It’s hard to start thinking about gift-giving ideas for the holidays when Halloween decorations are still in stores. Some might even say it’s “too early” to think about that. However, if you’re the type of person who enjoys making handmade gifts, then it’s time to start planning and in some cases making! Here are some tips, timelines, and free patterns to help you prep for the holidays this year and have a more organized crafting holiday season!

How to Have an Organized Crafting Holiday Season

MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE

Who are you creating for this year? While it might be tempting to aim for a 100% handmade holiday, the cold hard fact is that not everyone will appreciate a handmade gift. I’ve experienced that firsthand. Your time and talents are precious, so don’t waste it on those that don’t appreciate the sentiment of a handmade gift.

Make sure you’re crocheting (or crafting) for those that will cherish your time and talents. They will appreciate your handmade gifts a lot more. Also be sure you know about any allergies as some people can’t handle natural fibers.

GIFT IDEA: 3 Button Cowl-this crochet pattern works up quickly as it’s made with bulky weight yarn. It’s very stylish and will keep the recipient warm during the colder months.

CREATE A COUNTDOWN CALENDAR

Whether you use paper and pen (like me) or a digital calendar, it’s time to start thinking about how much time you will have to devote to making your handmade gifts this year. You might think you have a few months until Christmas, but it really breaks down to only a few weeks to get everything finished.

Depending on the length of your list and the amount of free time you have to devote to making these gifts, you want to make sure you have enough time to complete each project without turning your own holiday into a stressful rush. You don’t want to rush through each project and forget to weave in the ends or notice at the last minute you missed a stitch and now you don’t have time to go back and fix it.

Try printing out a few free online calendar pages and planning a deadline for each project to help keep yourself on track. If you prefer to use your phone or tablet for the calendar, that works too. I personally like using printed sheets as I can see everything laid out in front of me. One of the most important things is to make sure you’re realistic about what needs to get done.

GIFT IDEA: Granny Stripe Blanket. This blanket is perfect to wrap up in while watching holiday movies and sipping hot cocoa. You can make it as big or as small as you would like.

PLAN YOUR PROJECTS AND GET ORGANIZED

Another tip to having an organized crafting holiday season is to start thinking about supplies! Do you have the yarn needed to complete the projects on your list? Have you bookmarked or printed out the patterns you want to make?

One thing that can be very helpful, especially when you have a lot of projects lined up, is to make yourself a bunch of “kits.” What I mean is gather all the supplies needed for each project and keep them together. If you’re making a blanket for someone, gather your yarn, pattern, crochet hook, scissors, and tapestry needle and keep everything together in a project bag, plastic bin, plastic bag, etc.

This has 3 great benefits:

• You’ll see exactly what you still need to purchase or gather together
• You’ll see exactly how big a project you’re setting yourself up for (and if that schedule is realistic)
• You’re ready to get started with each project as everything you need is right there, so you can just grab and go

GIFT IDEA: Harry Potter Pillow. Do you have a special witch or wizard in your family that would love this pillow? This pillow would be perfect for the Harry Potter fan in your life. BONUS: other Harry Potter designs are available by this designer as well!

GET MAKING

All the planning in the world won’t help if you don’t start crocheting in time! The race to get everything completed in time can take a toll on your muscles, so be sure to stop and stretch every once in a while. Nothing will slow you down faster than having an injury, and nobody wants that.

In addition to muscle strain, holiday prep can affect our mental health as well. Remember that handmade items take time to complete, so don’t decide at the beginning of December you want to make a bunch of handmade gifts. Be sure to set aside plenty of time to devote to completing these projects.

If you find yourself stressing out about gift projects, take a few deep breaths and go back to your schedule or calendar. See if you’re able to mix things up a little or try alternating between quick, simple projects and more complicated or bigger projects. When working on the more quick and simple projects, you can relax and watch your favorite holiday movies. This definitely helps me to de-stress!

GIFT IDEA: Crochet Cable Hat-this hat has a cute cable design that can be made in a variety of colors. You can even choose which color pom to put on your hat.

HAVE A BACKUP PLAN

Sometimes despite our best intentions and efforts, the handmade gift you had planned to make just doesn’t get finished in time. It happens to the best of us.

If this happens, you have some options. You can gift an “IOU,” make something smaller/faster, or set the project aside until the following year and purchase something for the current year instead.

After all, part of the value of handmade gifts is that it takes time, something we all run out of at times. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to have a few “quick gift” patterns for emergencies. You can always plan to start making your holiday handmade gifts earlier next year.

GIFT IDEA: Textured Spa Cloth and Face Scrubbies. These would be perfect to add together in a cute little basket with some lotion, soap, and a loofah for a spa kit.

I hope these tips help you to better plan out and have a more organized crafting holiday season. There’s no need to stress out if you have a schedule in place, and back up plans in place just in case.

What tips do you have to share in order to have a more organized crafting holiday season? Share your ideas by leaving a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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