Written by Paul Worrall
Advent calendars used to be chocolate and the odd picture of a robin. Now there’s one for everything, and art supplies have caught up fast. In the last few years, art and stationery advent calendars have gone from a novelty to something artists actively hunt for every autumn, and the good ones sell out well before December.
I’ve spent sixteen years in the UK art supplies industry, including nearly a decade at ARTdiscount, and I’ve seen a lot of gift sets that look great on the shelf and disappoint once they’re opened. Advent calendars are no different. Some are packed with genuine artist-quality minis from brands you’d pay good money for. Others are padded out with stickers and a pencil sharpener. Here are the ones actually worth your money this year, including a few for kids and crafters, and what to do if your favourite has already sold out.
If you’re still shopping for presents, our gifts for artists guide covers every type of artist, and our Black Friday art supplies deals are live now.
Best Art Advent Calendars UK: Quick Picks
Best overall: Pen Store Art Supply Advent Calendar (£69)
Best for painters: The Creative Collection (Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, Conté)
Best for drawing and painting in the French tradition: Lefranc Bourgeois x Conté à Paris Artistic Advent Calendar
Best for ink and fountain pen sketchers: Diamine Inkvent Calendar 2026 (£99)
Best for papercrafters: Spellbinders 2026 Crafty Advent Calendar
Best for designers on a budget: Pantone Advent Calendar (£25)
Best for kids: Kids art and craft advent calendars
Best value of all: Make your own (see below)
Prices correct at the time of writing. Advent calendars sell out quickly, so check stock before you get your heart set on one.
1. Pen Store Art Supply Advent Calendar 2026
This is the one I’d buy. Pen Store, the Swedish art and pen retailer, has put together a calendar that reads like a who’s who of art brands: 36 items from 20 makers, including Schmincke Horadam watercolour, a Sennelier soft pastel, a Copic marker, a Posca pen, Liquitex and Amsterdam acrylics, Talens gouache, Van Gogh watercolour and pads from Hahnemühle and Clairefontaine. There’s even a block of DAS air-drying clay in there.
What I like is that these aren’t filler items. A tube of Schmincke Horadam on its own is a treat, and getting to try Sennelier pastel, Copic and Kuretake brush pens side by side is exactly what an art advent calendar should be about. At £69 against a listed value of over £150, it’s very good value, and it comes in a reusable storage box you’ll actually keep.
It’s best for mixed media artists, hobbyists who like trying new things, and anyone who’d enjoy finding out which brands they love before spending on bigger sets.
2. The Creative Collection: Winsor & Newton, Liquitex and Conté à Paris
Three of the biggest names in art materials, all from the same parent company, in one calendar. The Creative Collection has 24 doors, with eight items from each brand: Liquitex acrylics, acrylic ink, a paint marker and medium; Winsor & Newton watercolour, gouache, oil colour, a Promarker and a fineliner; and Conté à Paris graphite, charcoal, sanguine and sepia pencils, sketching carrés and a stump set.
For painters who work across media, it’s a brilliant way to try the full spread. You get a taste of watercolour, oils, acrylics and drawing in a single month, from brands you know you can rely on. The Conté drawing materials alone would make a lovely little set.
It’s available direct from Winsor & Newton’s UK store. If it’s out of stock, put it on your list for next autumn, because it’s one of the strongest brand calendars around.
3. Lefranc Bourgeois x Conté à Paris Artistic Advent Calendar
Two of France’s oldest art brands in one calendar. Lefranc Bourgeois has been making artists’ colours since the eighteenth century and is known for its oils, inks and Flashe vinyl paint, while Conté à Paris invented the modern pencil lead in 1795 and still makes some of the best drawing materials around, from sketching carrés to Pierre Noire pencils. Put them together and you get a calendar that covers both painting and drawing, with a properly French, classic feel to it.
It sits nicely alongside the Creative Collection. Where that one spreads across acrylics, watercolour and markers, this is more traditional, and it’s a lovely choice for someone who enjoys sketching and painting in a classic style. It also looks beautiful, which matters when it’s sitting on a shelf for the whole of December.
4. Diamine Inkvent Calendar 2026 (Burgundy Edition)
If you sketch with a fountain pen, or you’re into ink drawing, the Diamine Inkvent is something of a legend. Diamine is a British ink maker based in Liverpool, and every year it releases a calendar of brand new shades made just for it. This year’s Burgundy Edition has 24 bottles of 12ml ink plus a 30ml bottle behind door 25, an extra door with a collectable and swatch cards.
The variety is the fun part. You get shimmer inks, sheen inks, chameleon inks that shift colour and, most useful for artists, pigment inks. If you draw with a LAMY Safari or similar, this is a whole month of new colours to play with. It’s £99, and stock is limited.
One thing to know: most fountain pen inks aren’t waterproof, so if you do line and wash, stick to the pigment inks for anything you’ll paint over.
5. Spellbinders 2026 Crafty Advent Calendar
For card makers and papercrafters, Spellbinders is the big name, and its Crafty Advent Calendar has a loyal following. Behind each door are cutting dies, stamp sets and embossing folders, and the idea is that you make a card a day through December. It’s around £60 in the UK, direct from Spellbinders.
It’s a different world from paints and pencils, but there’s a lot of overlap. Plenty of artists I know make their own Christmas cards, and this is a lovely way to build up a papercraft kit while doing it. You’ll need a die cutting machine to use the dies, so it suits people who already have one.
6. Pantone Advent Calendar
Not art supplies, but a lovely one for designers and colour lovers, and at £25 it’s the most affordable calendar on this list. Behind each door is a pop-out ornament shaped like a Pantone colour chip, which you can hang on the tree or string into a garland. By Christmas Eve you’ve got 24 colour swatches decorating the house.
It’s a great present for a graphic designer, an illustrator or anyone who gets excited about colour. If that’s you, our colour theory guide is worth a read too.
7. Kids Art and Craft Advent Calendars
There’s a big choice of kids art advent calendars on Amazon and in toy shops, usually with crayons, colouring pencils, stickers, stamps and a small activity behind each door. Many are themed, with Barbie, Harry Potter, Minecraft and Paw Patrol versions this year. They’re fun for younger children and good at keeping a five-year-old busy for ten minutes before school.
As a parent myself, I’ll be honest: the quality of the art materials in these is basic, and the novelty is the point. If your child is really into drawing, a better option might be a proper all-in-one art set given at the start of December, so they can use it all month. I’ve rounded up the best of those in our best kids art sets guide, most of them under £20.
See kids art advent calendars on Amazon →
8. Diamond Art Advent Calendars
Diamond art, or diamond painting, has exploded in popularity, and there are now plenty of advent calendars built around it. Most contain 24 small Christmas designs, such as baubles, mini canvases or 3D decorations, which you complete one a day with a pen and resin gems. Some build up into a little Christmas scene by the end.
They’re relaxing, very satisfying and suit all ages, which is why they’re so popular as gifts for grandparents and teenagers alike. Quality varies a lot between sellers, so read recent reviews and look for comments about missing gems, which is the most common complaint. If you’d rather have something that lasts all year, Craft Buddy’s Crystal Art calendar kit lets you make a wall calendar for next year, two months per panel.
See diamond art advent calendars on Amazon →
Already Sold Out This Year
A couple of the most talked-about calendars have already gone, which tells you how quickly this market moves. The Cult Pens 2026 Stationery Advent Calendar (£100), with a custom fountain pen behind door 24, sold out early. So did Tom’s Studio’s Complete Creative Advent Calendar (£245), with refillable pens, mini inks and hand-poured watercolour half pans in a three-drawer desk tidy. If either appeals, set a reminder for late summer next year, when most calendars open for pre-order.
The Best Value of All: Make Your Own
Here’s the tip I’d give anyone who has missed out, or who wants something better than a shop-bought calendar. Make your own. Buy a reusable advent box or 24 little bags, and fill them with single items you know the person will actually use. It’s often cheaper than a pre-filled calendar, and nothing ends up in a drawer unused.
For a watercolour painter, think single tubes of artist-quality watercolour, a good round brush, a masking fluid pen and a pad of decent paper. For someone who draws, mix in individual sketching pencils, a fineliner, a blending stump, a kneadable eraser and a mini sketchbook. A Posca pen or two, a single alcohol marker and a few colouring pencils from an open stock range round it off. Spread the bigger items through the month so there’s always something to look forward to tomorow.
Buying open stock during Black Friday is the cheapest way to do it. Check our biggest price drops and daily art supply deals before you start filling.
Art Advent Calendars: FAQs
What is the best art advent calendar in the UK?
For most artists the Pen Store Art Supply Advent Calendar is the best value. At £69 it contains 36 items from 20 brands, including Schmincke, Sennelier, Copic, Posca, Liquitex and Hahnemühle, with a listed value of over £150. It covers paint, markers, pastels and paper, so it suits mixed media artists and anyone who likes trying new materials.
Are art supply advent calendars worth it?
They are worth it if you enjoy trying new brands and materials. Most contain sample sizes and minis rather than full-size products, but a good calendar is a cheap way to test professional brands before committing to bigger sets. Check what is inside before buying, as some calendars are padded with stickers and small accessories.
When do art advent calendars sell out?
The most popular art and stationery advent calendars often sell out in October or early November. If you are reading this in November, buy soon. If your favourite has gone, set a reminder for late summer next year, when most calendars open for pre-order.
Is there an art advent calendar for kids?
Yes. Amazon and toy retailers sell a range of kids art and craft advent calendars with crayons, pencils, stickers and small activities behind each door. For children who love drawing, a good alternative is a proper kids art set given before December so they can use it all month.
Can I make my own art advent calendar?
Yes, and it is often better value. Buy a reusable advent box and fill it with 24 small items such as single watercolour tubes, artist pencils, a brush, a mini sketchbook, a Posca pen and a fineliner. You choose exactly what goes in, so nothing is wasted.
Advent calendars come and go quickly, so if one here catches your eye, don’t leave it too long. Whatever you’re buying this Christmas, check the price comparisons on Discount Art Supplies first. Prices on art supplies change daily in the run up to Christmas, and the deals can dissappear just as fast.
