Christmas Bliss

Enjoy the holiday spirit all year long!

DIY

Planning Ahead for Handmade Gifts

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One thing that I love to do at Christmas is to surprise those closest to me with something handmade in addition to, or even instead of, other gifts. Handmade gifts can really reflect what you know and love about the other person, and they always show how much you care. Planning ahead for handmade gifts makes the entire process more enjoyable. You’ll enjoy the creative time and your friends and family will love their gifts!

There are no shortage of gift ideas online and in craft books, of course, so it is easy to collect ideas for DIY projects for family and friends. In fact, I usually save gift ideas in my Christmas planner, or just in a list on my phone.

In order to have handmade gifts ready for Christmas – and to enjoy the process of making them – it is important to begin early. Handmade gifts should be made with love, not stress!

Decide which handmade gifts to make (and for whom).

The first thing to decide is who will receive handmade gifts this year. This can be decided a couple of different ways. Maybe you’ve seen ideas for DIY gifts that would be perfect for a few people on your list. Start with those ideas or begin with the recipients in mind and think about what they may like or need.

First, list who will receive a handmade gift and what you plan to make for each person. Gift ideas should be fluid, as not every project will work as expected. But by being flexible, you will be able to treat everyone on your list to something special made with love.

Buy the materials now.

While fabric stores often start showing Christmas fabrics in May or June, online fabric stores have these materials available all year long. But for most handmade gifts, specific Christmas materials are not needed. General craft supplies, fabrics, or other materials may be purchased now, so that you have what you need and can work on the projects when you have the time over the coming months.

Print out any patterns for your projects and keep them in your planner. Make a list of needed supplies and watch for sales.

Organize materials by project.

Because life is busy, you’ll want to be able to pull out your handmade gift projects whenever you have a chance to work on them – and without having to hunt for the pattern or materials. Use shoeboxes, or other small containers (even the extra-large Hefty zipper bags work great!) to keep all the related materials with the pattern so that you can easily pick up where you left off and complete the projects over time.

Store the handmade gifts safely.

As you complete your projects, store them in a gift closet or wherever you keep your early Christmas purchases. Make sure to note them on your planner and to congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Handmade Christmas gifts make the holiday extra special for the you, the giver, as well as the recipient. So enjoy a little Christmas spirit anytime, and start planning for handmade gifts today.

Christmas Combos: Spend Less, Give More

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Want to spend less this Christmas, but give more? “Christmas combos” can help make shopping easier, more creative, and less expensive.

Shopping for kids at Christmas can be daunting. Buying multiple gifts for multiple children can be expensive under the best of circumstances. If you are someone who finds gifts throughout the year, it can be hard to make sure that everyone has an equitable sort of Christmas. But those old Christmas guidelines your parents used can be a helpful way to keep the shopping – and spending – under control.

Christmas gift

What are Christmas Combos?

What are Christmas combos? Remember the adage of “Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read”? This is a what I call a Christmas combo. It does three things that make your holiday shopping easier.

First it sets a limit on the number of gifts that each child will have. Second, it sets categories, which can be flexibly applied, but ensure that each child has an equitable set of gifts. Lastly, if you set a budget for each child or each part of the combo, this plan can help control your spending. Think creatively about filling each category and look for sales throughout the year.

Christmas gifts wrapped with bows

Building your own Christmas Combo

In the past I always thought that four-part Christmas combos we too restrictive. Besides I wanted my kids to open more than four gifts on Christmas morning. But my thinking on that has changed, especially as my kids have grown. I start with those four categories (need, want, wear, and read) to cover the basics. Then I add other gift categories to complete the combo. The process is creative and fun!

Other Categories to Add

Here are some other ideas for gifts to add to your Christmas combo:

  • Something to do: An experience, such as concert tickets, a trip to a museum or gallery, music lessons, an online class, an overnight camping trip, or a hike on a new trail, makes a great gift. The choices are endless and don’t have to cost much or anything at all.
  • Something to eat: A variety of Christmas cookies, homemade jam or chocolate sauce, their favorite dinner with a friend once a month, or gift cards to a favorite snack spot are all easily made or reasonably purchased.
  • Something homemade: A sweater, scarf, blanket, pajamas or doll clothes, if you like to sew, knit or crochet; gift baskets of skin or shaving products, yummy snacks, or art materials – these DIY projects become cherished gifts. And they are fun, creative, and generally inexpensive especially if you start early!
  • Something to learn: Sewing or guitar lessons, a session with a personal trainer, online language courses, computer coding classes, a gift card to Masterclass, Udemy, or Skillshare – now is a great time to give the gift of a new hobby or a familiar passion.

While you can see that each of these categories can overlap, that’s OK because it allows you a little flexibility when tallying all the gifts and making sure each child is receiving something for each part of your combo.

Have fun creating your own Christmas combo, and see how much easier and less expensive your Christmas shopping can be!

Find Amazing Christmas Fabrics Online

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Now is the perfect time to start Christmas sewing projects! From pajamas or quilts, to placemats or stockings – getting a head start on gifts and home decor will mean less pressure and a more festive Christmas later. One way to find inspiration is to shop Christmas fabrics, and now is the time of year when most fabric stores begin to display holiday materials. But if your local fabric stores are not available, where can you find amazing Christmas fabrics online?

Small Fabric Sellers

Etsy is a wonderful option for buying Christmas fabric online! Etsy’s smaller fabric sellers each have a unique selection of one-of-a-kind fabrics for your projects.

Here are some of my favorites:

Of course, there are plenty of other fabric stores on Etsy, and it is fun to explore!

Larger Fabric and Craft Stores

Unfortunately, one of my favorite shops, JoAnn Fabrics, has closed. However, if you prefer to shop the larger stores, here are two options:

Michael’s has 1,300 locations in 49 states and Canada, and they offer curbside pick-up and same day delivery. If you choose to order for pick-up, you will find that the fabrics listed on their site are not organized in any particular way. When you search for Christmas fabrics, you still have to scroll to get to them, which make comparison difficult. But while the selection is small, the styles are cute.

Hobby Lobby ihas over 1000 stores in 48 states. In addition to fabrics and sewing supplies, they also stock a wide variety of related items, including arts and crafts supplies, baskets, silk flowers, party supplies, and furniture, which can contribute to holiday decor. Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays, which can make sewing on the weekends more difficult. Some customers complain of lower quality fabrics as well.

Don’t forget to check small local specialty fabric shops as well.

If your summer is looking a little quieter than usual, it may be time to think fleece blankets, flannel pajamas, Christmas lap quilts or stockings – and start your fabric shopping now!

Make (and Use) a Christmas Planner

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Now is a great time to make and use a Christmas planner! Why? Because the best way to have lots of good ideas for the upcoming Christmas season is to have a place to save and organize your ideas as they come.

Use a Binder

My Christmas planner is a large binder, where I have sections for the things that are most important to me: Gifts, Cards, Cooking, Decorating, Entertaining, and Crafts. Each section holds the key to what has worked well in the past, as well as new ideas I’d like to try.

Organize Your Ideas Section by Section

Gifts: This section has a printed gift list that I update each year. Whenever necessary, I add new friends, family, or colleagues, or remove those for whom a gift is no longer appropriate. After each name, there is a space for recording gifts that have been purchased throughout the year. At the end of the list, there is a space for writing gift ideas as I think of them. This section also holds any gift ideas from magazines or online with notations on whom may like them.

Cards: This section has a printed Christmas card list that also serves as an address book throughout the year. Each entry has the contact names and addresses, and includes the names of any children. Like the gift list, I keep it updated with each address change I receive. I also keep favorite past Christmas cards in the divider pocket for inspiration.

Cooking: Here I keep the Christmas recipes that I plan to use again, as well as new recipes that I’ve found during the year. I especially try to save those that will fit my needs during the busy Christmas season, including those for large groups and that can be made ahead.

Decorating: For this section, I keep Christmas images that speak to me, that create the kind of vibe or color scheme I want for my home at Christmas time. When it comes time to decorate, I have inspiration at my fingertips. Paging through this section helps inspire the holiday spirit, too, if you aren’t quite feeling it yet!

Entertaining: I host an ornament exchange mid-December, and a family gathering on Christmas Day each year. In the past, I have also hosted a Christmas luncheon for friends. I love creating a festive setting and picking up new ideas to make these events special. This section holds ideas for all kinds of holiday gatherings, including table decor and activities for kids.

Crafts: Christmas crafts always make me smile. I keep patterns and directions for handmade items in this section, and when i am thinking of making a gift or a special decoration, I look here first.

Create a Christmas planner and use it to organize all your good ideas throughout the year. Come November and December (and even before then), you’ll be glad you did!