Organizing for Christmas~Project 4: Looking for some inspiration?

This week, I am writing a series about getting organized for Christmas. I am featuring a few little ideas to help make Christmas organized and pretty for the CEO of Santa's workshop.....Mom.

Welcome to Project 4.
{To see Project 1: A Fun Clipboard, click here.}
{To see Project 2: An Idea Journal, click here.}
{To see Project 3: A Wallet for Christmas Receipts & Cash, click here.}

It's around this time in November when I start to think about what kind of handmade gifts I would like to tackle. This leads me to look around for inspiration....be it from blogland, magazines or my imagination.

It was my imagination that led me to create little mini-scrapbooks from altoid tins.

The idea came to me one day as I was taking  a handful of tins to the recycyle bin.

I thought the tins would make a great gift package, but what to put inside?

Being a scrapbooking teacher...naturally a scrapbook came to mind.

I have already shared on this blog the mini-scrapbook I made for fall.

However, I thought I would share the Christmas version.

The supplies for this project are:

An altoid tin.

A circle punch, a paper trimmer, and a pencil.

Scrapbook adhesives.

Scraps of cardstock, ribbon & embellishments.

Small Pictures.

This is a one to two hour project.

It costs very little to make.

It can be as colourful and fun as you like!

This little project would make a great gift as a brag book for grandparents, a gift for Aunts & Uncles or other family members.

Or a terrific birthday party project for a group of crafty girls.

Think of the possibilities~ you could use summer reunion pictures, pictures from that summer vacation,

pictures from a birthday party~there are so many fun ideas!

I love homemade gifts. I think they are the best you can give.

I am sure if you take a look around, there are things you can reuse or make into a gift.

I hope I have inspired you to create!

This post is linked to these terrific parties:

I'm being featured on "Remodelaholic" today...

Please go over and have a peek and say "hi"! Click here to go right over!

Organizing for Christmas~Project 3: A 'Wallet' for storing Christmas Receipts and Cash...

This week, I am writing a series about getting organized for Christmas. I am featuring a few little ideas to help make Christmas organized and pretty for the CEO of Santa's workshop.....Mom.
Welcome to Project 3.
{To see Project 1: A Fun Clipboard, click here.}
{To see Project 2: An Idea Journal, click here.}

Project 3 was made for me by my Mom.

She was the crafter and creator of all of my childhood Christmases...and to me, she was the most magical  of planners.

She shopped & wrapped and decorated while having a full-time job in the 1970's.

And she also filled our Christmas celebrations with homemade sugar cookies, cherry balls, fruit cake, English trifle and eggnog...to name but a few of the projects she tackled.

The woman knows a thing or two about planning and executing.

So while she was here visiting for Thanksgiving, she watched me dig out a receipt from last year's Christmas to have an item replaced, and she took note of the dog-earred plain white envelope I was using.

The next day, I found this in my desk drawer:

I think it's great....and it sure beats my plain white envelope!

My Mom took a simple dollar store pencil case and added a little pizazz with a labeller and some accents.

She even tied a ribbon on the zipper pull.

It's the perfect place for storing Christmas shopping receipts and Christmas cash.

And it's going to hang out in my purse with my Christmas Idea Journal!

{Thanks again Mom! xoxo}

To see Project 1~A Fun Clipboard, please click here.

To see Project 2~A Christmas Idea Journal, please click here.

The post is linked to:

Organizing for Christmas~Project 2: An Idea Journal

This week, I am writing a series about getting organized for Christmas. I am featuring a few little ideas to help make Christmas organized and pretty for the CEO of Santa's workshop.....Mom.

Welcome to Project 2.

{To see Project 1~A Fun Clipboard, please click here.}

Let me introduce you to my Christmas Idea Journal.

A few of my scrapbook girlfriends and I got together 3 years ago and made these journals for  ourselves as an organizer for Christmas.

We took a simple spiral notebook {from the dollar store} and covered it with scrapbook paper. {using Mod Podge of course.}

Then we embellished the cover with our names with stamps and a few stickers.
{I just used up scraps of Christmas paper that I already had.}

To finish off the look, we tied ribbons to the coils.

Super simple.
Here it looks just after I made it:

This is what it looks like now after a few years of use.  My little guy stuck a sticker to my journal over the 'A'... which is why it's looking a bit faded...but I wanted to share with you the real thing....real & used!

It's a good idea to choose a journal with lines for list-making.

I use mine to record ideas for projects, recipes, shopping lists, and any other Christmas related thoughts.

I also have added a few tabbed sections so I can keep shopping lists separate from recipe ideas.

Another thing I love about my Christmas Journal?

It fits so nicely in my purse.

I will carry it with me until Christmas is over.

Yes...Journal is looking a little sad...but it is so well loved.

It's my journal of 'happy' that keeps me inspired and on task for the season.

Then I will put it away...until next year!

This post has been linked to these fabulous parties:

I'm being featured at "Polly Want A Crafter" today...

Please come over and say Hi! Click here to take you right over!

Organizing for Christmas~Project 1: Make A Fun Clipboard for Lists or Photos...

This week, I am writing a series about getting organized for Christmas.
I am featuring a few little ideas to help make Christmas organized and pretty for the CEO of Santa's workshop.....Mom.

As Halloween wraps up, I am moving on to getting organized for Christmas.

This week I will be putting all the Halloween decorations away.

I will start decorating for Christmas after November 12.

At our house, we respectfully observe Remembrance Day for Canadian Veterans on November 11.

A few years ago, Linda at Restyled Home wrote an amazing post about how November is about getting ready for Christmas and December is for enjoying Christmas.

I so agree with that theory!

So in November, my goals are:

Decorate for Christmas~except for the Christmas Tree.

Take our Christmas card photo.
Make homemade Christmas gifts such as clipboards for teachers.

Start & complete Christmas shopping.

Wrap & mail Christmas gifts.

Prepare the Christmas cards for mailing on December 1st.

Tackle some Christmas baking projects {put in freezer}.

When December arrives~ I aim to:

Spend lots of time with my family.

Decorate the Christmas Tree.

Sip hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Spend lots of evenings in flannel jammies and warm socks.
Take drives to admire Christmas lights throughout the city.

Read Christmas books in front of the fireplace with my sweeties.

Watch Christmas movies.

Have family friends over for dinner.

Bake Christmas goodies.

Enjoy Christmas mail.

In doing this, I hopefully avoid:

Not having time for my children because I am too 'busy'.

Busy stores.
Full parking lots.

Insane traffic.

Feelings of stress and pressure to get things 'done'.

Going out in bad weather.

Impulse shopping that wastes money.

So in the spirit of November,

Here is a fun project to you get into the mood for the season.

A Christmas-themed mini-clipboard for keeping lists, displaying photos or giving as gifts.

All you need is some clipboards~mini or regular size.

{I pick up mine at the dollar store.}

I have built so many of these clipboards that I have made a template to use for cutting out the

paper to go around the clip part of the board.

You will need  Mod Podge in matte, a brush and Christmas scrapbook paper.

I like using  Mod Podge because it is non-toxic.

{I don't like toxic glue sprays.}

Then make the project your own by choosing one or two papers to cover the clipboard.

I like using 2 papers....one for the top and one for the bottom for contrast.

{I don't cover the back of the clipboard, but you could if you wanted.}

Trace the paper and cut it to fit the board.

Coat the clipboard with Mod Podge and then press down the paper.

{And give the paper a really good rub down to avoid bubbles}

When dry, trim the edges around the clipboard for a better fit.

Cover with another coat of Mod Podge to give the scrapbook paper protection.

Embellish with stickers or whatever you wish!

Tie different coloured ribbons to the clip for a fun touch.

Here is a project in traditional colours:~ I plan to use this one for my ongoing list for November.

Here is a project in more modern colours:

I also love adding quotes to my clip-board projects....

I plan to use this one to display our 2010 Christmas card photo~

 Like this project with the kids' school photos:~

Last year I made 8 of these for Christmas gifts for my kids' teachers.
{We included the music teacher, the gym teacher, the librarian, etc.}
I added a monogram {a letter for their first name} and a quote about teaching.
We also made them in each teacher's favourite colour~ this made for some detective work for my son!

And here are some other clipboards that we made for a craft day~my Mom, my daughter & I~ in 2008 when the new Amy Bulter scrapbooking line came out at Micheals.

This is a super fun project to make~you can include the kids by getting them to help pick out papers and ribbons.
And the best part is~it's only November and there is lots of time to make projects like this!
I am making more again this year for my son's teachers for Christmas since he is going to a different school.
I hope you feel inspired to make something for someone special in your life!

If you liked this post, you may want to take a peek at these other Christmas craft posts here, here and here.

And these Pinterest boards:
Christmas Crafts To Love
Christmas Gift Ideas
Valentine's Inspiration
Easter Ideas
Birthday Parties & Ideas To Love