Brilliant or bonkers? Dunelm is selling an advent calendar cushion

These days, you can get all kinds of weird and wonderful advent calendars - from face mask calendars to ones filled with Wedgewood ornaments. For Christmas 2021, Dunelm is ringing the changes with an advent calendar cushion.

The best advent calendars are, of course, a must this time of year. Starting a daily Christmas countdown is a fundamental step towards finally 'feeling Christmassy' even if you're not that into it. Here's what the Ideal Home team makes of the Dunelm advent calendar cushion...

Dunelm advent calendar cushion

Lindsey Davis, Ecommerce Editor in Chief

'This would look lovely in a traditional or Scandinavian-inspired scheme... if you can work out where to put it,' says Lindsey. 'On the sofa? You would melt any sweets in minutes if you sat on it.

'On a shelf? That would look weird,' she adds.

Lindsey thinks it would be a brilliant Christmas hallway decorating idea if you have a bench seat - as long as the dog can't reach it.

Tamara Kelly, Digital Editor

'As an alternative advent it's pretty cool,' says Tamara. 'It would save having to find anywhere to hang a fabric one!

'But the present would need to be non-food based because pets and young children would surely empty it in seconds. I like the idea of it being on a child's bed, filled with mini toy presents sort of like a stocking vibe – they can wake up and open one each morning,' she says.

Becky Knight, News Editor

Becky is a big fan of this Insta-worthy Christmas idea. 'I really like it, but I'd probably skip the filling it part,' she says.

'I'd maybe get a fabric star or a clothes peg to move along the pockets as a tracker rather than something with a treat each day. It's definitely one for that chair in the corner of the room you never sit on,' Becky comments.

So, brilliant or bonkers? We're going to have to say brilliant. It's a great sustainable option and we like the idea of using it as an advent calendar/stocking hybrid.

You'd need to be careful and make sure it didn't get too warm in a room with heating on, but it would also be lovely to be able to offer guests a candy cane or trinket as they leave.

It's just a question of finding somewhere to put it among our other Christmas decorations. Will you be picking one up?