Creating a Holiday Crafting Checklist
I am sure you are like me and every year picture yourself making tons of holiday crafting projects, handing out hand made gifts and just otherwise making everyone else jealous of your holiday crafting prowess. And then reality hits, time runs out, you can't find the ideas you saved and you end up sheepishly sending boxed cards and giving out repackaged store bought goodies – not that there's anything wrong with that; it's just not what you planned.
So this year, why not make yourself a handy dandy checklist, based on some suggestions here and using my Countdown to Christmas, and make things a whole lot easier on yourself? Let's get started!
1. Make your list and check it twice. Hey, it was good enough for Santa, right? Make a list of all the people you would like to gift this season with a home made holiday craft. Now go back and look again and determine if everyone on that list really is deserving of the time and effort you put in to this endeavor. This sounds mean, but it's not – cross off the people who don't meet the mark. This only gives you more time and energy to devote to those people who really are special enough for you to do this for. Give the other people a heartfelt loving gesture of the season – it means no less, it's just different!
2. Choose your projects carefully. Yes we would all like to make everyone a perfectly individualized gift that is from just you to just them but unless you start around Valentine's Day the year before, you won't likely have the time! Use your internal editor wisely – choose projects that have one really fun element that speaks to either the recipients or speaks to YOUR personality. If you are a zany sort, add some crazy ribbon. If you are the funny one in the bunch, choose a humorous greeting that you can incorporate into all your projects. If you have some friends who are religiously observant, pick a project where you can easily swap out images or greetings but stick to the same basic layout or gift idea. Choose things that are easy to execute – depending on your list you might be making a lot of these. You can always add something to specific gifts or cards for specific people.
3. Take inventory. What “stuff” do you already have on hand that you can use now? Do you still have a ton of clear ornaments left over from Cub Scouts? Can you use those as package add-ons or gifts on their own with a little craftervention? Do you have a ton of patterned paper that you can use to make little gift card holders or mini bags? Use what you have when you can!
4. Get your supplies and space ready. Once you've taken inventory and purchased what you need to round out your supplies, set up a space where you can step in and work a little here and there on your projects. If you don't have a dedicated crafting space, set up a folding table somewhere and this time, leave your stuff out! You can get a lot done over the course of a week when you steal a few minutes every day!
5. Prioritize. Start with the most complicated things and work your way toward the quick and easy projects. As you get projects done, cross the recipients off your list. Reevaluate all the time so you know how your time is going. When you get to your drop dead time, take a hard look at what you have left and see if you can make modifications to your plan that allow you to still incorporate some of your ideas into remaining gifts. For instance, if you were planning to bake your Grandma's famous Christmas Peppermint Cookies and wrap them up with a cute peppermint tag and you can't get to the cookies, buy some and still use the cute tag. Edit, edit, edit and you will still be able to add your personal touch.
I have tons of ideas in my Countdown to Christmas newsletter which you can get by signing up using the form below. If you are already on my mailing list, you don't have to do a thing – I provide this special feature to my subscribers automatically!
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This year, make your holiday crafting plan as much fun for you to execute as is it for your friends and family to experience!
