Wondering what to do with your Little Library during the holidays? Dressing it up with wreaths, garland, candles or
special holiday books is always fun. Some stewards, though, like to go a step further.
Check out these unbelievably creative ways to celebrate reading along with the holidays.
Blind Date With a Book
Here’s how it usually works: you cover some books with brown paper and write only the first sentence on the cover. The goal is to intrigue the reader into picking out a book they may not choose otherwise. This is a popular Valentine’s Day idea called Blind Date with a Book.
Steward Mia Villeta Alvarado gave this idea a holiday twist! Try wrapping a handful of books with wrapping paper like little presents and placing them in a special basket for your lucky visitors to discover and take home.
Santa’s Mailbox
We’ll admit, our jaws dropped a bit when we saw this idea. If you ever wrote a letter to Santa as a kid, just imagine how cool this would have been. 
Instead of a trip to the post office, you walk down the street to your neighborhood Little Library and drop that letter in an authentic iron drop box, right at your height.Your letter is sent express to Santa and then you pick out a book from the Little Library to take home. Amazing!
Steward Maria Gallegos got special permission from her local post office in Dillon, Montana to make this happen. She reported, “It has been a hit! Plenty of kids, young and old, have been making trips to the Library, no matter what the weather is doing!”
Advent Library
Did you ever have one of those advent calendars where you counted down the days to Christmas? Maybe you got a little chocolate, lit a candle or hung a new ornament on the tree each day. Well, steward Debbie Bedbrook has a slightly different take on this holiday tradition.
“I do this every year for my two boys on the last 10 days before Christmas. Each night before bed…they take it in 
turns to choose a parcel to open (they are all picture books), and this is their bedtime story for that night. They love it. Even now, the 12-year-old still joins in and is happy to listen to a picture book before bed!”
A few weeks ago we shared a slightly different take on this idea on our Facebook page.
You may be thinking but wait, what’s the fourth idea? Well, it’s not a specific idea but rather a fantastic holiday tradition in Iceland that we think everyone should start doing. It involves reading a book and eating chocolate before bed on Christmas Eve. Um, yes please.
Do you have a special holiday tradition or a fun way you’re celebrating the holidays at your Little Free Library? Share it in the comments below.
“Tuneful” Little Free Library usually bulges with books. Occasionally, though, our supply diminishes drastically. The first time this happened, I put out a sign: “Oops! More outgoing than incoming.” Twenty-four hours later, our LFL was full again and with books to spare. Readers are loyal and busy. Sometimes all that’s needed is a brief reminder.
Awesome solution, Melody!
Do you think the tv show about tiny houses would consider including a short moment acknowledging & honoring the Little Free Library? Seems like a natural stretch for them to take some time during a show to include some info about the Little Free Library movement. Plus, the show could use a little variety, a little shake-up by expanding their coverage to include something else that is usually found traditional building size; but, works well in the small version–just like their tiny houses.
I’m not sure, Deborah. It does seem like a natural extension for the show, but it’s usually easier said than done to get that kind of prime time coverage!