Brace yourself, friends – Christmas is 10 weeks away. Well, technically 10 weeks from Sunday…but still, it will be here before we know it! Every year I tell myself I’m going to be more proactive about my holiday preparations so I can enjoy the season a bit more…and every year, I’m STILL wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. But I’m convinced that one of these years I’ll figure it all out. And once I do, you can be sure I’ll share the secret with you ;-)
Honestly, I know I will never get EVERYTHING on my holiday checklist finished in advance…there are always things that will come up at the last minute, and that’s okay. But I have discovered a pattern in that the years I’m more organized early (and I’m talking EARLY – like October early) things seem to go so much smoother. I have the majority of my gifts bought and made sooner, I get my decorations up earlier, I’m able to do more fun things like baking and crafting with my kids, and my stress level is generally lower. Two years ago, I was pregnant with our second child and due in January. I knew the more pregnant I got, the less I’d feel like getting anything done, so I was really proactive about all my gift making, shopping and preparations that year. It. Was. Amazing. I was able to slow down through the whole month of December and really enjoy the season instead of rush through it. But last year, with a 3 year old and a not-quite-1-year-old (who was an early walker!) I was back to wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. Much of that was just due to my life stage, but a lot of it was because I hadn’t taken the time to get organized with lists and deadlines early on – I just flew through the season by the seat of my pants. You guys, I definitely don’t want to do that again, and I’m guessing you don’t, either!
I have resolved to make at least 1 gift for everyone on my list this year, and I know the only way I’ll be successful in that is by starting the process NOW. My goal is to have them all finished by Thanksgiving. Yikes! It’s a lofty goal, but I know that by doing it I will accomplish 4 main things. I will A) save money; B) lessen my holiday season stress level; C) be able to spend more time and energy on fun things with my family through the month of December; and D) share a whole lot of love with my friends and family through handmade gifts. Oh, and hopefully I’ll have a little fun along the way ;-)
So…who’s with me?
The first thing you can do that will help you IMMENSELY with this process is go check out my eBook, 7 Steps to a Handmade Christmas. It is an all-in-one resource that will help you brainstorm gift ideas, plan the perfect gift for everyone on your list, shop for supplies, set deadlines, and get crafting. Each step along the way includes a printable to keep you organized. Now, you should know that I’ve been really intentional about pricing the book extremely affordably – it’s only $10! (Seriously, I’ve had at least a half dozen other bloggers tell me I’m crazy and that the price is way too low!) But it was important to me that this resource was accessible to anyone, especially people that doing Christmas on a very tight budget. Jump right to the sales page by clicking here, and as soon as you complete your purchase you’ll be able to print out the first printable and start working on Step 1 right away!
The second thing you can do is join me right here every Friday for the next 8 weeks! Tomorrow marks the beginning of a little blog series that I’m calling “My Handmade Christmas: Inspiration for the Season.” Browsing Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram can actually be more overwhelming than inspiring – there are so many amazing ideas out there, and so little time! I will sift through it all and bring you my favorites in one weekly dose of handmade Christmas inspiration. Each week I’ll be sharing another inspiring list of handmade gift ideas, tips, and tricks. (Who knows, I might even get a little crazy and share some recipes, decor, or crafts too!) Keep coming back to this post, because I’ll be updating the links to new posts in this series as they go live.
Post #1: 10 Handmade Christmas Gifts to Start NOW!
Post #2: 25 Handmade Christmas Gifts for Men
Post #3: 30 Christmas Gifts in a Jar
Post #4: 25 Neighbor Gift Ideas with Free Printable Tags
Post #5: 15 Cute & Clever Ways to Package Christmas Treats
Post #6: 15 Brown Paper Wrapping Ideas for Christmas
Post #7: 175 FREE Printable Gift Tags
Post #8: 10 Unique Gift Card Wrapping Ideas
Post #9: 10 Last Minute Handmade Gift Ideas
In the meantime, browse my project gallery for some great handmade gift ideas along with lots of holiday craft and decor inspiration. (There’s a holiday specific category all the way at the bottom of the gallery, so scroll on down to find that!) And don’t forget to grab your copy of 7 Steps to a Handmade Christmas to get a head start on your holiday gift making and planning!
Talk to you soon, friends!
What if you MADE your Christmas gifts this year instead of buying them? Find out how to set yourself up for success in your Handmade Christmas journey - plus get a free printable gift list planner!
Thanks for the inspiration, Meredith! And you’re not alone. I can’t get everything finished in advance as well :)
Happy Holidays xx
super interesting ideas, i love it.
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I completely relate to your holiday planning struggles! Starting early does make a huge difference. Your proactive approach is inspiring, and I love the idea of making gifts for everyone on your list. It adds a personal touch to the season. Wishing you all the best in achieving your goal by Thanksgiving – you’ve got this!
My Handmade Christmas is full of warm, creative inspiration for the season—each craft idea neatly arranged and festive, almost like holiday supplies stacked in Tower Boxes Wholesale ready for gifting.
My Handmade Christmas is full of warm, creative inspiration for the season—each craft idea neatly arranged and festive, almost like holiday supplies stacked in Tower Boxes wholesale ready for gifting.
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I completely relate to your holiday planning struggles! Starting early does make a huge difference. Your proactive approach is inspiring, and I love the idea of making gifts for everyone on your list. It adds a personal touch to the season. Wishing you all the best in achieving your goal by Thanksgiving – you’ve got this! ragdoll hit
Long for this Christmas. I will try all your ideas.
The October pattern holds here too, though for a slightly different reason than having more time: starting early is really about leaving room for the reprints. Handmade tags and printable wrap almost never look right on the first pass — you print, hold them against the actual paper, and change your mind — and by mid-December there’s no room for a second pass. The one habit that cut my printing down was collecting the whole season’s tags, labels and gift lists into a single file before going anywhere near the printer — https://ihatepdf.org/merge_pdf — it runs in the browser and the files never leave the laptop. Ten sheets in one print job instead of ten separate ones.
The October-start point is the part people skip. I tried it last year after reading something similar and the difference wasn’t the shopping, it was the small finishing jobs — tags, cards, the little note that goes inside. Those are what pile up on Christmas Eve. One thing that helped me: I stopped hand-lettering thirty gift tags and started typing the names and printing them in a handwriting style, then just signing them for real. Takes about ten minutes for the whole batch. The converter I use outputs a PDF so I can print a sheet at a time. Still feels handmade, minus the cramp.