This post is for all those people out there that love the idea of doing Christmas craft projects but just can’t seem to pull it off. That is me. I’m basically writing this to post to myself. I use to be so good at making Christmas ornaments as gifts every year for friends and family. I’m not entirely sure what happened but my creative abilities seem to have fizzled out. But I want this year to be different! If you would like to get your craft on this year to make a few Christmas craft projects and gifts, keep reading to see how we are going to get it done.
I haven’t done any ornaments in years but let me go back with you down memory lane a little bit if I may. Here are some of the past ornaments I have made. And these are old pictures from my files so the quality isn’t fantastic but you get the idea. I love you and all but my husband would not be happy with me if I pulled out the Christmas decorations in October 🙂
One of my favorites is this safety pin bell ornament. Like come on, so adorable! Unfortunately I can’t remember where I got the instructions.
Another special one that I made with my kids a long time ago. Instructions HERE.
These Santas required sewing and I still got them done! Who was I???
These instructions I got from an old old blogging friend that no longer blogs anymore.
These are the only three I could find but I know there were others for sure. I absolutely love getting them out each year and adding them to my Christmas tree.
Last year I decided that enough was enough and I was going to get back into making Christmas ornaments. And when I saw this picture below (used with permission) I knew exactly what I was going to do too. Jenn from Clean & Scentsible showcased these adorable Popsicle stick ornaments on her blog two years ago.
Popsicle Stick Sleds! I fell in love with them. They looked easy to make too which is perfect for this not so crafty gal. So I went out and bought all the supplies I’d need. Every single last one of them. I was all set and ready to get crafting. And yet those supplies sat on the floor in my office and never even moved. My cute Popsicle Stick Sleds never got made. Isn’t that sad? 🙁
So this year I’m bound and determined to make it happen. Here’s my three step plan to getting it done.
1. Pick Your Craft Projects and Buy Supplies:
All you have to do is a quick search on Pinterest and you’ll literally find thousands of Christmas craft projects to do. Whether it’s making ornaments like me or other gifts for friends and family, you will definitely get inspiration there. Pick a project(s), print out the instructions and go buy all the supplies you’ll need. Be realistic though. Don’t rush out and buy stuff for 10 crafts. Maybe start with one or two and see how that goes first okay. Deal?
2. Start Early:
So October is almost over but we still have plenty of time. We got this! I don’t recommend waiting until December to start your Christmas projects because December is such a busy month as is. Start now. Make a plan!
I’m going to make craft dates with myself on the calendar and I’m going to be specific about the tasks on each date. I’m going to break down the tasks into manageable steps so I don’t get overwhelmed or take on too much at one time. Here are my assembly line steps for the Popsicle Stick Sleds. I’d like to make 8 of them if possible.
- glue 4 small craft sticks together x 8
- paint small craft sticks x 8
- Stain 2 regular sized craft sticks x 8
- Glue small and regular sticks together and glue on cross stick x 8
- Add embellishments and twine for handle x 8
Five steps, I think I can manage that especially if I schedule each of those steps in by the week. In fact I’ve got a brand new Christmas Holiday Planner coming out real soon with calendars for November and December. These will be perfect for managing all that needs to get done at the holidays.
3. Keep Supplies Where You Use Them:
This is clearly where I went wrong last year. I prefer to do crafts at my kitchen table. My supplies were in my office. Do you see the problem here? Because I had no plan or schedule in place, I was waiting for a time to get the entire project done at once. And well that seemed awfully overwhelming to me. So I put it off. And off and then off some more. To combat that this year not only do I have my schedule but I also added a place to keep everything right handy next to my dining room table.
Remember my beloved Pixie? She’s such a sweet girl to lend me a hand here. I rolled her right into my dining room and all my supplies are currently sitting on the middle shelf. In a basket of course so I can easily pull it out on to the table when I need to. The basket you see on the top shelf will be removed so I have somewhere to put my ornaments in progress. We eat at the dining room table every day so I don’t want it cluttered with supplies all the time.
Hi Pixie!
See how handy she is to the table?
Don’t have a Pixie of your own? No worries, you can get this Raskog cart from Ikea. But remember a basket on the floor works just as well too. Just keep your supplies where you use them! Better chance of success that way, at least that’s what I’m counting on.
Supplies ready to go!
Instructions printed and waiting.
I’m actually excited to get going now. Although I’d be more in the Christmas spirit if I had at least some Christmas music playing. Wonder if I can get my husband to agree to that? Hmmmm can’t blame a girl for trying right? 🙂
So do you think I can do it? I’ve put it out there so let’s hope I can!
Are you hoping to get some Christmas craft projects done this year? I’d love to hear about them.
Update: I got them done!
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