Arteza 24 Day Holiday Art Advent Calendar: A Daily Dose of Art Supplies

Introduction

Arteza’s 24 day holiday art advent calendar is one of the few advent calendars aimed squarely at artists, with every single day hiding an actual art supply rather than chocolate or trinkets. The calendar costs around $80 and typically sells out quickly as the holidays approach, which is worth keeping in mind if it is on your wishlist: last season’s calendars were largely gone before many buyers had a chance to order them.

This year’s version is a noticeable step up from previous years. The supplies feel more thoughtfully paired, there is more material to actually create on, and the overall package feels more cohesive. Here is a full walkthrough of what is inside, what works, and what to consider before spending the money.

What Comes in the Arteza 24 Day Holiday Art Advent Calendar

The calendar itself looks the part, with attractive gold foiling across the packaging and 24 numbered doors to open through December. Some doors even contain a hidden surprise: a handful of calendars include silver or gold tickets, and a gold ticket can win a full year’s worth of art supplies.

Day one sets the tone with small wood slices with holes in the middle, meant to be threaded and used as ornaments, along with string and a silica packet. This immediately signals the calendar’s structure: it is not built around one single project, but rather several smaller ones, including painted ornaments, a paint pour, and doodle-style pieces.

One thing worth knowing up front: the calendar leans toward acrylic artists. The watercolor half pans fit in with the rest, but the bulk of the supplies are acrylics, markers, and canvases. If you are primarily a watercolorist, this may feel less tailored than it does for acrylic painters.

The Supplies: Paints, Markers, and Brushes

The paint selection is generous and clearly holiday themed. Across the 24 days you get acrylic paints in colors like snowman white, mistletoe green, sleigh bells silver, festive blue, Halloween red, and winter gray, plus metallic watercolor half pans in shades such as snowy silver and winter gold.

There are also multiple acrylic paint markers, including a gold marker, a red marker, and a winter gray option. These use plastic nibs, which some artists dislike, but they work with a shake and a pump and are handy for accents and details.

Paintbrushes are a highlight this year. Previous calendars included only one or two brushes, while this version includes at least three, including a much-appreciated angle brush on day 12. The round brush from day two works well for general painting. One limitation: the brushes are mostly on the larger side, which makes fine detail work on the small canvases a bit awkward.

Additional supplies include an acrylic pad, which addresses a real gap from previous years when there were products but not enough surfaces to create on, a couple of gel pens in gold and standard form, bottles of pouring paint, a small hexagon canvas, a triangle canvas, wood slices, and a jar of glitter. The gel pens are divisive; they can work nicely on the right surface, including glossy paper, but they are not for everyone. The glitter is pretty but worth using sparingly if environmental impact matters to you.

How It Compares to Last Year’s Calendar

If you tried the previous Arteza art advent calendars, this year’s feels better put together. The materials are more usable with each other, there is a proper acrylic pad for painting surfaces, and the brush count is up. Last year’s main criticism was that you got the products but not much to make art on or with, and that has largely been addressed.

The trade-off is variety versus cohesion. Some people love that the calendar spans several different projects and supply types, while others would prefer everything to build toward one finished piece. If you like a mixed experience with several small projects, this format suits that well. If you want a single cohesive project, the pouring paint and the assorted canvases may feel disjointed.

Testing It Out: What You Can Actually Make

A few projects show what the calendar can do. Painting a small Christmas pudding on one of the wood slices was straightforward with the limited paint palette, and the gold gel pen adds a subtle accent around the edges, though it blends into the wood more than expected.

The paint pouring supplies are the most fun part. Using the pouring paint across the hexagon canvas produces satisfying, flowing results even for a complete beginner, and combining just the silver and white on the triangle canvas creates a genuinely attractive marble effect.

The paint markers also handle doodle-style work on wood and glass, and a sketched tree over a glitter background is entirely achievable. Overall it plays out like a series of small, enjoyable craft sessions rather than one serious fine art project, which is part of the charm.

Buying Advice: Is It Worth $80?

At $80, this calendar is in line with what quality advent calendars generally cost once you factor in the mystery element, the packaging, the daily unboxing experience, and the customized items inside. It is not a bargain-bin art supply haul, but it compares favorably to other products in the advent calendar category.

Buy it if you enjoy acrylic painting, like the ritual of a daily reveal, want a fun holiday project set, or are shopping for an artist who would appreciate a surprise-filled December. Skip it or hesitate if you dislike gel pens and glitter, want only fine-detail brushes, or need a single cohesive project. And act early: this calendar has a history of selling out before the season peaks.

Conclusion

The Arteza 24 day holiday art advent calendar is a fun, well-rounded holiday gift for acrylic-focused artists. It improves on previous years with better surfaces, more brushes, and supplies that work together, and the paint pouring alone delivers plenty of enjoyment. If the price fits your budget and you order before it sells out, it makes for a genuinely delightful December countdown.