Being super organised for Christmas may not be everyone’s forte, but planning ahead can save precious time and money. Check out these four things that you can do now to create a memorable Christmas this year.
Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming and Santa’s elves are well and truly on the job of creating memorable Christmas bits and pieces for all the good boys and girls this year. Well… believer or not, there is no denying that time is flying. With only three months to go, the festive season will be upon us again before we know it!
Spring is that time of the year where our team at The Christmas Cart get a little more excited about Christmas. It is when the weather begins to warm up and our creative brains really come out of hibernation. Capitalising on the time available to prepare Christmas festivities, for our savvy bunch, creating a memorable Christmas all starts now.
With some proven money-saving and time-saving tactics, you too can reap the benefits of being festively organised this early. We have pooled our thawed-out brains together and have come up with this list of four top things to do now to create a memorable Christmas at your place.
#1 Memorable Christmas gifting
Some people relish in the idea of gifting at Christmas while others find it more like a thorn in their side. But love it or hate it; there’s generally no getting around gifting at Christmas time. You can create a memorable Christmas for your gift receiver by planning the perfect present in advance.
We love this idea because:
- it provides plenty of time to shop and plan the perfect gift
- you can avoid the end-of-year-dash at over-crowded shopping centres
- you can take advantage of store sales and promotions as they come up, saving yourself a precious dollars
- best of all, starting now provides generous time and opportunity for making memorable Christmas DIY gifts. Often, it is these items that are cherished the most
If you are into DIY gifting, these are a few of our favourite DIY, memorable Christmas gift ideas to help get you started.
- How to Create Beautiful Gifts from Your Santa Photos
- Creative Christmas Gift Wrapping Inspiration
- 10 DIY Christmas Gifts
#2 Traditionally organised
If you share some memorable Christmas family traditions with your loved ones each year, and especially on Christmas Eve, it’s a great idea to create a keepsake box to store all the special pieces you need for those activities. Having everything kept together in one place makes it easy to access what you need and when you are done for another year it is perfect to store it all away ready for the next year too. Introducing a keepsake box to your Christmas celebrations is yet another gorgeous tradition in its own right.
The Christmas Cart’s Christmas Eve Box is perfect for this. Fill your Christmas Eve Box with Christmas treasures to coincide with those memorable Christmas traditions. Some examples could include:
- Santa’s Magic Key to the house
- your favourite Christmas movie or CD to play on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,
- a Christmas stocking for Santa to fill,
- a book to read with the kids on Christmas Eve,
- special Christmas Eve pyjamas or an outfit for Christmas Day
#3 Plan your catering
Yes, it is only September, but I’m sure you’ll agree that December has a way creeping up on you before you’ve realised. If you are a home baker and like your Christmas cooking efforts to be memorable, now is the perfect time to start getting prepared.
For memorable Christmas catering ideas that can save you time and money, check out our tips below:
- gather your Christmas cooking ideas and select your favourites – doing so now allows plenty opportunity to test, try, experiment and refine things if needed
- divide the catering up amongst family so that other members can share the load – they too will appreciate the time given to get prepared
- write up a list of ingredients needed for your cooking and start gathering and putting them aside to be well-prepared for the big event
- purchase non-perishable pantry ingredients as you see them come on sale
- purchase the roast turkey/ham/beef/chicken also as they come on sale and pop them into the freezer. Then thaw them out the day before you plan to bake them
Have a look at How to Perfect your Christmas Roast and 12 Days of Delicious Christmas Baking for some great memorable Christmas baking ideas.
#4 Memorable Christmas décor
There’s plenty of fun to be had with decorations at Christmas. Instead of un-bagging the same pieces year after year and vowing to “give it more attention next year when you’ve got more time”, use the extra time available now to create some memorable Christmas décor yourself.
Planning décor ahead of time also makes it easier to decide, and build, on a set theme. Keep an eye out at the shops and online for plenty of ideas to influence and inspire your Christmas decorating.
Check out the Christmas Craft section of our blog for lots of memorable Christmas DIY inspiration. YouTube and Pinterest also have a plethora of fun and memorable Christmas pieces to create yourself.
Creating memorable Christmas décor certainly isn’t just about DIY though. Personalised Christmas décor can really add a personal touch to your Christmas decorating. Think personalised baubles, personalised stockings and personalised Santa sacks for a truly memorable Christmas at your place.
These are just a few simple ideas that are easy to do right now and will go a long way to helping create a stress-free and memorable Christmas. Planning ahead allows you plenty of time to think things through and consider thoroughly, share the load, and perhaps most importantly, leaves plenty of time to enjoy the festive season for all the magic that it brings.
What are you waiting for? Get ahead of the pack and check out the entire range of Christmas décor, gift and keepsakes we have available at The Christmas Cart. Visit our Inspiration Gallery to see some of the many ways you can decorate for Christmas and find out how you can create the look in your own home.