it into a ball, and close it inside the ornament.

3. Attach a hanging cord to each ornament.

Put a cord through the top of the ornament and loop it.

After you’ve made all of the ornaments, unhook one end of the yarn and slide them on. Space the ornaments out across the tree.

4. Number the ornaments to count down to Christmas.

Use the planner stickers to number the ornaments from 1 to 24.

What to put in an advent calendar

If you want to put something in the ornaments to open each day leading up to Christmas, here are a few fun ideas to get you started.

• candy
• gum
• coins
• stickers
• erasers
• temporary tattoos
• lip gloss/chapstick
• art and craft supplies
• ornaments
• jewelry
• hair accessories
• LEGO pieces
• a Hotwheels car
• playdough/slime/etc.
• bubbles

Alternatively, write a note for each one with a special activity to do each day.

• read a holiday story
• write a letter to Santa
• bake cookies
• sing Christmas carols
• play a board game
• watch a holiday movie
• go on a walk outdoors
• make handmade ornaments
• take festive photos
• make handmade cards to send
• volunteer together
• go ice skating
• have a snowball fight
• drive around looking at Christmas lights
• make hot cocoa

Washi tape tree variations

This is a pretty simple Christmas tree and you can really change it up a lot. Here are a few ideas to make your tree a one-of-a-kind.

• Trees don’t have to be green (or striped, of course). Try other washi tape colors.
• Swap out the tissue paper to match your Christmas decor.
• Instead of using tissue paper, paint your ornaments.
• Hand-write the numbers.
• If you don’t mind using a lot of Command hooks, instead of yarn, hang one ornament from each hook.
• Add more washi tape designs to your wall, like white snowflakes or yellow stars.
• Make a smaller tree for each family member to have their own.
• Use this technique to make a countdown for anything – a trip to Disney, the end of school, etc. Put up your tape in any shape and fill your ornaments with something related to your event.

Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

• 30 Creative Ideas for Filling Clear Plastic Ornaments
• Printable Winter Bucket List
• 20 Handmade Ornaments to DIY with Kids