Remember when I said to save the insides to the chocolate advent calendar a few years ago?  Don’t forget they are in your closet and can be used to make the cutest Christmas gift tags.  This Friday Flashback is just a reminder!

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Some of you may want to save this craft for next year after you have an empty chocolate advent calendar! However, if you are like me this sounds like a great reason to eat and entire box of chocolate by myself— you know for sake of crafting!

My youngest son first made these gift tags in German kindergarten while we were living overseas. It has become a family tradition. All you need is the plastic insert that holds the chocolates in one of the flat thin Advent calendars (We found ours at Aldi’s), Plaster of Paris, a small disposable cup and plastic spoon for mixing the plaster, paint (any kind will work), paint brushes, glue (hot glue works best), copy paper, colored corrugated cardboard and yarn.

Mix plaster according to directions. You don’t need much–about an 8 oz. cup half full. Fill each of the tiny molds in the Advent Calendar. Tap the mold lightly to release any air bubbles. Let dry until hard in the molds, about 20 minutes.

Pop each figure out of the plastic and allow to dry another 20 minutes or longer. We re-use our molds year after year. IF YOU HAVE LEFT OVER PLASTER DO NOT POUR IT DOWN YOUR DRAIN, JUST THROW THE CUP AND LEFTOVERS IN THE TRASH.

Paint each of the plaster figures. I have found this is one of those great project you can leave out and the kids will work on over time!

We fold colored corrugated cardboard into a book shape, place a piece of copy paper cut slightly smaller than the cardboard inside and then fasten with a piece of yarn.

Glue your plaster shape to the front and you have a really cute gift tag!


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Comments

  1. Oh!! I love this!! I have 4 calendars we are working through and will save for next year!! Thanks for sharing!!

  2. These are really cute! I was wondering where you buy your advent calendars. Our shapes are all square with pictures on them. I would like some that are actual shapes like yours.
    Thanks for the great ideas!
    Laurel

  3. We used to do this when we were little and put a safety pin in the plaster of paris while it was drying to make it a pin. We also used to tint the plaster of paris–maybe with food coloring, or paint. I remember pastel cabbage patch shaped pins!

  4. Cute idea! We have the same advent calendars this year. We’ll save the plastic and make some crafts with them. Thanks for the idea!

    Lisa

  5. If I keep reading your blog, I will have empty garbage cans. Everything will be reused or repurposed. Way to go. Another creative idea.

  6. Aw!!! These are so cute! One of the cutest gifts i’ve ever seen! 🙂 Please post it on my weekend linky party this weekend, if you’d like!

  7. what a great idea – we have made ornaments out of molds but as gift tags – I never thought of that—definitely on my list to try out~!~

  8. I really love this idea! Too late for me this year, but I’m thinking about valentines day … Surely there are similar candy packs with hearts and cupids and such? Perhaps they could be made into little necklaces?

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