Advent Stocking Countdown

I have had some questions regarding our Stocking Advent Countdown tradition and the "Vouchers" contained within the stockings.
When I say vouchers it is just a way of describing the folded piece of purple advent paper placed within some of the stockings.
When setting up we use vouchers for this countdown is I did not want to add to the expense of this season by filling the stockings with lollies or gifts.

So we use activities and links to special days that we will already do, this however gives them that special touch.

We also have a 12 days of Christmas activity where we have presents to the whole family for the 12 days of Christmas and I know how much this can add up each year.

So the items and vouchers for the stockings are things we would already be doing or activities that we can tie into specific feast days etc, like St Nicholas Day etc.
I made these stockings from red and green felt and used contrasting embroidery thread to button hole stitch around them.
I then crocheted a long cord from red wool and shorter cords for each stocking.
I then threaded each short cord through the corner of each stocking and tied them along the length of the longer cord and we then just hung them over the banister tying them at each end.
After taking these photos last Christmas we re tied the long cord in the middle giving it a better look.
The next step is to simple fill each stocking with whatever you wish. As I explained ours are filled with ideas or activities or very small home made items.
Of course each child has a turn taking an item from the stocking as we work our way towards the wonderful day of Christmas

Here is a list of vouchers we had for last year:

1. Small home made notebooks in pocket.
2. Make Angels
3. Jesse Tree Tea Party
4. snowflakes in pocket
5. Make Specular Cookies
6. Build a chocolate tower for St Barbara Day
7. Presentation of the St Nicholas Play/puppet show
8. Candy canes for the St Nicholas Hot chocolate
9. Treasure map to the point where the supplies are to make a special Ornament for the Christmas Tree
10. Attend Hour of Grace, Read Take it to the Queen, light the Mary Candle and have special dinner.
11. Small candle in pocket with directions to make candles
12. cookie cutter in pocket to make cookies for St Lucy celebration
13. Make Poinsettia Angels
14. Have a Lady of Guadalupe Tea Party
15. St Lucy Celebration - Festival of Lights Ceremony in our Home,St Lucy Bread and Eyeball Custard.
16. String popcorn
17. Make Tasha Tudor Cookies for the Tree
18. Bells in pocket
19. small snowman in pocket and directions to make more
20. Watch a Christmas Carol
21. Invitation and Programme in pocket for our own Carols by Candlelight night
22. Make/decorate Gingerbread house
23. Do Christmas Play
24. Go look at Christmas lights (they are not, around prior to this)
25. Decorate the Christmas Tree
26. Tonight there will be a midnight Feast

27. Watch miracle on 24th Street
28. Watch the Nativity Movie
29. Christmas Elves in pocket
30. Make Christmas Cards
31. Decorate Christmas Paper

These are just a few ideas for the stockings and can change as we go through Advent depending on circumstances.

Blessings,