Christmas in July – Time to Get Crafty

Today is the final installment in our Christmas in July series, but don’t worry.  I’m going to keep the Christmas preparation going with plenty of fun ideas over the coming months to continue our preparations for this holiday season.  Today, though, we’re focusing on my favorite part of the Christmas season – crafts!

I love Christmas, and I love crafts, so when you put the two together, I’m in absolute heaven!  But I will admit, I tend to get a little carried away with my craft ideas, and sometimes get so overwhelmed with just the ideas that I never get around to making all of those fabulous crafts!  The worst, though, is when I sit down to create something fabulous only to realize that I don’t have everything I need.  Ugh!  Let’s avoid the hassle, shall we?

First, let’s get inspired.  We’ll be adding two sections to our binders today.

I have a hard time throwing out magazines like Better Homes & Gardens and Real Simple.  I honestly have several years worth of each of those publications.  I finally sat down recently, though, and went through each one, page-by-page, and cut out only the stuff I want to keep.  I’ve been busy sorting by category, and you know what I discovered?  I have a lot of inspiration for Christmas!

So, wherever you find inspiration, whether it’s magazines, Pinterest, blogs, or somewhere else, dig around and find some things you love.  Create a section in your Christmas Binder for pictures of Ideas & Inspiration.  You might consider subdividing this section into categories, like “Recipes”, “Crafts”, “Gift Ideas”, and “Decorations”.  I like to use page protectors to keep my magazine pages from tearing in my binder.  (You can grab those in back-to-school sales, too!)

Take some time to really enjoy this part.  Keep in mind that you don’t have to make all of the things that inspire you, but they will be there in your Christmas Binder year after year to get those creative juices flowing.

After you get your inspiration all in one place, it’s time to start narrowing down your ideas into a few that are attainable.  Select a few of your favorites and hold those to the side.  We’re going to take inventory to make sure we have all of the supplies needed to make these amazing crafts.

Make an inventory list for each project.

I’m taking a page from my own blog planner with this one.  For each project I want to create, I’ll use one inventory page.  At the top, I’ve got either a picture or description of the project itself, then a list of supplies needed to make it.  I do this for the crafts you see here on the blog, and it’s a huge help when it’s time to get started.  Print out as many Project Planners as you need for your own holiday crafts and start making your shopping lists.  Then, go through your stash and check off what you already have.  (Don’t forget to list quantities so you are sure you have enough stock!)

*Tip: If you plan to use mason jars and/or jelly jars for crafts and gifts this year, now is the time to buy!  Shelves are full of jars since it’s canning season, so stock up while they are readily available.

Add a Current Projects section to the front of your Christmas Binder.  This is where you’ll keep Project Planners for each craft you’ll make this year, as well as recipes you’ll definitely make.  They’ll stay front and center all holiday season long so you can stay on top of your plans.  At the end of the year, simply file them away in your “Inspiration” section to use another year.

Now you’re ready to get crafty!  Start working on your projects now so by the time Christmas rolls around, you’ll have everything done and you’ll be able to enjoy the season!

Click on the images below to see any of the previous posts in this series:

[one-third-first]Part 1: Christmas Preparedness Planner[/one-third-first]
[one-third]Part 2: Christmas Gift Planner[/one-third]
[one-third]Part 3: Christmas Inventory[/one-third]

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Are you excited for the Christmas season now?  I really feel like I have a good foundation for a successful (and stress-free) season with my family and friends.  There’s more goodness to come over the next few months, so stick around!  Subscribe to the blog and our newsletter so you don’t miss anything!