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Advent calendar for DIY enthusiasts: Paper hot-air balloons
Do you also look forward to crafting in the weeks before Christmas? Whether it’s an Advent calendar or small gifts, now is the time to get creative. Our idea? The paper hot-air balloon Advent calendar. In our DIY project, you’ll find everything you need for the floating paper balloons: template, instructions, and helpful tips for crafting and filling them.
- Production: Marie Darme-Rizzo
- Photos: Gabriela Morales
Advent calendar for DIY enthusiasts: Paper hot-air balloons
Are you still looking for a DIY Advent calendar idea? Then you’ll love our new Hot-Air Balloon Advent Calendar 2025! Twenty-four little gifts “take to the skies,” floating beneath handmade paper hot-air balloons. Below, you’ll find our instructions and the balloon template available for download.
Materials:
– Print the template (on two A4 sheets of paper in different colors)
– Scissors
– Cutter
– String
– Hot glue gun
– Wrapping paper
– Small gifts, e.g. chocolate
– Invisible thread
– Needle
Instructions:
1.) For one hot-air balloon: Print the template in two different colours on sturdy paper and cut out the pieces with scissors.
2.) Place the lighter template underneath the darker one (in our example beige and brown) and start weaving: each light strip should lie over a dark strip. Repeat clockwise once around.
3.) Now take the dark strips and place them over the light strips.
4.) Continue in this way until everything is woven.
5.) To create the hot-air balloon shape, use a hot glue gun to glue the ends of the strips together.
6.) Then glue a small piece of paper around the bottom to hide the ends and to form a basket.
5.) Wrap small gifts, like chocolate, and attach them with string. Glue the string to the bottom of the hot-air balloon using the hot glue gun. Use a needle to make a small hole in the top centre of the balloon. Hang it from an invisible thread and your hot-air balloon calendar is ready!
