Hallmark Advent Calendars: Ornament Countdowns and Paper Calendars

Hallmark makes several kinds of countdown. Hallmark Countdown Calendar boxes hide 24 or 12 mini shatterproof ornaments behind punch-out windows, and paper tree sets pair a cardstock tree with 12. For the wall or shelf there are paper window calendars, a felt Santa and wooden countdown decor. Character sets include the Grinch, Star Wars and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Hallmark Countdown Calendar ornament sets

Hallmark’s ornament countdowns come in two formats. The box hides one miniature, shatterproof ornament with a hanger behind each punch-out window. The paper tree set gives a cardstock tabletop tree with spaces to hang 12 mini ornaments.

Hallmark.com lists these character versions for 2026 (check the product page for current stock):

Making a 12-ornament set last through December

A 12-ornament set has half as many pieces as an Advent calendar has days. Hallmark designs these for the 12 days leading up to Christmas, so the simplest plan is to start on December 13 and hang the last ornament on Christmas Eve. To stretch it across the month, hang one every other day from December 2. After Christmas, the ornaments can go on a full-size tree, and our ornament advent calendar guide compares other sets that build up a tree.

Hallmark wall and tabletop countdown calendars

Hallmark’s home decor calendars hang on a wall or stand on a shelf, and none of them uses tree ornaments.

• Paper window calendars. The Gingerbread House and North Pole Ski Fun calendars are die-cut, tri-fold cards that run from December 1 to Christmas Day. Each flap reveals a rhyme, an illustration, an activity or a fun fact. Paper calendars sell out through the season, so check the listing.
• Here Comes Santa Claus Countdown Calendar. A smiling Santa face with 25 numbered felt ornaments that attach to his white beard, and a cord for hanging on a wall or door. You can start with every ornament on the beard and take one off each day, or add one a day.
• Reindeer Countdown Nutcracker Figurine. A 15.5-inch painted wood reindeer nutcracker in a Santa hat. Blocks in its base change to show the days left until Christmas, so it works as a perpetual calendar year after year.

Hallmark’s 2026 lineup also includes a wooden Elf escalator countdown with sound, a Grinch storybook countdown, and Peanuts and Santa countdowns with light and sound.

Hallmark’s nativity advent calendar

The Precious Moments Nativity Advent Calendar, sold on Hallmark.com, has a storybook and 25 dated drawers, each holding a mini figurine, plus a separate creche to display the scene as it grows. It is the most keepsake-like option in Hallmark’s Advent range.

When Hallmark releases new Keepsake sets

New Keepsake Ornaments arrive at two yearly events at Hallmark Gold Crown stores and on Hallmark.com. In 2026 the Keepsake Ornament Premiere ran July 11 to 19, with more than 250 new ornaments and early in-store shopping for Keepsake Ornament Club members on July 10. The Keepsake Ornament Debut runs October 10 to 18, 2026.

If a set you want is no longer on Hallmark.com, look for a sealed one from a past year on resale sites.

Hallmark mini ornaments and young children

Hallmark mini ornaments are decorations, not toys. The CPSC bans small parts in products intended for children under 3, because a piece that fits its small parts cylinder is a choking hazard for that age. With a baby or toddler in the house, hang the ornaments high on the tree and keep the open box on a high shelf. Our advent calendars for kids page sorts calendars by age label.

Buying a sealed Hallmark countdown set on eBay

Resale listings mix Hallmark sets from different years and formats, so match the listing to what you want.

1. Check the format and count. A box holds 24 or 12 ornaments; a paper tree set holds 12.
2. Ask whether every ornament is there, and for tree sets, whether the cardstock tree is included.
3. Look for a sealed or unpunched box. An opened set may be missing a piece.
4. Compare the product name with Hallmark’s own listing, since character sets change between years.

Our guide to Christmas countdown calendars covers more ways to count down the days. For a reusable calendar you fill yourself, see our reusable advent calendar guide. The best advent calendars of 2026 compares every type.