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15 Top Advent Calendar Filler Ideas That Everyone Will Love
By Lauren Mason - 6th October 2025
The countdown to Christmas is officially on its way, which means Christmas Eve boxes and advent calendars are ready to be filled. While many adore the traditional paper or card calendars with sweet pictures behind the doors, some prefer to be surprised with a little chocolate treat when they pop the flaps open. These days, it's easier than ever to get a bit more creative when it comes to advent calendar fillings. If you're keen to veer away from the standard chocolate fillings and head down a more personalised route, considering a DIY fill-your-own advent calendar is a great way to inject some sentimental fun.
Filling your own advent calendar can feel like a daunting task when there are specific dimensions and so many tiny fillings to choose from, but this is where we can help. As fill-your-own advent calendars are our thing, we know what it takes to ensure your little one or loved one's calendar is brimming with daily December treats and treasures. We've put together a list of tips, tricks, and inspiration along with a few of our favourite advent calendars to ensure you have everything you need to create the perfect Christmas countdown.
What are our top 15 advent calendar fillings?
Before we go into much more detail on gearing the right advent calendar gifts towards the recipient, we thought it'd be helpful to share an easy list of our top 15 advent calendar fillers. This way, you can grab and go when it comes to your advent calendar shopping, and treat it like a shopping list of bits you may need to buy. You can also share this list with friends or family members, too, to help them find the right petite pieces for all 24 drawers.
- Household favourite sweets and chocolates
- Lego pieces (separate a mini kit into each drawer)
- Craft bits like glitter, ribbons, stickers, or washi tape
- Small jewellery pieces or handy accessories
- Temporary tattoos and other fun novelties
- DIY coupons like beach trips and dinner out
- Movie tickets and experience vouchers
- Hair accessories like scrunchies or clips
- Beauty bits like lip balm or tiny nail polish
- Mini bottles of beer, wine, or spirits
- Lottery tickets or scratch cards
- Crystals, rocks, or pretty pebbles
- Love tokens and sentimental letters
- Pet treats like dog biscuits or cat toys
What can I put inside an advent calendar for an adult?
Advent calendars don't always have to be for kids. Now, more than ever, adults are joining in on the Christmas countdown experience. For many, an advent calendar is a great way to have a load of luxurious gifts trickled through the month rather than all at once on the big day. If you're on the hunt for some small but sentimental pieces to pop into the drawers of an adult's calendar, consider tiny treasures and quiet luxuries, and take in to account their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests.
If they're a jewellery lover, why not get them some sweet studs like these Sterling Silver Opal Heart Stud Earrings? Whether they're the special gift to end the calendar experience on day 24, or they're one of many great jewellery pieces scattered throughout the drawers, for a jewellery-loving friend or loved one, they'll go down a storm.
For those who adore treasurable trinkets, why not pop in a couple of our matchbox tokens? Our Tiny Matchbox Ceramic Christmas Tree Token is perfect for sending tiny Christmas wishes and getting them geared up for the festive countdown.
Sweet-tooth giftees can often be the easiest to supply calendar fillers for, as so many small chocolates or sweets come pre-wrapped at Christmas. Whether you grab a classic box of quality street and pop in a few of their foiled favourites, or you opt for tiny chocolate bars you know they'll love, a sweet treat will never go amiss at Christmas. This Tony's Chocolonely Rainbow Mix Christmas Pouch is packed with individually-wrapped bars of many delicious varieties, giving them a sweet surprise for every drawer opened.
If you're wondering what to put in an advent calendar for a man - whether it's a boyfriend, husband, brother, or friend - don’t panic, there are many fun fillers for males to enjoy. For a jokester, why not add temporary tattoos and beard glitter to make him smile? Keyrings, movie tickets, and experience vouchers can be added to advent calendars for men, ready to get them into the Christmas spirit too.
Other great ideas for adult advent calendar fillers could include:
- Mini bottles of alcohol
- Perfume samples or miniatures
- Cookie cutters and decorations
- Christmas tree decorations
- A small love note or letter
- A compact mirror
What are some good advent calendar fillers for kids?
December is a big deal for children looking forward to Christmas. As soon as the 1st of the month rolls around, they're usually ready to begin counting down to the big day. Making their countdown extra special is a great way to get little kids to understand and appreciate the season a little more, and for older children to begin experiencing the joy long before the day they open their gifts.
If you're looking for ways to create excitement and joy for children when it comes to advents, you may want to overlook the traditional chocolate or sweets (as, let's face it, these may be rationed anyway to stop the mad sugar rush through every day of the month). If this is the case, consider veering away from sweets and treats and aiming towards toys, trinkets, and craft bits.
Our Personalised Fill Your Own Postbox Advent Calendar has drawer space for the best tiny treasures. Better yet, it includes a post-box slot for the kids to post their letters to Santa. Adults can open the back door of the calendar to retrieve the letters and take a peek, too, providing the perfect magical pre-Christmas experience for all the family.
Got crafty kids? Why not fill the drawers with crafting pieces to spark creativity in the countdown to Christmas. Fill the drawers with tiny packets of glitter, rolls of colourful washi tape, fun lengths of ribbon, and the cutest stickers so you can schedule a festive craft session to while away the days of the Christmas holidays. This is the best way to use their advent calendar as a tool to inspire their imagination and could even encourage them to create a letter for Santa or Christmas cards for friends and family.
Some other great ideas for children's advent calendar fillers could include:
- Chocolates and sweets
- Miniature toy cars and figurines
- Christmas tree decorations
- Mini erasers or stationery items
- Sparkly marbles or bouncy balls
- Yoyos and other traditional toys
- Origami figurines made by you
What are some good advent calendar fillers for every member of the family?
Getting the whole family involved in a Christmas countdown experience can be a great bonding exercise, building excitement and celebrating the joy and connection of family right before the big day.
For families, partners, couples, and friends, there are lots of fantastic things to pop in an advent calendar to make December even more exciting. Lottery tickets and scratch cards can be rolled up and popped in drawers, giving people an exciting daily buzz and the chance to win big that both kids and adults will love! After all, who doesn’t want to win some money to treat themselves in the new year?
Looking for a unique alternative to advent calendar fillers? Try crystals and stones. Some children, teens and adults will love to receive a special precious stone each day, whether they’re about the healing or the aesthetic. The deep drawers in our Fill Your Own Christmas Bow Paper Advent Calendar are perfect for filling with sparkling crystals and other magical treasures for all ages.
Another great way to save a little money but still provide a magical experience with your advent is to insert a token or coupon into each drawer. This idea isn't just about saving money, it's also centred around making memories and having experiences that you and your family can treasure forever. It can be easy to forget the true magic of the festive season when most family members are bogged down with work, school, or the mad pre-Christmas shopping rush. Taking some time to ensure you're enjoying each other's company is the perfect way to remember the true joy of Christmas. These Wooden Christmas Countdown Advent Tokens are perfect for doing the work for you. Filled with exciting prompts like ‘make a hot chocolate’ and go to a Christmas market', each token gifts a child or loved one the opportunity to do something fun with those they adore, getting them ready to celebrate the season in true festive style.
Can you get an advent calendar for your pet?
Our furry friends are absolutely part of the family, so why should they get left out of the magic? Advent calendar drawers and boxes are often the perfect size for yummy treats, tiny toys, nuts, seeds, and more. Our Personalised Wooden Christmas Countdown Advent Hamper Box is the perfect shape and size to fill with doggy or kitty snacks to pull out each day of December. They may not know exactly what is going on, but you will, and the main thing is you'll see just how happy it makes them! Better yet, these boxes are reusable and refillable (just like all our advents), meaning it can be taken out and used year after year.
Even with all of our ideas for enchanting advent calendar fillers, there are still countless more out there waiting to be thought up. Anything the right size can be popped into advent calendar drawers and boxes, giving all of us the opportunity to make the Christmas countdown truly special. Head to our magical Christmas shop to discover many more meaningful gifts, treats, and trinkets.
Why not give the family a chance to choose their own treats? Share our list of inspo and ideas with them and see what kind of whimsical winter advent fillers you can come up with together!
