Ornament Advent Calendars: What They Are and Which Are Worth It

An ornament advent calendar reveals one Christmas ornament a day, so the tree fills up as December goes on. The main types are boxes of mini glass ornaments, calendars with their own small tree, wooden magnetic trees for kids and crystal calendars such as Swarovski’s. One is worth it when you want ornaments to keep for years.

How an ornament advent calendar works

An ornament advent calendar swaps candy or small gifts for decorations. Each door, drawer or pocket holds one ornament, usually with a cord or hook, and you hang it the same day.

The calendar comes in two broad styles. Some are made to decorate your main Christmas tree. Others include a small tabletop tree, so the countdown builds its own display.

Either way, you keep the ornaments. That makes an ornament calendar closer to a reusable calendar than a chocolate one, and many families bring the same set out each year.

Types of ornament advent calendars compared

Ornament advent calendars differ mostly in material and in whether a tree is included. The table below shows the main formats with an example of each.

Mini glass ornament boxes

Mini glass ornament boxes have a numbered slot or door for each day, with a small ornament in each. If you buy a boxed glass set secondhand, check the listing says all 24 ornaments are present and none are chipped.

Calendars with their own tree

Calendars with their own tree build a small display. Lenox makes a porcelain tree topped with a 24k gold star, with 25 mini ornaments, each about 1.25 inches long. They include lines from The Twelve Days of Christmas, such as a partridge in a pear tree, plus snowflakes and striped ornaments. Lenox has listed the set as out of stock, so check availability before you plan around it.

Ornament advent calendars for kids

Ornament advent calendars for kids work best in wood or felt. The Melissa & Doug Countdown to Christmas calendar is a wooden tree with 25 magnetic wooden ornaments, ending with a star on Christmas Day, and an attached wooden box stores the pieces. Walmart lists it for ages 3 to 10, with a holiday poem printed on the back.

Felt is the other child-friendly route. A DIY pattern from Heather Handmade uses a fabric tree with numbered pockets along the bottom and 24 felt ornaments, which sit in the pockets or hang on buttons sewn onto the tree.

Two toy calendars also include ornaments: Hot Wheels adds ornament clips for its cars, and KiwiCo makes mechanical ornaments to build. Our guide to advent calendars for kids covers both, with age ratings.

Crystal ornament advent calendars

Crystal ornament advent calendars are the collector’s version. The Swarovski Advent Calendar 2026 has 25 doors, opened from December 1, each holding a crystal ornament, figurine or tree decoration such as a star, snowflake, moon, bell or the Kris Bear. Swarovski put the 2026 calendar on sale from July 22, 2026.

For other gift-worthy calendars, see our best advent calendars of 2026.

What to check before buying an ornament advent calendar

An ornament advent calendar should be checked for fit, hangers and storage before you buy.

• Count the pieces. 24 ends on Christmas Eve; 25 includes Christmas Day.
• Look for hangers. Check that a cord, loop or hook comes with each ornament, or buy a pack of hooks.
• Check the material. Glass looks traditional but breaks. Wood, felt, fabric and shatterproof plastic suit homes with children or pets.
• Plan storage. A box with numbered slots makes packing up in January easy, and the same order works the following December.
• Match the tree. Mini ornaments can disappear on a tall tree. They suit a tabletop tree, a wreath or a garland better.

Make your own ornament advent calendar

A DIY ornament advent calendar takes any refillable calendar plus 24 small ornaments. Wooden drawer calendars and felt pocket calendars both work, as long as each ornament fits its opening.

Measure the smallest drawer or pocket before you shop. Our advent calendar filler ideas explain how to measure, and our guide to reusable advent calendars compares wooden and fabric styles.

For every way to build, fill and reuse a calendar, see our reusable and DIY advent calendars section.