Tips for Holiday Crafting + Surprise! Midweek Giveaway
Hi friends,
Wow! I am so enjoying reading all of your comments on Monday's post. The tales you're sharing about the best handmade gift you've ever received are thoughtful, funny and poignant – sometimes all at once. Thank you all for sharing these little gems. (If you haven't commented yet, there's still time – you have until Sunday at 11:59 p.m.)
Now that Halloween is out of the way, I feel like I can finally hunker down and concentrate on my Christmas crafting. (Oh yes, the countdown is on!) I make many of my Christmas presents, and I know that many people are thinking about making some (or all) of their holiday gifts this year, and so I've been thinking about ways to make the process fun, festive, and affordable. Here's what I've come up with so far.
- Start early. Staying up all night knitting or sewing on Christmas Eve = falling asleep in your turkey dinner.
- Make a list, check it twice. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you walk into a giant crafts or fabric store, and being overwhelmed can lead to overspending. Before you go supply-shopping, write down a list of the crafts you're going to make; then make your shopping list detailing exactly what (and how much) you'll need.
- Be realistic. Choose projects that match your skill level and the amount of time you have available. And don't waste time making something for someone who won't appreciate it. Some people just prefer purchased gifts. Save yourself the time and heartache; buy a gift card.
- Take advantage of sales. Use those 40% off coupons from the big box craft stores; make the most of your fabric store's discount club card. Watch the circulars for deals.
- Make multiples; set up an assembly line. Consider making similar-but-different gifts for the people on your list (for example, simple mitts or scarves; monogrammed books or mugs). Make one, so that you get the hang of it; then make all the rest, completing one step at a time in assembly-line fashion. This saves time (you only have to climb one learning curve) and money (you'll get best use out of each supply you buy).
- Order takeout. I hate having to clean off my kitchen table – which is where I do much of my crafting – in mid-flow, just so that I can make and serve dinner. And after a full day of Christmas crafting, who wants to cook?
What are your tips for fun, festive, affordable holiday crafting? Leave a comment telling me what you'd recommend and you could win!
The prizes for this surprise giveaway are two tickets to the upcoming Seasons Christmas Show at the International Centre in Mississauga OR a copy of Tree Top Decorations by Emma Hardy. In addition, I'll feature my favourite tips in a round-up next Thursday. (Comments accepted until Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 11:59 p.m.; round-up will be published and winners announced on Thursday, Nov. 12.)
November 4th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Pick up craft materials that you regularly use all year round so that you have an ample supply on hand when it comes time to pull your projects together. I like making cards so I try to buy my "always need" materials (i.e., adhesives, sharp scissors, papers, envelopes) when they are on sale throughout the year. When I finally get the time to sit down and craft, I don't have to worry about rushing out to buy something!
November 4th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I have to wholeheartedly agree with your tip about not crafting for folks who won't appreciate it. It's a big waste of your precious time.
I would also suggest that if you don't have the time or energy to make everything yourself don't be shy about supporting fellow crafters through Etsy or local holiday craft sales. Handmade is always better whether it's your hands or not.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I have a lot of out-of-towners who I would love to give a little something to at the holidays, so I make ornaments. They're easy, and light, so they're inexpensive to send. They can be made in multiples and some of my friends have been collecting them for years. It's neat to see all different pieces of mine on other's trees.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
My best tip is to not be restrained in your color choices, a handmade card or ornament in pink may be just as beautiful as teh green, red, silver or gold you had origionally planned to use. If you run out of one color, check your stash and work outside the box a little. Some of my best peices got made due to a lack of supplies!
November 4th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Simplify!! Simple hand made crafts many times are the best gift - pariticularly for those who are not crafty. I do the assembly line suggestion for crafting too - it makes it so much easier to get many gifts done at the same time!
November 4th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Those are all great tips! I like to take craft/gift idea books out from my local library and get inspired by them. Even if they are not holiday books, its easy to transform the projects into Christmas gifts.
And I also agree with Whistlepea about Etsy.com
There are a lot of Canadian sellers and I love to support them.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
My friend and I get together and do a lot of Christmas Craft Fairs, selling beaded goods. We gear up for it all year. And whatever doesn't sell is ready to go as Christmas gifts (should I admit that I haven't made them especially for someone in particular...oops:) ) So even if the events were pretty quiet nothing is lost!
November 4th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
To have ample little gifts on hand, I buy hand-made gifts at Christmas bazaars at churches or seniors' centres. Quite often you can purchase something simple and add your own touches to them or include it with something purchased; i.e. home-made dog biscuits added to a gift pack including a bowl and leash. Or buy a container or bowl there and fill it with your own home-baking.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I love to make Christmas ornaments and decorations using natural materials I find along a nice walk in the woods or in my neighbourhood. With a little imagination, natural materials such as acorns, pine cones, red dogwood branches and boughs can be made into beautiful wreaths and urn inserts. Pine cones can also be spray painted in silver and gold to add sparkle. Plus, it's free, green, and fun to do.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I like to expand my craft horizon all the time. This is essential when trying to make all your gifts. A crafternoon is great for learning new craft skills - for instance, I didn't know a thing about jewellery making, so I invited an experienced crafter that could teach a bunch of us. I was able to gift earrings last xmas thanks to my mum! I just had to throw some sweets on the table pour a couple cups of tea, and I was beading like nobody's business. Another way to learn a new craft is borrowing from the children's shelves at the library. They always explain everything simply and clearly and are full of great beginner projects.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I buy things on sale throughout the year.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:37 am
Try and pick crafts that you are comfortable with making and sometimes it is nice to invite some of your crafty friends over and do crafts together.
I also check the supply of local bargain and dollar stores, they have some great deals on craft supplies. Most importantly, have fun!!
November 5th, 2009 at 3:10 am
I'd say my top two crafting tips for gifts is to start early and make a plan, and to consider assembly line gifts if you have a long list (coworkers, hostess gifts, etc). Being able to do a large batch of things at once makes me feel so productive!
I'm not in Ontario, so I'd love to be entered for the book- thanks!
November 5th, 2009 at 8:39 am
If I don't watch myself I'll put my crafting to the last minute and then end up giving up and going to the store and buy something. So my advice is to start early on your handmade gifts. It's never too early, really !
November 5th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I love my local dollar store to pick up a wide variety of crafting material from beads,knitting wool,styrfoam balls,sequins,paints and much more.Good prizes for the crafter.Last year I made fuzzy scarves for my friends and family
November 5th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Making holiday crafts at home is a great way to spend time with your grandchildren. I keep a supply of craft materials on hand and when they come to visit, we spend many happy hours together making our creative juices flow!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I have a delicious tip for a holiday craft: I always make a Recipe Book, with all the great recipes I tried throughout the year.
If you like to, there are many software programs available for calculate nutritional information based on the ingredients.
I also add clip art, scan old family/friends photos to include on the book, along with pictures of the recipe results. It's a hit!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Knitting is always fun and making your own christmas tree decorations.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I like making my own christmas decorations or gift bags
November 5th, 2009 at 10:28 am
My 8 year old boy and I always make our own wrapping paper. We take that awesome rolled paper from Ikea and use all of my christmas themed stamps and everyone gets something different and special for their wrapping paper. Lots of fun and my 8 yr old loves doing it!
November 5th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Grow your own holly tree to make wreaths and ornaments. I even put fresh sprigs of it on gifts along with portions of decorations I had bought after Christmas last year on after Christmas clearance sales.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Use what you have around the house - get an idea from your craft box and make use of household items to get it done. Frugality is key!
November 5th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Go on a nature walk and collect things you find to use for crafts; twigs, pinecones, acrons, etc. use your imagination.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Combine quality time with friends or family with craft making. A friend of mine once organized a "girls' night" of holiday card-making, and it went over great. We had sangria and treats and shared card-making supplies and talents. It was a fun, productive, low-cost evening, making memories and crafts all at once.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Drag out all the Christmasy fabrics, all the red and green scraps and trims and you will SEE a project before your eyes! Example: OH! I forgot about this piece! And OH! This goes with this! I know! My nephew would love......
November 5th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Don't panic if something isn't ready on time - everyone in my family is more surprised when I actually am on time!! They appreciate homemade gifts and I will not be satisfied with something that I had to rush to finish because more often than not that is when big mistakes happen.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Keep it simple and Plan, Plan, Plan, ahead.
You will be in a better mood when the holiday rolls around. Always smile...hahahha
November 5th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Thrift Shops are wonderful places to find odds and ends to help create your own crafts as well as craft packages maybe given as gifts or bought while in an ambitious mood and then regretted.
January and June are the best times to find lots really cheap. This time of year it's good too since many thrifts save up "Holiday" type items and start bringing them out now.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I love to cross-stitch Christmas ornaments, but they take a long time to do, so I start very early (like in January!). To ensure that each ornament is special to the recipient, I try to choose a pattern that includes something significant that happened to that person during the year, and always include the year on the ornament. For example, a soccer championship game in the summer might be recognized with a Santa kicking a soccer ball. It's great fun for me, and well received as a gift because it's personal.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I encourage my children to make homemade cards. We get to exercise our creativity doing so, instead of attaching to a gift we usually donate the money we would have spent on a gift to a worthwhile children's organization. Everyone ends up feeling good from this gift.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I think everyone I know has a tree full of ornaments made by me! Now they are getting even more ornaments from my kids! Oh, well, there's no such thing as a treet too full.
The dollar stores are full of wonderful things, and not just in the craft aisle. They have inexpensive candles just waiting for help, fancy soaps, and lots of basket fillers and trims. It is my favourite store.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
I love making my own gift tags. I save last year's Christmas cards, cut out the best part, use pinking shears and tie them up with pretty ribbon. It's very personal and my friends and family just love that special touch.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
a bunch of us girls get together to make our christmas cards one weekend and have a cookie exchange another weekend and help each other out with personal projects on other nights. It's much easier when you have someone there working on something as well so you don't get sidetracked!
November 5th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
well it's sounds thrifty, but I always buy my stuff right after Christmas when it's on super sale, and then I've got things ready for the next Christmas. The trouble is finding the money right after Christmas, but it's worth it in the long run
November 5th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
My best craft tip is to not worry about making EVERYONE a home-crafted gift. Choose one or two people and work on those gifts, and then if you have time you can make more for others. Those people who 'missed out' can get your crafty gift the following year. The secret is to not let yourself get too stressed out -- no one benefits then, even if they all have matching knitted stockings!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I love to bring in my dried hydrangea and spray paint them - gold, silver, red, green and white in particular. They make for wonderful centre pieces, sconce and mantle arrangements as well as gift decorations.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I usually make jewellery for my girlfriends and try to make each one as unique as they are. To do that, I have a secret list that I keep throughout the year where I make note of things that I know they like. For example, if they're into certain colours this year or a specific themes. That way they get a gift tailored for them.
November 6th, 2009 at 12:58 am
I love ribbon! I always save ribbons off of presents & baskets & I use them to prettify my own wrapped packages!
November 6th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Xmas is my favorite holiday . I 'm a kid when comes to mid november. I start early , try to make most of my gifts ,I'm very green in that way or recycle something and give it a second life . Fond an proud shopper of thrift shops . Must have a budget , the idea is to have fun not to go broke . I would have to say that the wrapping is the PIECE DE RESISTANCE for me. It doesn't matter how small the gift, but it has to be creatively wrapped with a special touch for each individual.So start early, buying fabulous papers, fabrics , ribbons or anything that inspired you .
November 6th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I'm Pretending that I am on a schedule of crafting...does that count?
That book looks fabulous!
November 6th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I would say work with what you've got. Lot of us crafters have lots of miscellaneous goodies around so dig through what you've got and create something new and amazing! Maybe little stocking stuffer gifts!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I start looking through all my bins of left over supplies, it is amazing the amount of stuff you end up with after projects. If you get creative, you can use up a lot of leftovers for great Christmas gift ideas, without having to set foot in a store.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
This year I am going to attempt to make my own Christmas cards. i will take a Christmas-themed photo, and print it out, decorate, and voila ... personalized, and inexpensive!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I've used many of the ideas already mentioned & so many are great! What I might add is to simplify. That could mean to give up some traditions - your expectations for yourself might be greater than those around you. If your favorite craft/hobby is time-consuming, simplify w/ another idea. This could give you a chance to learn something new which is always fun!
November 6th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I also like making homemade "kitchen" goods...like: cookies, jams, bread loafs, cakes, chocolate dipped dried fruit, etc.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I agree with buying things that are on sale,say,right after christmas,but ,keep in mind,it has to be something that you know you are going to use,otherwise,it ends up being a waste of money.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
We scrapbook together every Tuesday, but in late October & early November, we set aside two days for a stamp swap. We all bring our Christmas stamps and stamp our hearts out for images with which to make our Christmas cards. We also bring our paper stash and a lot of trading and sharing goes on as well as great exchanges of ideas. This way we save money by stamp and paper sharing. Our general rule however, is that to receive a handmade card, a person has to be 'card-worthy'. A lot of work goes into our creations and some folks just have no appreciation for the uniqueness of the cards we create.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Thanks so much for your tips -- it's a great reminder to me to start now! And especially to use those coupons and look for sales on supplies. One thing I'm doing to simplify this year is to to make the same, or similar, gifts for a lot of people on my list. I think this will make it a little easier this year.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I shop all year round. I like to buy most of my seasonal items mid summer. I find at this time the prices are reasonable, if not already on the discounted table.
I keep an open eye all year round and can be inspired at any time.
The book sounds fantastic to win.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
The biggest challenge when I clean off my craft making to make room for more urgent other things is finding all the materials, elements and tools. As I do wide variety of crafts, I find a series of plastic boxes is a good idea, particularly if they stack.
I use the clear ones from salads from the grocery store so I can see what is in each one (FREE Too!).
Supplies go into dollar store boxes as I acquire them throughout the year, and then when I have a project, I pull everything out and assemble what I need and put it in the clear boxes.
Tools go into one, adhesives into another, tape measure, pins, patterns etc. into another, fabric or beads or... into another.
For quick clear up, everything stacks on utility shelves in the basement.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I start wrapping Christmas gifts as soon as Halloween is over and those decorations are put away. I keep a list of what's what to make sure that I don't overspend on any one person.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I too have a difficult time starting early enough so this year 2009 -I actually scheduled the time to complete my things - Saturday nights. My hubby watches the sport of the season and I craft.
For my handmade things -I like to check out books from the library for ideas, yard sales in the summer, and I always ensure when baking near Christmas I double each recipe as you never know when you will need an extra dozen to gift.
I also have one place for everything I make or buy so I am not left wondering where I put the gift.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I have to agree about PLANNING and SIMPLIFY--these things helpmake the process enjoyable and calm. Nobody gains if crafting and dedlines and the holidays become super-stressful.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
My tip for crafters who are also pet owners is: clean up and put away all those crafts you just made and whatever is on your craft table if you need to run out to the store for more supplies. Your dog and cat think that crafts make the yummiest appetisers and the greatest toys....after all, why would you spend all day with crafts instead of your pooch or kitty if they weren't absolutely, irresistably fabulous?!!
November 8th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
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November 8th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I like to focus on making my children something home-made and give others home-baked treats. This year I would like to have the kids package the baking creatively.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I have a gazillion craft books, but tree toppers is one I don't have. Always on the look out for a new idea. It would be great to have a new resource
November 9th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
For the holidays I like to reuse old Christmas cards and make boxes out of them for small presents. Very affordable.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I love Christmas and have always made gifts. To me making the perfect gift is what Christmas is all about. I like making gifts with my kids. It's important to have a plan, lots of supplies and start early. If you don't get everything done, at least have fun while you are together.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I like to knit, sew or quilt little items to put in with gifts for everyone, things like dishcloths or pot holders are always popular.I like to do as much advance preparation for Christmas Day as I can so I can enjoy the food and the company without feeling rushed. There are lots of recipes for advance preparation available on the Canadian Living web site- breakfasts and dinner courses. I even roast my turkey the day before so it is ready for carving at meal time- just besure not to leave the stuffing in overnight or make slow cooker stuffing.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I cut old christmas cards up with pinking shears to make frugal festive gift tags
November 9th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
for years my chldren and I have filled a ceramic dish that I made when they were babies with chocolates, homemade of course for their Grandfather and would bring it to his house Christmas morning. The ceramic dish was "Santas Hottub, complete with bubbles and 2 reindeer". It became a christmas gift each year for a hard to buy for Grandfather. Then my dad passed 2 years ago and one of the first thing my child asked her Grandmother for that belonged to her grandfather(Grandmom is diabetic) was the hottub, and now with children of her own she fills the tub with her own homemade goodies for my husband each year. What a beutiful tradition and an easy thoughtful gift for hard to buy for grandfathers.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:07 am
I love baking, so I make 10 or 12 different cookies in large batches. I'll wrap up a varied assortment in a gift bag or on a decorative plate and always have them ready to give to family and friends. It always is good to have extra packages ready for those unexpected invitations or drop-bys.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
When my kids were little I made them gifts. I was always surprised at how much they treasured those things above the advertised glitzy offerings on TV. I now knit for my 3 grandsons who also treasure the things I make. I love making things for babies and children but also make things for adults and myself.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Use lots of colourful ribbon.
November 11th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Throughout the year I keep a file of projects I think I would like to make for christmas gifts. In October, I start perusing it, deciding who I am making a handmade gift for and what I am making them. BTW, this year I will buy holiday fabric on sale after christmas and make recyclable gift bags!!
November 11th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I recycle the funnies (comics) from the newspapers as wrapping paper. Kids and their parents love them.