Happy April! I know you’re probably reading this thinking “isn’t it a little early to be posting about Christmas?”, but hear me out.

Are you the type of person who would love to give home-made gifts to your loved ones at Christmas but just don’t have the time? Do you have craft supplies sitting in storage that you just have no idea what to do with? Are you on a limited budget for Christmas gifts this year? Then home-made Christmas gifts may be for you! The reason I bring this to you in September is to save you the stress of rushing to finish up right before Christmas. Super smart, right? I’ve already started!

As we’ve established by now, I am expecting my first child this September, and I can guarantee that I will NOT be up to hardcore crafting after my newborn comes. I plan on making a few key things that my newborn needs to be around for (not that I’m going to post what they are because they will be going to people who read my blog and will appreciate them the most), but some projects can be done before my baby is born.

So let’s get down to it.

Here are my top tips for doing home-made Christmas gifts:

1. Start early (we’ve already covered that)
2. Take an inventory of the craft supplies you already have and start there (check Pinterest for projects that you can make out of the supplies you already have – DIY projects can become pretty pricey if you are buying all of the supplies)
3. Give yourself a realistic goals based on your skill level (don’t decide that you are suddenly going to become an expert in carpentry when you can’t even install shelving)
4. Think about who would appreciate certain DIY gifts (some people love them, other people – you might as well spend the money on them)
5. Give yourself a realistic amount of projects to work on – less stress on you if you have limited time to work on projects each day/week. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment if you don’t have the time to complete 20 projects.

Check out my Pinterest Board of Homemade Christmas Ideas!

This year, I know I realistically won’t make as much as I am hoping. I do plan on DIY-ing some stuff for the baby. I have been collecting tutorials and saving clothes to cut up to minimize the cost (and make the items sentimental), and I am the chief of procrastinators! (Hence the April start).  I start each year with very grand ideas on who is getting homemade gifts, and last year I gave … two! Both of which were paintings I made at workshops! (I actually have another one of those coming up this week…) This year I am starting way earlier in hopes of saving the money, which is all being spent elsewhere.

I’ll be making posts about the projects I am undertaking between now and Christmas, though they may not see the light of this blog until after the gifts have been given!

What are YOUR big DIY plans for 2017? Going to get a big head start on Christmas gifts like myself? Let me know in the comments!

Amanda xo