Make your own photo Advent calendar: design tips for a personal touch

Opening a little door every day is as much a part of Advent for many families as the scent of cinnamon biscuits. Perhaps the photo on the front will remind you of your last ski holiday, the first day of school or a moment you still laugh about today.

We’ll show you how to turn your own photos into a truly personal Advent calendar in just a few steps: which photo or collage works best, how to word your personal message – and what might matter even more than the perfect picture.

Which photo is right for your Advent calendar

A photo Advent calendar brings a little bit of festive anticipation into your home every day in December. The best part: instead of a random Christmas scene, you’re greeted every day by a picture that means something to you. You could make a photo calendar yourself by printing out 24 photos and filling little boxes with sweets.

It’s even easier with ifolor: you design the front of the Advent calendar online with your favourite photo or a photo collage – and the delicious Lindt chocolate is already insid.

To make choosing the perfect picture easier, here are a few photo categories to help you pick out your favourite memories:

Year in review: choose up to six photos of the year’s biggest moments. As a collage, they’ll create a little look back at the past twelve months
Family moments: breakfast together, games night, the Sunday walk: it’s often the little everyday scenes that feel the most personal.
Snapshots: a moment when everyone is laughing out loud or a photo of you all fooling around brings a smile in the middle of the Advent rush.
Trips together: from city breaks to hiking days out, travel photos are ideal for telling a little shared story
Pet moments: the funniest or cutest shot of your pet always goes down well with the whole family.

Tip: when collecting your photos, think about a rough order – chronologically through the year, for example. That way, the finished collage feels like a little journey through time.

Your homemade photo Advent calendar in 3 steps

Here’s how to design your photo Advent calendar online in three steps:

Choose your photos: let the photo categories inspire you to quickly find your favourite picture or up to six images for a collage – no need to take new photos specially.
Choose a design: pick an Advent calendar design that suits the occasion or the person you’re giving it to. Festive, playful, simple or timeless. This is also where you decide whether your photo appears on its own or as a collage on the front. Click on the photo or the image placeholder in the preview to change its position, crop it or make a few simple edits.
Add a personal dedication: if you like, add a short message, a Christmas greeting or a quote to appear on the front of your calendar. It only takes a minute, but makes your photo Advent calendar even more personal.

Happy with your chocolate Advent calendar? Add it to your basket and order straight away – or create more Christmas gifts or festive photo greeting cards while you’re at it.

5 photo ideas for the people closest to your heart

Depending on who your photo Advent calendar is for, different pictures work especially well. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

For children: a photo with their favourite toy or best friends works well. Add a short dedication, such as a riddle or a joke.
For grandparents: photos of the grandchildren through the seasons – a lovely way to show how quickly the little ones are growing up.
For your partner: the year’s best milestones work particularly well, from a holiday together to moving house. As a collage, they become a little look back at your relationship.
For friends and colleagues: a shared experience or an inside joke that only you understand is sure to bring a smile.
For animal lovers: how about a little photo collage of your pet through the year? From the first few weeks until today, it becomes a sweet trip down memory lane.

Single photo or collage – which works better

A single favourite photo often feels the most personal, especially if it takes you straight back to the moment, whether it’s a laugh, a hug or a special view.
A photo collage, on the other hand, is worthwhile when a day or an event had several lovely moments at once. Like a whole celebration or a day trip with several stops.
If you’re unsure, go for the single photo. A clear favourite picture often looks calmer at first glance than a collage with lots of small image sections.

Tip: when choosing your photos, go for the highest possible resolution so your picture looks sharp and clear even in the calendar’s larger A3 format. If your photo’s resolution isn’t high enough, you’ll see a warning. A clearly recognisable main subject also helps, and faces shouldn’t be right at the edge of the picture. With a collage, the overall look is usually calmer if not every single photo is packed with detail.

What should you write in your personal message?

If you’re lost for words, here are a few ideas that are sure to go down well:

A short memory: “Remember when we got stuck in the rain last summer and still couldn’t stop laughing?
A quote that suits the person, or a little question for them: “What was your favourite moment this year?”
A mini promise for your next moment together also goes down well: “Next year, we’re heading to the mountains together again.”
For children, a little riddle or a simple joke that goes with the photo is a great idea.

Your personalised photo Advent calendar from ifolor with Lindt chocolate: it’s this easy

Once you’ve got your photos and words together, the rest is quick: upload your photos, choose a design, done.

There are two versions to choose from. For both, you can see in the video below what the finished calendar actually looks like. You’ll find more details on our photo Advent calendar page.

The Lindt LINDOR Advent calendar in large A3 format

Melt-in-the-mouth LINDOR truffles in five flavours behind all 24 doors, while your own photo or photo collage decorates the front of the calendar.

Design your LINDOR calendar now

The sweet Lindt TEDDY Advent calenda

Little chocolate teddies and mini bars that are especially popular with children. Your own photo or photo collage decorates the front of the Advent calendar.

Design your TEDDY calendar now

In the end, it’s not just what’s behind the doors that counts, but also what’s on them. This year, make your homemade Advent calendar a moment you can hold in your hands. It might even be the start of a new tradition: a new photo every year, a new memory every year. But more important than the perfect photo is who the calendar comes from and how much love has gone into it. Have fun designing!

Frequently asked question

Do I have to make and fill the ifolor photo Advent calendar myself?

No, we take care of that for you. You choose your photo or collage, a design and, if you like, a short dedication. ifolor does the rest: all 24 doors are already filled with Lindt chocolate, so there’s nothing to stick or fill yourself.

What’s the minimum number of photos I need for a personalised calendar?

You don’t need many photos at all. A single striking picture in good resolution is enough for the front of the calendar. If you’d like to combine several memories, choose a collage of up to six photos instead.

Can I see what the finished calendar will look like before I order?

Yes. In the design editor, you can preview your Advent calendar with your own photos before ordering. That way, you can see straight away how your photos or collage, dedication and design work together, and adjust the crop or text if needed before you order.

When should I order my photo Advent calendar?

Production takes 6 to 10 working days. As Advent starts on 1 December, it’s best to order by mid-November at the latest to leave enough time for designing, production and delivery. It’s worth allowing some extra time in the run-up to Christmas. You’ll find the current delivery times on our delivery times page.

Does a personalised photo Advent calendar make a good gift for colleagues?

Yes, a personalised photo Advent calendar is great for the office and brings a bit of variety to the working day. Choose neutral pictures such as a team photo from the last Christmas party, a shot from the company outing or the company logo rather than private family photos. That way, you can give it to the whole department.

A fitting gift for the Advent season

Surprise your loved ones with some delicious Lindt chocolate by giving friends at home and abroad a very special treat this Advent with some exquisite chocolate. With the Advent calendar, even the grown-ups can feel like children again. The first door kicks off the Christmas season for the whole family while each door offers a little present of delicious Lindt chocolate.

Both Photo Advent calendars are perfect for those with a sweet tooth. The cute teddy-wrapped chocolates will be especially popular with children. If you want to surprise someone who enjoys gourmet foods, then the elegant Lindor truffles will give a small moment of pleasure each day leading up to Christmas. Whichever advent calendar you choose, your own photos will make it much more personalised.

Photo selection for your Advent Calendar

For the design of the exclusive Lindt Advent Calendar from ifolor, you can use a photo of your choice or even create a collage with six pictures. Be as creative as you like when designing your individual Advent gift. Should the Advent Calendar be for your family, children or friends? Sweeten the pre-Christmas time of your loved ones with a family photo, a snapshot of a funny sleigh ride or a photo of a romantic winter walk. In this way, you will make an original surprise for your grandparents, your partner or your best friends, and the waiting time for Christmas will go by really quickly. Alternatively, a personalised chocolate Advent calendar is a great surprise for the office or clubhouse. It’s a great way to sweeten the lead up to Christmas for your work colleagues or club members. You can use a group or team photo from the last Christmas party, and place your company logo or the club at the top of the design.

Tip

When choosing your photos, make sure that the resolution is as high as possible so that the photo looks good in A3 format. It is best to save the images in a specific folder, so that you can easily find them later when uploading them when designing your Advent calendar.

Alternatively, this homemade chocolate advent calendar would make a great surprise for the office or clubhouse to get your colleagues and club members in the mood for the Christmas season. You can use a nice group or team photo from the last Christmas party, then your company logo or the club crest for the design.

Create a personalised Chocolate Advent Calendar

Once you have selected your photo or photos, you can easily create the Advent Calendar online. There are two Christmas designs available. The Lindt LINDOR calendar with melt-in-the-mouth LINDOR balls and the TEDDY calendar with fine chocolate teddies and chocolate bars. Click on the button “Choose design” and then on the template and start designing.

Then the design editor opens. Here you can easily upload the photo for the Advent Calendar. To see which photo looks best on the calendar, you can of course upload and try several pictures. Choose “Autofill” to get an automatic design suggestion, or place photos manually to put the selected image onto the Advent Calendar. With the dynamic collage you can arrange your pictures automatically. And the best part: You can now easily and conveniently design it using the ifolor app – perfect for when you're on the go!

Tip

Pay attention to the warning, which indicates if the resolution of your photo is insufficient. Too low image quality can lead to a blurry result on the Advent Calendar.

If you click on the photo or the image placeholder in the preview, you can, for example, change the position of the photo, crop it as well as do some simple image editing. Under the photo you can see a text place holder, in which you can enter a dedication or a Christmas greeting. Adjust the lettering size, font, and colour as needed to get the look you want.

Complete your Lindt Advent Calendar

If you like your personal Chocolate Advent Calendar, place it in the shopping cart and order it directly or create other photo products. Please note that the delivery time of the limited Advent Calendar is about 12 days. If you want your pre-Christmas surprise to arrive on time on the first Advent, please order it at least 2 weeks in advance.

In the run-up to Christmas, it's well known that the postal service can take a little longer. Therefore, you should plan a little more time for the order and sending it out to your loved ones so that you have a great gift ready in time for Advent.

We wish you a lot of fun giving away and opening doors as well as a merry Christmas!

Order your Lindt LINDOR Advent Calendar

Which photos work best for a photo advent calendar?

Snapshots of shared experiences, warm family moments or funny everyday scenes look especially lovely. Choose sharp, high-resolution images so they look great in the large A3 format. A colourful collage of several memories adds variety to every single door right up to Christmas.

How do I personalise a photo advent calendar?

Besides your photo, you can add a short message, choose suitable Christmas motifs and freely adjust the position of the image in the online editor. In just a few clicks you create a one-of-a-kind calendar that perfectly suits the people who will open it later and enjoy it.

How far in advance should I plan the photo advent calendar?

It is best to order at least 6 to 10 working days before the first Sunday of Advent, so that design, printing and delivery have plenty of time. If you start in early November, you can choose your favourite photos calmly instead of rushing to find them.

What occasions suit a photo advent calendar besides Christmas?

Even without a big occasion, a photo advent calendar brings joy, for example as a thank-you to the team, a surprise for a long-distance relationship or a little ritual with the children. The combination of pictures and chocolate suits any moment when a bit of anticipation simply feels good.

How can I design a photo advent calendar together with children?

Let your children pick their favourite photos or put together a collage with them. A short message written together on the front turns the calendar into a real little family project for Advent. Once it arrives, you can also decorate the calendar with stickers, for example.