Advent calendars are no longer just for kids! The trend for alternative advent calendars for all ages continues and there’s now a huge range of festive countdown options available. Many are beautifully designed and look great out on display in your home in December, plus some can be re-used and re-purposed after advent.
Whether you like the idea of nibbling on luxury chocolate each day, opening a door to discover a new pampering treat, enjoying festive tipples in December or scenting your home with gorgeous fragrances, there’s an advent calendar out there for you.
Here’s the Fresh Design guide to 2017 alternative advent calendars, ranked in budget from low to high. What do you fancy this year?
Budget: £20 and under
Cheese advent calendar
Created by food blooger Annam Hobson, from So Wrong It’s Nom, the cheese calendar is a cheesy way to countdown to Christmas. It’s produced in conjunction with Ilchester and is available to buy exclusively in store at Asda and is a tasty bargain. Cost: £8
Cafe Au Lait coffee advent calendar
Perfect for coffee lovers, Debenhams have a cafe au lait advent calendar containing 24 coffee capsules. Cost £16.50
The Snaffling Pig Co advent calendar
If you’re a fan of pork scratchings, there’s even an advent calendar for you! This one from the Snaffling Pig Co is A3 in size and is filled with six different flavours of pork crackling. Cost: £18
Budget: £25 to £40
Milly Green tea advent calendar
The Milly Green advent calendar caters for fans of tea. It’s available exclusively at John Lewis and is filled with 24 different types of tea. Cost: £20
John Lewis Christmas tealight advent calendar
Countdown to Christmas with 25 scented tea light candles and a holder to pop them in. The candles have a burn time of six hours each. Cost: £25
Christmas tea lovers advent calendar
Fortnum and Mason’s tea lovers advent calendar has a different tea behind each of its 24 doors. Cost: £25
Chocolate advent calendar for two
Countdown to Christmas with someone you love, with this Hotel Chocolat chocolate advent calendar for two. It’s filled with 48 baby truffles to enjoy. Cost: £26
Tinc advent calendar
The Tinc advent calendar is filled with 24 unique gifts and stationery items. There’s a cracker style joke on each mini box and a special Christmas scene to reveal. Cost: £28
Godiva advent calendar
A beautifully designed advent calendar containing 24 delicious Godiva chocolates. Cost: £28
Budget: £30 to £50
Yankee Candle 3D advent calendar
The 2017 3D advent calendar from Yankee Candle contains 12 scented candle votives and 12 tealights in a range of new and classic festive fragrances. Cost: £34.99
The big chilli advent calendar
Spice up your December in style with the big chilli advent calendar. Behind each of the 24 doors, you’ll find a hot tasting sensation, from whole chillies, to chilli flakes and powders. Plus, there’s a useful booklet of tasting notes and recipes. Cost: £35
Laura Ashley Royal Bloom advent calendar
This attractive advent calendar is filled with 24 mini versions of Laura Ashley bath and beauty products. It’s in a mini drawer style format which is perfect to reuse afterwards. Cost: £40
L’Occitane classic advent calendar
L’Occitane’s popular advent calendar is back for another year and is filled with 24 luxurious pampering products. It’s illustrated by French artist Kanako. Cost: £49
Juniqe poster a day advent calendar
If you love art and enjoy discovering new artists and prints, you’ll love the Juniqe advent calendar. This attractive box style advent calendar contains 24 numbered gift boxes, each containing a rolled poster. There’s an index included too with details of all 24 featured artists. It’s produced as a limited edition of 1000, so don’t delay if you’re interested. Cost: £49.90
Aldi wine advent calendar
Aldi are selling a wine themed advent calendar this year. It’s already proved popular and sold out online, but if you’re lucky, it might still be available in store. It contains 24 mini bottles of 200ml wine, including reds and whites, which works out as just £2 per glass. Cost: £49.99
Amazon advent calendar
Amazon have jumped on the advent calendar bandwagon this year with their first offering. It contains 24 products and deluxe samples, worth over £185. It’s a nice design and to open you pull out each numbered box at the bottom, and the next ones will drop down. Cost: £50
Budget: £51 to £100
Atelier cologne advent calendar
Open up the doors daily to Christmas and discover finely crafted scented soaps, pure perfume sprays and dabbers. You’ll definitely be smelling great by Christmas Day! Cost: £60
Kikki K stationery lovers advent calendar
Stationery lovers unite – Kikki K advent calendar is available exclusively from Selfridges and is filled with oodles of gorgeous stationery goodness. Cost: £90.
Cowshed deluxe advent calendar
The deluxe advent calendar from Cowshed is filled with miniature versions of top products, including shower gel, lip balm, shampoo, body oil and body lotion. All items are made in England using natural ingredients. Cost: £90
Personalised beer advent calendar
This creatively designed advent ‘tree’ contains 25 delicious beers, one to enjoy every day in the run up to Christmas. Cost: £95
Budget: £100 and over
Rare tea wooden advent calendar
If a standard tea bag won’t suffice, this luxury wooden advent calendar is filled with a selection of special rare teas. Cost: £125
Gin advent calendar
If you’re partial to a tipple of gin, then the Ginvent calendar will appeal. Each of the 24 doors opens to reveal a carefully selected gin, from classic recipes to some more unusual options. The calendar also comes with a 2017/18 Gin Annual and a guide to the perfect G and T. Cost: £129.95
Prosecco advent calendar
Put a sparkle into the festive season with a prosecco advent calendar. Each door opens to reveal a 20cl bottle of sparkling wine, including Prosecco, Cava, Sparkling Pinot Noir and Rose. Plus, number 24 has an extra special surprise. Cost: £144.95
Molton Brown cabinet of scented luxuries advent calendar
This luxury advent calendar is filled with 24 gorgeous scented items from Molton Brown, including hand cream, body lotion, body wash, candles and eau de toilette. It’s perfect for existing fans of Molton Brown, or a good introduction to a wide range of scents if you’re new to the brand. Cost: £150
Diptyque advent calendar
For the ultimate in luxury home scent, and pampering treats, meet the Diptyque advent calendar. There are 25 doors to open and a range of delightful scents to discover. Cost: £300
You had me at cheese, and then again at wine!
What great ideas! So unique!
Cheese and wine. ‘Nuff said! WOW!
Isn’t that tea one from Fortnum and Mason just beautiful! And obviously I am loving the wine ones… 😉
i had no idea there were so many fun advent calendars! i’m really tempted to get one of these, like the chili one, i love hot spices. or chocolate!
Awesome! Some of these would go down very well in our house!