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Chic Geek: CHRISTMAS!!!
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A blogumn by Delia Hauser
I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I mean, EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS. From Fa La La La Lifetime movies and abcFam’s 25 Days of Christmas to the garish decorations and crowded stores of unhappy shoppers. ALL OF IT. It’s just wonderful to me.
Even though I’m obsessed with it, I’m always really smart about my Christmas shopping, baking and decorating. I start early, which isn’t great advice now since we are 3 weeks out, but maybe you can think about it next year when everyone else is carving pumpkins. Here are some ways to make it easier:
1. Buy your cards and fill them out early. Make a list of everyone you know well and put them in different categories; card, card+cookies, card+gift, card+gift+cookies, etc. I swear these two things will help you out so much before everything gets crazy and suddenly you are 3 WEEKS OUT!!!
2. If you love baking, choose four or five different things that look pretty together in a box because it’s a great last minute gift if you forgot to put someone on your list. Branch out this year; make truffles or homemade candy canes instead of cookies. If you don’t feel like baking, buy your goods from your local baker or on Etsy.com and package them yourself. Yes, they even have bakeries on Etsy!
3. Speaking of which… I’ve only featured Etsy sellers this week because of the economic crisis. When times get tough, people flee to Wal-Mart and Target leaving craftspeople and moms-and-pops in the dust. If we don’t buy from them, the economy just gets WORSE! The handmade world is affordable, warm, lovely, eco-friendly and very personal — especially during the holidays. Just look at all the wonderful stuff I found!
4. Simplify your gift wrap. Come up with a scheme or two and stick with it. It’s beautiful to see everything matching or coordinating under a tree. I suggest one of two things. Buy brown parcel paper (about $3 worth will get you through 2 Christmas’s) and sass it up with really amazing toppers like glittery fruit and red ribbon or bright yarn and an ornament instead of a standard bow. OR, buy a variety of vintage papers and use old silly toppers that barely match or a contrasting wide ribbon tied up in a huge bow. With either option, don’t forget that gift tags are like art these days and you don’t have to use those boring ones from the drug store.
I know this time of year can be overwhelming for people who celebrate these holidays (and for those who don’t) but when you’re out in the whirlwind of shoppers and feel like you can barely breathe, do what I do; try to remember that they are out there trying to make their loved ones happy too. It’s a necessary evil, so you may as well smile and look at the pretty lights. Tons of stuff to help you out after the jump:
1. Blomma card set – $12
2. Dippylulu mini card set – $4
3. Sweet Letter Press card set – $13
4. Design des Troy card set – $14.50
5. Ink drop design card set – $11
6. Jen Lou card set – $17.50
7. Tina Seamonster card set – $14
8. Inflatable Eye card – $3.50
9. Daydream Studios card set – $18.75
10. The Frantic Meercat card – $3
11. Sweet Letter Press Card Set – $13
12. Junkmail Greetings card – $3
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1. Rikrak stocking -$18
2. Haru wreath – $85
3. Winsome Hollow tree – $24
4. Michima joyeux noel letters – $8
5. Fact and Fancy tree – $14.50
6. Green Chile Mama wreath – $140
7. Earmark banner – $11.50
8. Sew Sew Suck UR Toe stocking – $17
9. Kup Kup Land collage – $48
10. Katydiddy decorative box – $6
11. Lusitania tree – $32
12. My Sweet Savannah garland – $12
13. Sweetshorn Vintage wall hanging – $16
14. Maka Le Wakan garland – $7
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1. Jean Francis Bean gift tags – $5
2. Courtney Kessel vintage paper – $4
3. Hey Lady! gift tags – $6.50
4. The Merry Magpie vintage boxes – $2.95
5. Vintage Ephemera gift wrap – $4
6. Lucky Duck Designs gift tags – $3.25
7. Time Passages vintage paper – $3
8. Katie Blair Designs gift tags – $1.50
9. Paddywack Designs gift toppers – $7
10. Paloma’s Nest gift bag – $6
11. Paper Red Shoes origami gift boxes – $9
12. Maka Le Wakan gift tags – $4.80
13. Shop 66 vintage paper – $2.50
14. Dallas Shaw gift toppers – $3
15. Loverly Ink gift toppers – $3
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1. Paloma’s Nest – $48
2. Winsome Hollow – $38
3. Shannon Harris – $20
4. Sew Danish – $12
5. Norajane – $6
6. Kylie Parry – $8
7. Make Me Smile – $9
8. Jennifer Orme Ceramics – $15
9. Red Marionette – $24
10. Guy’s Art Gal – $22
11. The Monkey See, Monkey Do Shoppe – $5
12. Dreaming Giggles Design – $14
13. Paper Displays of Affection – $19.99
14. Snowfish – $21
15. Bossy’s Feltworks – $10
16. Time Passages – $7
17. Run Amok – $15
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Thanks for featuring my present toppers, lots of great pics from Etsy!
Thanks for featuring my present toppers, lots of great pics from Etsy!
Those toppers (9) are so cute paddywack designs!
And ernessa- there is SO much stuff on etsy for the holidays, it was really hard to narrow it down this bunch!
Those toppers (9) are so cute paddywack designs!
And ernessa- there is SO much stuff on etsy for the holidays, it was really hard to narrow it down this bunch!
Thanks for including my log ornament in your awesome list! And thanks for reminding people of the importance of supporting local and indie businesses!
Thanks for including my log ornament in your awesome list! And thanks for reminding people of the importance of supporting local and indie businesses!
Thank you so much for featuring my felt tree!!! Great choices, Delia!!! :))
Thank you so much for featuring my felt tree!!! Great choices, Delia!!! :))
Delia! Your so awesome for compiling a great handmade gift idea guide. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks for including my paper wreath too.
Delia! Your so awesome for compiling a great handmade gift idea guide. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks for including my paper wreath too.
Super great article. Good luck shopping everyone! I know I will be :)
Super great article. Good luck shopping everyone! I know I will be :)
Great ideas, Miss D! Here are a couple more. If you're wrapping gifts for kids (or grownups who never really grew up), use pages from comic books. I'm not talking about comics that might be worth something (please don't take scissors to your Spiderman #1 or I might cry). Most comics shops have bargain bins stuffed with comics for as little as a quarter each. And last year I picked up more than $50 of swank Xmas cards for $10 … because I caught them on sale after the holidays. They've been sitting in my closet all year and I'll probably spend more in stamps than the cards cost.
Great ideas, Miss D! Here are a couple more. If you're wrapping gifts for kids (or grownups who never really grew up), use pages from comic books. I'm not talking about comics that might be worth something (please don't take scissors to your Spiderman #1 or I might cry). Most comics shops have bargain bins stuffed with comics for as little as a quarter each. And last year I picked up more than $50 of swank Xmas cards for $10 … because I caught them on sale after the holidays. They've been sitting in my closet all year and I'll probably spend more in stamps than the cards cost.
Great Ideas Clark! My mom and I love to get our wrapping paper, ribbon, and gift tags the day after Christmas…its so cliche, but it really does save you a TON of money!
Great Ideas Clark! My mom and I love to get our wrapping paper, ribbon, and gift tags the day after Christmas…its so cliche, but it really does save you a TON of money!
Thanks so much for including one of my cards in your rad collection! I am honoured.
B.A. Lampman
(Inflatable Eye)
Thanks so much for including one of my cards in your rad collection! I am honoured.
B.A. Lampman
(Inflatable Eye)
Thank you for featuring my sachet ornaments among so many other talented Etsy creations.
Funny you should mention the christmas cards, I have just written and addressed them yesterday. I felt so well organized!
Gift tag tip:
Here's a money saving tip for people who only save the christmas cards with sentimental meaning. I get so many cards from businesses, shops or people I hardly know. After christmas I use these cards to make very cute and original gift tags for the next year. Just cut them up nicely, a ribbon & hey presto!
Thank you for featuring my sachet ornaments among so many other talented Etsy creations.
Funny you should mention the christmas cards, I have just written and addressed them yesterday. I felt so well organized!
Gift tag tip:
Here's a money saving tip for people who only save the christmas cards with sentimental meaning. I get so many cards from businesses, shops or people I hardly know. After christmas I use these cards to make very cute and original gift tags for the next year. Just cut them up nicely, a ribbon & hey presto!
thanks so very much for featuring my button tree and tree top angel in this wonderful article… i'm in very good company!
katy
winsomehollow
thanks so very much for featuring my button tree and tree top angel in this wonderful article… i'm in very good company!
katy
winsomehollow
Oh, you and Clark are so good! I've always had the problem that after Dec. 26th, Christmas is dead to me. I never plan ahead, and I'm always sad that I didn't every year. Which reminds me, I have to get on this Christmas card business like yesterday. So much to do…
Oh, you and Clark are so good! I've always had the problem that after Dec. 26th, Christmas is dead to me. I never plan ahead, and I'm always sad that I didn't every year. Which reminds me, I have to get on this Christmas card business like yesterday. So much to do…
Thanks for including my felted wreath! Etsy is so great…so many choices! Great list!!! I posted on my blog about it!
Thanks for including my felted wreath! Etsy is so great…so many choices! Great list!!! I posted on my blog about it!
Thanks for featuring one of my retro deer boxes. I appreciate the PR. I'll be sure to link to this in my blog either tonight or tomorrow AM! Thanks for supporting so many handmade items.
Thanks for featuring one of my retro deer boxes. I appreciate the PR. I'll be sure to link to this in my blog either tonight or tomorrow AM! Thanks for supporting so many handmade items.
ooh, i feel so Christmasy now, and I can't wait to buy our tree this weekend, so we can start decorating. I want the silver bells garland and a bunch of the felt ornaments, b/c we're afraid that our cats we'll go after anything that's not super-durable. And how awesome is that meercat card? So in love with everything. I'm going to have to think hard and whittle my list down.
Those are all really great Etsy finds!
ooh, i feel so Christmasy now, and I can't wait to buy our tree this weekend, so we can start decorating. I want the silver bells garland and a bunch of the felt ornaments, b/c we're afraid that our cats we'll go after anything that's not super-durable. And how awesome is that meercat card? So in love with everything. I'm going to have to think hard and whittle my list down.
Those are all really great Etsy finds!
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I have been seeking a internet place similafor some time. Numerous years ago I bought a whitewings book and made some astonishing stuff. Can you please share more on this theme. Perhaps you will find some other data out there. I’ll let you know if i find anything else likewise.