Tuesday Tip - Start Early!
Posted by Annette on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
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Crafty Chris has morphed into Chris Claus for Christmas in July this month and she's very busy corraling elves, so I thought I'd do a tip for you today. It's pretty simple - go to one of our Christmas in July events, plan your gifts and start making them now! Wouldn't you like to have this Santa-size smile on your face during the holidays?
Here's The Plan: 1. List all the people you would like to gift with some handmade care - your office mates, your quilting guild buddies, the neighbors and, of course, friends and family members. There may be people that just wouldn't appreciate your hard work and handmade love, but they will be few and far in between. 2. Divide this list into major, minor and mid-level gifts. In other words, who do you want to make a quilt or garment for, who are the people that all get the same little cute, fun thing and who gets something that requires a little more work than the minor group. Remember, handmade doesn't have to mean hours and hours and hours of time. For some people, of course you'll want to make something very special, but there are many ways to remember those who are important in your life without spending tons of time. (Chris has lots of ideas for those kind of things!) 3. An Excel or Works spreadsheet works well for this. You can divide the list on one page or set up a tab for each category. If you have a smart phone, paste the list into an email, send it to yourself and you will always have it with you. 4. If you haven't already been to Christmas in July, take the divided list with you. If you've already been inspired by the magic of Chris Claus and her crafty-good elves, then sit down with your program and your list and plan, plan, plan. 5. Get your Calendar out. This part may seem tedious and not so fun, but it will save your gifting life in the end - grab your calendar and start planning what you need to do when.
6. And the last step? Start NOW! I know I already said that, but it is so fulfilling to check off your list, see your stack of gorgeous gifts growing and know that you can spend the holidays enjoying the people you love, cooking fabulous goodies and smiling (just like Sants). Try it - you'll like it! 7. Oops, one more! If you can't make it to one of the Christmas in July events, check out our Christmas in July category on the web site. You'll find a lovely buffet of inspiring books, patterns and tools to help you fill out your list! ~ Annette P.S. Do I always follow my own advice? Well . . . . :-) |
Comments
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Chris says thanks, Stacy! She loves doing this and is glad to know you had as much fun as she did.by Annette on 14 July 2011 at 3:24 p.m.
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Had an awesome time at the Everett Christmas in July with Chris Claus. Picked up some great patterns - who knows, I might actually get a head start on my Christmas gifts. As always, the show was fun and informative, with lots of great tips, make and takes, and goodies to taste. Loved the cake pops! Already looking forward to next year.by Stacy W on 13 July 2011 at 2:20 a.m.
