We have 3 months until Christmas! 3 months! It’s time to get cracking on our Handmade Christmas gifts. Did you finish your list?
Now’s the time to decide what to make! I’ve compiled an inspiration board on Pinterest to get you started:
Follow Salinda’s board Handmade Christmas Inspiration on Pinterest.
See any ideas that work for the folks on your list? Why not start your own idea board? You can share it with me in the comments, or you can make it a secret board so no one can snoop!
The first step in any Christmas planning is always seems to be a list. A list of who, a list of what, a list of when, a list of food, a list of wishes, lists, lists, lists. Since a Handmade Christmas starts requires a bit of planning, let’s start with a very basic list: who?
![100_6929[4]](http://www.sasinsam.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/100_69294.jpg "100_6929[4]")
For whom do you need gifts this Christmas? (Wow, that’s an awkward sounding question. Silly grammar.) We can start naming all sorts of folks, but the answer to this question really goes back to a larger question: Why do you give gifts?
My family has chosen to give gifts as a way to show love for the people in our lives. Our gift list looks like this:
So, who will receive handmade goodness this Christmas? Honestly, I still haven’t decided. But, I can tell you that I do love to gift handmade to our parents, siblings, and friends because they know the love that goes into it. I also love receiving handmade gifts from them. Some of my favorites from the past: a pear table runner quilted by Momma, my Saints wreaths from Susan, and my chef’s knives from my FIL.
What does that mean to you? To me it means handcrafted ornaments, personalized gifts, and lots of extra love.
I always have a grand plan to create personalized pieces for each family member, but something always gets in the way, maybe time or money or even the thought that my work isn’t good enough.
This year, I have a game plan. If you’d like to create your own handmade Christmas, you’re welcome to follow along with me.
Let’s start with a few questions: Why? Who? What? How? When?
I’m taking the next few weeks and answering these questions myself. I won’t answer all of them publicly because I do want my Christmas gifts to be surprises. But, that “Why?” question:
I know that for many people it seems super-early to be discussing Christmas gifts. And it is, unless you are planning on creating them yourself. But before I dedicate all this time and effort to creating gifts, let me tell you why I do it.
I give gifts at Christmas out of tradition. We follow this tradition because it’s an opportunity to show my family and friends that I love them with a tangible 
item. My kids don’t get lots of extras throughout the year. It’s fun to spoil them with something significant at Christmas as a tangible way to say “I love you.” They get a few small things (books, pjs, cds, new goggles or swim caps, art supplies, etc.) from Santa and then 3 gifts from us. Usually these 3 things are a store-bought biggie (budget $75-100), something Mom-made, and a gift that the whole family will love (video or board games or movies).
I show love at Christmas because that’s what Christmas is all about. I believe Christmas is the date we have selected to celebrate the earthly birthday of Jesus Christ. The act of Jesus coming to earth as a humble human baby was an act of love as part of God’s ultimate plan for us. You can read more about that here. What better way to celebrate than to show love to my family and friends!
LOOK FOR FUTURE HANDMADE CHRISTMAS POSTS about making time to craft, the true cost of handmade, wrapping and presentation inspiration, and ideas for dads, teens, the family chef, the diva, the boy, the doggie Momma and more!
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