3-D Advent Calendar - Doodlebug Style

I have a thing for advent calendars. My parents worked their bums off and most of the time my advent calendar was the highlight of my year (presents-wise). Sometimes I had a piece of See's Candy in a box and other times I had bobby pins or rubber bands. My dad even would put comics in a few of the boxes. Sometimes there would be a pair of earrings or a small necklace in the 25 box! I loved it and I want to bring that magic to our kids as well! 

When I saw Santa Express I knew that I wanted to use this collection to make an advent calendar that would last me years and years. So without holding back, I dove in!

As pictured above, the advent calendar is made up of 5 "houses". This is the first. It holds the first 11 boxes and stands 12 inches tall. The papers are a mix of 12x12 and the 6x6 pad. The solids are also doodlebug! They just released a whole solids line to match their cardstock! LOVE it! 

The whole first house was inspired by "gumdrops". I loved this ginger babies paper! I used doodlebug chunky sugar coating over the top of my solid to give it a glistening look. I also ran the little white shutters through my Xyron and covered them with the regular sugar coating that doodlebug makes. And... they already make glittered alpha/numbers so I used a bunch of those all over my project.

So.. here is a funny story... I didn't want to cut out all the little numbers... and doodlebug had glittered alphas. So I just made the cuts and held up my candy shoppe doodlebug alphas - and they fit!! PERFECTLY! Check it out! :) And isn't that tree doodle-pop darling?! Those sprinkles on his front are so much more scrumptious in real life!

Well HELLO there gingerbread man!!!! I wanted one peeking out from behind a door because I thought my girls would think that was funny. So I put baby powder on the back to de-stickify my little man (thanks to Wendy Sue-Anderson for that tip!) and then adhesive on his front bottom of his body and stuck him to the door. It's SO weird to put adhesive on the front! It feels like you are doing something wrong! 

Just showing you how big the boxes are. They are really sizable! Those bottom boxes (10 and 11) can easily hold little race cars.

Here comes box 12. I loved that little girl reindeer and who doesn't love candy canes!? I finished it off with some teensy type alphas in ladybug for the numbers. 

I added a little sugar sprinkle to her bow. Every girl needs a little sparkle. :)

This is one of those times where you are going to have to trust me. This is so much cuter in person! It didn't photograph well, but it's almost edible! Some of the close-ups will give you a better idea, but trust me: Hansel and Gretel totally want to live here. :)

The peppermint striped corner sticker is from the santa express this and that stickers. 

Have you seen this "twine" font!?! So perfect for Christmas and Valentines' Day especially! :) 

Here is a close up of the sugar coated doors and the little paper clip with the gumdrop. "Not my buttons! Not my gumdrop buttons!" (the gingerbread man in Shrek.. anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

I had to get that cute santa paper in there somewhere! But the boy and girl reindeer paper on door 15 and 21 is probably my favorite. 

This little scene ended up being so much fun. On box 22 are 4 stickers: well, three stickers and a mini doodle-pop. Don't you just want to get on that train!? I may have a sweet-tooth problem right now. I blame doodlebug. tee hee! :) 

I was worried I was being too mono-chromatic with this box and then it ended up being my favorite. I actually re-cut the door. I had a different pattern on it, but I LOVED this blue Christmas word print and wanted to make sure it got showcased. It was a great decision to re-cut it! :) 

I just had to incorporate this lamppost from the icons somewhere. I loved it from the first! I wanted a bold number on this box so I whipped out my bon bon chippers and voila! 

Did you all see these holly berries sprinkles shapes!?! LOVE them!!! hoarding them. Polka dots. On the leaves. Oh my goodness. 

Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs! And doodlebug! :) My father-in-law 3-d printed and painted this Olaf for Emmaline. He fit perfectly in the 24 box! :) 

Okay, I may have lied earlier.. this patchwork paper and the train papers may by my favorite. Maybe I should just stop trying to find favorites. :) 

The cut came with a clock, but I liked the idea of stamping my own on there and using the big sugared sprinkle shaped arrows that doodlebug makes to emphasize that it was after midnight and Santa might come at any time!

This little scene was the first that I did. I just HAD to use Mrs. Claus and that gingerbread house on the icon stickers sheet! 6 stickers make up this little scene and I left just enough room to finish it off with the ladybug chippers to emphasize Christmas day!

The 25 box is huge! Here it is with some of Emmaline's musical instruments!

Well, if you have hung out with me this long, THANK YOU! If you have ANY questions about the project, I am so happy to answer them! You can email me at CourtsCraftsBlog@gmail.com. 

I used almost every paper in the collection, 9 different types of alphas, almost all the sticker sheets and a whole bottle of glitter - and I love it. I hope you do too and this inspires you to create something that you will have for years to enjoy and doodlebug just makes it that much more fun! 

bugs used:
doodlebug: sugar coating assortment (1476)
doodlebug: chunky sugar coating assortment (2049)
doodlebug: ladybug doodle twine alphabet sticker (3121)
doodlebug: Christmas mini paperclips (4493)
doodlebug: santa express icon sticker (4373)
doodlebug: holly berries sprinkles shapes (4400)
doodlebug: bon bon chippers (4511)
doodlebug: lily white candy shoppe cs sticker (2050)
doodlebug: merry tree doodlepop (4433)
doodlebug: teensy type alphas in ladybug (3428)
doodlebug: christmas sprinkles (4399)
doodlebug: santa express this and that stickers (4365)
doodlebug: santa express: jolly gingerbread mini doodle-pops (4431)
doodlebug: bon bon hopscotch cs sticker (1740)
doodlebug: gold arrow sprinkles (4221)
doodlebug: ladybug chippers (4512)
paper:
doodlebug: santa express: sweet santas (4341)
doodlebug: santa express: ginger babies: (4339)
doodlebug: santa express: baby deer (4342)
doodlebug: santa express: merry mistletoe (4340)
doodlebug: santa express: very merry (4337)
doodlebug: santa express: christmas confetti (4343)
doodlebug: santa express: season's greetings (4338)
doodlebug: santa express: holiday treats (4344)
doodlebug: santa express: gift giving (4346)
doodlebug: santa express: evergreens (4347)
doodlebug: santa express: 6x6 pad (4385)
SVG cut used:
3-D Advent Calendar
Xyron Used:
9" Creative Station with Permanent Adhesive
1.5" Sticker Maker
Xyron Mega Runner