24 tiny surprises, a little creativity, and a whole lot of excitement. 💕

There's something about an advent calendar that makes December feel different.

Even when you know there's only a tiny chocolate behind the door, opening it still feels exciting.

What's today's one?

And then there's the countdown.

24... 23... 22...

Suddenly Christmas feels like it's getting closer.

But what if, instead of buying a ready-made advent calendar this year, you made one yourself?

Not just any advent calendar...

A Dollay advent calendar. 🎀

One filled with tiny pre-loved doll accessories, little surprises and things you've chosen especially for your favourite doll.

And honestly?

We think that sounds much more fun.

💕 Why make one yourself?

Because the best bit might not actually be opening it.

It might be making it together.

Imagine sitting at the kitchen table with a pile of little envelopes, boxes or bags, deciding what should go behind each number.

Maybe you find a tiny handbag and immediately know:

“That's going behind number 7.”

A pair of shoes?

Number 12.

A tiny pair of sunglasses?

Definitely Christmas Eve.

A little tiara?

Obviously number 24. 👑

You can turn it into a little Christmas project rather than just another thing you buy and put on the shelf.

And because you're using pre-loved accessories, you're also giving little things that have already been loved a chance to become part of somebody else's Christmas story.

That's rather lovely, isn't it?

🎀 So, how do you make one?

Don't worry.

You don't need to be a Pinterest wizard.

You don't need a craft room.

And you absolutely don't need to own 47 different types of glitter.

(Although if you do, we respect it.)

Here's a really simple way to do it.

1. Find your calendar

You can make this as simple or fancy as you like.

Try:

🎁 24 little paper bags

✉️ 24 envelopes

🎀 Small gift boxes

🧦 Mini fabric bags

🪵 A reusable advent calendar with little drawers

Or even hang 24 numbered envelopes from a piece of ribbon or twine.

You could decorate them with stickers, ribbon, bows, stars, hearts...

Whatever makes you smile.

💗 2. Choose your accessories

This is where the fun really starts.

You could choose 24 different Dollay accessories, or mix accessories with little homemade surprises.

For example:

👗 A tiny outfit
👠 A pair of shoes
👜 A handbag
🕶️ Sunglasses
💎 Jewellery
🎀 A hair accessory
👑 A tiara
🐶 A tiny doll pet
🍔 A piece of doll food
🧸 A household accessory
💄 A beauty accessory

You don't even have to make every day a big surprise.

Sometimes a tiny pair of shoes is enough to cause quite a lot of excitement when you're a doll lover.

🎄 3. Don't put everything in at once!

Okay, this might be the hardest part.

Once you've made your calendar, hide the accessories somewhere safe.

Because there is always one person in the house who suddenly becomes very interested in how advent calendars work around November 30th.

👀

You could number everything first and keep a little secret list so you remember what's where.

Or make each day's surprise completely random.

There's something quite fun about not knowing what you're going to find.

✨ 4. Make Christmas Eve extra special

Save something really good for number 24.

Maybe it's:

👑 A gorgeous tiara
👗 A special outfit
👜 A beautiful handbag
💎 A jewellery set
👠 A complete little look

Or you could make Christmas Eve the day your doll gets a whole new outfit.

Imagine opening the final door and finding everything needed for a little Christmas makeover.

Then you can get your doll dressed, put on her new accessories and take some photos.

Christmas Day outfit sorted. 💕

🥰 And here's where it gets really special...

You don't have to make the advent calendar for a child.

You could make it with them.

Let them choose the colours.

Let them number the envelopes.

Let them decide which accessory goes behind which door.

Let them make tiny decorations.

Maybe even make some of the surprises yourself.

A tiny handmade scarf.

A little cardboard pizza.

A miniature Christmas card.

A tiny present for the doll.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

Actually, please don't make it perfect.

The slightly wonky ones are usually the ones you'll remember.

🌱 A little Christmas idea with a little less waste

One of the things we love about making your own advent calendar is that it doesn't have to be thrown away on December 25th.

If you make a reusable one, you can bring it back next Christmas.

And the accessories themselves don't have to be new.

That's one of the reasons we love pre-loved.

Something that has already been owned, played with or enjoyed can still have plenty of life left in it.

Reuse is one part of a more circular approach to consumption, where products are kept in use for longer rather than quickly becoming waste.

And that's basically the Dollay philosophy in a nutshell:

If something is still lovely, why shouldn't it get another adventure? 💗

🎀 Want to make yours extra cute?

Here's a little Dollay trick...

Give every day a theme.

Instead of simply putting a random accessory behind each door, you could create a tiny story.

Day 1 — Something Sparkly ✨
A little piece of jewellery.

Day 2 — Shoe Day 👠
A new pair of shoes.

Day 3 — Party Time 🎉
A cute outfit.

Day 4 — Something for the Hair 🎀
A bow or hair accessory.

Day 5 — Let's Go Shopping 👜
A tiny handbag.

Day 6 — Chill Day 💕
A cosy accessory.

And so on...

By the time you reach Christmas Eve, your doll might have an entire new wardrobe.

🎅 And then...

On December 1st, you open the first one.

And that's when the magic starts.

Not because you've bought the biggest or most expensive advent calendar.

Not because everything is brand new.

But because you made it yourself.

You've spent time choosing the little things.

You've created something together.

You've built the anticipation.

And for 24 mornings, there's something tiny to look forward to.

Sometimes that's what Christmas is really about.

The little things. 💕

💗 Fancy giving it a go?

If you're making your own Dollay-inspired advent calendar this Christmas, we'd love to see it.

Tag us, send us a picture or tell us what you've put behind door number 24.

And remember...

There are 24 little surprises to find.

So choose carefully.

Because once December 1st arrives...

there's absolutely no opening tomorrow's one early.

We don't make the rules. 😉

💕 Dollay
Pre-loved doll accessories, given another chance to be loved.

The Dollay Diary

Ideas, inspiration, collecting & all the little things that make dolls special.