Kickstart your Christmas countdown the right way with one of these alternative advent calendars
Fed up of those typical chocolate- and sweet-filled supermarket advent calendars that don't leave much to the imagination?
Unidentifiable festive-themed shape this, rubbish Christmas joke that...
These alternatives will have you leaping out of bed each cold December morning, ready to rip open the door and marvel at what's inside.
I've covered everything from beauty, brews and booze (including alcohol-free), plus even something for our four-legged friends, because we all deserve a little bit of extra joy on the run-up to Christmas.
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Craft Beer Advent Calendar
Featuring 24 of Salford-based brewery SEVEN BR07HERS BREWING CO's favourite beers, this Christmas calendar has a great mix of vibrant craft beers, including Easy IPA, Helles Lager and Juicy IPA.
£69.95 from sevenbro7hers.com
Beauty Blast Advent Calendar
Featuring a combination of full-sized and mini products, this colourful and bright advent calendar will see your makeup bag through the festive season. Full of W7's most loved products, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
£19.95 from w7makeup.co.uk
Coffee Pod Advent Calendar
Crazy about coffee? Then this advent calendar is sure to put a pep in your step. The Little’s Advent Calendar contains 24 flavoured coffee capsules, including limited edition festive flavours like Pumpkin Spice, Irish Cream, Chocolate Orange and Toffee Nut.
£25 from wearelittles.com
Giant Cat Advent Calendar
Give your moggy a very merry Christmas with this wonderfully festive advent calendar, filled with catnip toys and catnip tea bags. Watch their furry little faces light up as each door reveals a new toy to play with.
£59.90 from wufwufshop.co.uk
12 Day Jewellery Advent Calendar
A must-have for jewellery lovers, the Bohomoon 12-Day Advent Calendar features a thoughtfully curated selection of beautiful pieces that are perfect for the holiday season. Handpicked with love, this carefully curated box is worth £225 and available in both gold and silver.
£149 from bohomoon.com
Jam & Spreads Advent Calendar
If you can't start your morning without a slice of toast, make it a good one with this adorable advent calendar full of mini jams and spreads by Bonne Maman. There's even a special surprise on day 24.
£33 (inc. delivery) from bonnemaman.co.uk
Little People, BIG DREAMS Book Advent Calendar
Unwrap a bit of Christmas magic early with this beautiful advent calendar filled with 24 mini books from the Little People, BIG DREAMS best-selling kids’ biography series. Inside each envelope, children can read stories from inspirational people from across the world, including freedom-fighter Martin Luther King and visionary artist Frida Kahlo.
£21.99 from waterstones.com
Cheese Fondue Doggy Advent Calendar
Your pooch will love counting down the days to Christmas with this cheese fondue meaty treats advent calendar for dogs. Behind each door there's a grain-free cheese wedge treat - suitable for all breeds aged 12 weeks and over.
£9.99 from poochandmutt.co.uk
Craft Gin Advent Calendar
Gin-gle all the way with this beautiful advent calendar and spend 25 nights with some of the world's best craft gins. Served in 50ml measures, all you'll need for the perfect countdown to Christmas is the tonic.
£89.99 from club.craftginclub.co.uk
Selfridges: 25 Days of Ultimate Beauty
Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar returns this year absolutely brimming with cult classics and new favourites to make your next year ahead a glam one. With an overall value of over £1000, you can expect 36 items from top beauty brands including Fenty Hair, Byredo and Tatcha.
£250 from selfridges.com
12 Days of Pleasure Advent Calendar
Ignite the fire this Christmas with this impressive collection of 12 luxury pleasure products, designed to spark curiosity and deeper connections for you and your partner this festive season. Featuring leading sexual wellness brands like JeJoue, LELO and High on Love, there's plenty of fun to be had.
£95 from shespot.co.uk
Jewellery Advent Calendar
This beautiful keepsake advent calendar features 12 items of exquisite jewellery from Liverpool-born brand Say It With (you can find them in the Metquarter). Presented in a jewellery box, complete with mirror, this stunning gift contains a mixture of both gold and silver accessories including necklaces, rings, earrings and more.
£220 from sayitwith.com
Sweet & Tasty Non-Alcoholic Advent Calendar
Drinks-based advent calendars don't have to be boozy! The Wise Bartender Sweet & Tasty advent calendar includes a diverse selection of 24 different vegan-friendly alcohol-free drinks, covering all styles from wine and cider to spirits and cocktails. Alternatively, you can choose their alcohol-free beer advent calendar for the same price.
£59.99 from wisebartender.co.uk
LUSH Advent Calendar
Featuring 25 fragrant and beautiful vegan products, including eight retro products and two gift exclusives, this year's LUSH advent calendar was designed by Tess Gilmartin from the Blue Room in Bluecoat, Liverpool. The Wirral based designer creates art inspired by the world around her, using bright colour palettes and gestural mark making to celebrate what she loves most, such as people, animals and flowers.
£190 from lush.com
Matcha Advent Calendar
Cosy up with a tasty cup of matcha as you count down to Christmas with these tasty limited edition flavours from Bird & Blend. Behind each door is a new flavour to try each day until Christmas Eve, each presented in their own resealable tin containing enough matcha for two cups-worth.
£52 from birdandblendtea.com
Protein Bar Advent Calendar
Hidden behind the doors are 24 individually wrapped fill-size protein bars, bursting with flavour and protein. The Barebells Advent Calendar will not only feature Barebells’ most popular bestsellers but also eight exciting new flavours that are exclusively for this calendar, including Creamy Crispy, Minty Chocolate, Chocolate Ball, Ginger Bread, Cookies & Caramel and Salty Chocolate.
£54.90 from barebells.co.uk
Giant Dog Advent Calendar
This paw-some advent calendar will make your dog's day (and month!). Behind each door is a new and exciting treasure, from dog toys to grain-free, rawhide-free treats, they'll have hours of fun with this one.
£59.90 from wufwufshop.co.uk
Buildable Christmas Scene Advent Calendar
There's fun to be had for the whole family with this buildable festive scene. Each day reveals a new project, from building Santa and his elves to Rudolf, Christmas trees and more. This calendar includes 600-pieces plus a baseplate to stand all your characters on.
£33.38 from amazon.co.uk
Mindful Affirmation Card Advent Calendar
Christmas is a time for love and giving, but don't forget to give yourself that same care and attention, too. With the Give Yourself Kindness advent affirmation cards, you'll feel supported and comforted in the run up to Christmas and take positive vibes with you into the new year ahead.
£15.95 from giveyourselfkindness.com
Wax Melt Advent Calendar
Featuring six different festive scents (with four wax melts of each scent included), you can make your home smell fabulously festive all winter long. From candy cane to gingerbread and every Christmas fragrance in between, you'll certainly be feeling the holiday spirit.
£10 from thenorthumberlandcandlecompany.com
Bangle & Scrunchie Advent Calendar
Presented in a pretty constellation-print box, this 12-day advent calendar has a selection of beautifully-crafted bandle bands and silk hair scrunchies behind each door. Wear as a hair tie or on the wrist as a bangle, these versatile accessories are great for girls of all ages.
£69 from byeloise.com
Fortnum's Feasting Advent Calendar
Eat, drink and be merry this Christmas with Fortnum’s Feasting Advent Calendar. Full to the brim with gourmet delights and presented in a stylishly sweet reuseable box, this calendar has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.
£200 from fortnumandmason.com
Gift of Gold Advent Calendar
Indulge in industry-leading makeup items from MAC Cosmetics with this 24-door advent calendar, exclusively available from Selfridges. This limited-edition box contains 24 best-selling and shiny new products from the cosmetics giant, including 18 full-sized items making it worth £445.
£180 from selfridges.com
Match Attax Advent Calendar
Football fans will love this trading card advent calendar, containing 96 cards - 24 of which are festive Squadzone cards of players like Joshua Kimmich, Cristiano Ronaldo and more. There's also a new and exclusive gold edge card guaranteed within the pack, plus a fun daily quiz to test your footy knowledge.
£30 from uk.topps.com
12 Days of Craft Rum Advent Calendar
Spiced rum enthusiast? This 12-dau advent calendar features twelve of the best spiced craft rums on the market. Warm your cockles and get into the festive spirit with this mini rum adventure, presented in a beautifully festive box.
£49.99 from club.craftginclub.co.uk
Cheese Advent Calendar
Say "Merry Cheesemas" with this ultra cheesy Christmas countdown calendar. Featuring 12 mini cheese truckles, six mini chutney jars, and six mini packs of biscuits, you've got everything you need for the ultimate cheese feast. This item is available to pre-order for delivery from the 15 November 2024 onwards, unless a later date is specified at checkout.
£39.99 from chucklingcheese.co.uk
Estella Bartlett Advent Calendar
This beautifully-designed keepsake countdown box contains 12 pieces of Estella Bartlett jewellery, including classic designs and an exclusive triple star drop necklace, only available in the advent calendar. Perfect for every occasion, you can choose from a gold plated or silver plated finish.
£195 from estellabartlett.com
World Whisky Advent Calendar
Tot across the world with this exciting box of world whisky, showcasing 25 30ml samples from 12 different nations. As you count down the days until Christmas, you can explore a diverse range of styles and flavours. It's the ideal gift for any whisky enthusiast.
£129.95 from masterofmalt.com
Fill-your-own LED Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
If you're more of a DIY person when it comes to advent calendars, or want to fill yours with little gifts and trinkets that are personal to you and your recipient, this fill-your-own LED Christmas tree advent calendar is the perfect solution. Plus, it's reusable so can come back out every year, ready for the festive fun to start all over again.
£52 from lisaangel.co.uk
If you liked this, you'll like: Christmas gift guide 2024
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