This may shock you, but not everyone wants chocolate in their advent calendars – or even Percy Pigs.
For many people a non-edible treat is the height of Christmas joy.
That’s the case for Rachel, 41, who was surprised by a homemade flip flop advent calendar by her husband, Neil, 46.
Neil came up with the idea to create an advent calendar filled with flip flops after his wife gifted him a hand-crafted advent calendar filled with beer.
He was touched and set about making a calendar Rachel – who loves shoes – would adore.
Neil spent £45 buying 25 pairs of flip flops then made an advent calendar using a plastic box, sheets of cardboard, and coat hooks for the handles. The radio engineer said it took him 20 minutes to make the calendar in his garage.
Neil presented his hard work to Rachel after the start of advent on Monday. She loves it.
Rachel, from Moreton, Wirral, said: ‘I was shocked when he gave it to me. I kept on giggling, I thought it was just absolutely fantastic.
‘At first I didn’t know what it was and then Neil said I just had to pull each drawer out.
‘I opened the first one and saw pretty quickly it was a pair of flip flops. Neil and I were laughing so much.
‘I think it’s the best thing ever. I couldn’t be more chuffed, even if each drawer had £1,000 in it wouldn’t be as good as a new pair of flip flops each day.’
Rachel says she’s obsessed with flip flops and is known to wear them whatever the weather.
She said: ‘I’ve always got a spare pair in the car just in case. If I’ve got a meeting I’ll throw some work shoes on but otherwise I’ll wear flip flops from March ’til October.
‘They’re easy to put on and I love them.’
Rachel added that Neil built her the calendar after she presented him with his own beer version
The part-time charity worker, said: ‘Last week I gave Neil an advent calendar which I’d made. I wrapped up lots of beers and put them in lots of wrapping paper and gave it to him.
‘He was quite overwhelmed and couldn’t believe I’d gone to all that effort to make him one. It was quite easy to make and cost about £33.
![A flip flop mad mum says Christmas has come early after her husband built her an advent calendar filled with 25 pairs of flip flops. Neil Ward, 46, was taken by surprise after his wife Rachel, 41, gave him a homemade beer advent calendar. The dad-of-two from Moreton, Wirral, was so moved by his wifes sweet gesture that he spent ?45 buying 25 pairs of flip flops and built a homemade advent calendar to stash them. He presented it to Rachel just after the start of advent on Monday [December 2]. SEE CATERS COPY](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.newsgroove.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/_550_Dad-creates-flip-flop-advent-calendar-for-wife-who-loves-shoes.jpg?media=1711065099)
‘He said he had to do something for me and went quite quiet.
‘On December 2 at lunchtime he was working from home and said he was going to sort my calendar out and went into the garage. He came back about twenty minutes later with the box.”
Neil said: ‘I don’t normally buy advent calendars but I thought this year I’d make a bit of an effort.
‘She loves flip flops, she gets through loads of them so I thought if I buy a load cheaply and do a calendar that would be perfect.
‘The hardest part was making it. It was quite tricky, I made 16 drawers and cardboard lid.
‘It took me about 20 minutes, it’s not a really a work of art.
‘Despite that, Rachel is absolutely over the moon, it’s great to see.’
Sweet, right?
Have you completed a brilliant DIY project? Fancy sharing it with the world? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
