Even as kids, advent calendars were only slightly amusing. Along with a visual representation of how close Christmas was getting, you got a new treat every day—a crappy little half-bite piece of chocolate in some vaguely Christmas-themed shape like an angel or a trumpet. Which is why, with all the other Christmas traditions you kept up on, advent calendars really weren’t that hard to give up. Until now.

Now, some genius has invented a DIY beer advent calendar. With the help of a few household tools you should already have and a few supplies you should be able to get on the cheap, you’ll be able to mark the days until Christmas as you would mark the days until any other holiday, family or work function, or weekend evening: with beer. And you can get full instructions here.

While there may not be enough canned Christmas beers to fully populate the calendar (yet), there are plenty that you can keep in the theme. Start with Sly Fox’s annual Christmas Ale, then maybe move on to some chocolaty beer—if you make your tubes long enough, Wells & Young’s Double Chocolate Stout should keep you in the spirit. 21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat, Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice, and Manayunk Brewing’s Festivus would all fit nicely as well. You just might want to buy a few extra, because all of your friends are going to want to get in on this Christmas miracle once they see it.

Photos via Instructables