We were intrigued when an envelope consisting of 24 little envelopes arrived at the Design Indaba office. How very welcoming that some people still take the time to send handcrafted Christmas greetings.

But Thomas Heatherwick’s snail mail isn’t just any seasons’ greeting, but an advent calendar. Each of the 24 little envelopes are numbered, instructing the recipient of which day of December, from the first to the 24th, on which to open an envelope to reveal a picture or message.

The funky paper pop-outs from all the little envelopes eventually reveal the message: “Angels can fly because they take themselves so lightly.” Good creative advice this time of year.