10 THINGS TO DO NOW TO GET READY FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS
Yes, you read that right! I know that Christmas is only several days away. But you CAN start now and begin getting ready for Christmas… next year! Use these smart, simple, common sense tips to get a head start on Christmas 2017 and enjoy a little Christmas spirit all year long! You will be so happy your read this post!
Today is HOME STYLE SATURDAY! I’m dusting off one of my most popular posts to help you think ahead!
Make sure to check out all the beautiful posts at the end of this page!
Now let’s talk about 10 THINGS TO DO NOW FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS!
1. CHOOSE A COLOR THEME FOR NEXT YEAR
You might think that this is a little crazy, but if you decide on next year’s Christmas colors right NOW you can get great buys on wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, throws, wreaths… and all other sundry of Christmas thing! And Christmas looks so pretty when colors and patterns work together!
My colors for next year are white and gold. I know that I have been stuck in the black and white rut, but I just love it with my house! But next year something totally different!
2. BUY 3 DESIGNS OF WRAPPING PAPER… TOPS!
Don’t go overboard on the wrapping paper! Three designs are plenty.Two would even be great! If you get a kraft paper or white paper it can be used for more than Christmas! This year I bought a green and natural pillow ticking paper that I’ll use during the year!
I look for wrapping whenever and wherever I can find it. This year I’ll be looking for a great black and white check or plaid, something natural and something with red in it.
3. COLLECT BOXES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
Make your gift wrapping easy! Put everything in a box. It’s easy to wrap a box. I collect boxes and put them in the basement. Some boxes, like Victoria’s Secret boxes last from year to year! One of our sons usually gets some manly thing in a Vicki’s box every Christmas morning! We all get a good chuckle!
4. BUY REAL RIBBON
This is very economical when you think of it. Ribbon can be rolled up and used again and again! And how easy is it to tie a bow? Real ribbon also looks amazing! Since I have been on a black and white kick for the past 4 Christmases I have amassed a large quantity of black and white ribbon (all on sale). No need to buy more for next year… just reuse them!
5. DESIGNATE A PLACE FOR NEXT YEARS GIFTS
Start the habit of buying for Christmas all year! And put the gifts in one place. I have learned the HARD WAY… there has always been a Christmas gift I can’t find until July or August! This year I’m designating a guest room closet to hold next years Christmas gifts. I just may wrap them all year too!
Here is my easy to do GIFT WRAPPING STATION! Lots of ways to make your holiday gift wrapping easy!
6. BUY CHRISTMAS THEMED GIFTS AND HOME DECOR RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS FOR NEXT YEAR
This is a fabulous, fun, time and money saving thing to do! Buy Christmas pillows, stockings, dishes, pj’s… anything that is Christmas themed now for next year. Stores have huge price reductions in items with Christmas details right now! Don’t wait until next fall… they will cost a whole lot more!
I’m looking for two Christmas duvets and euro shams! I’ve dreamed of having Christmas bedding for years!
7. THROW AWAY OR UPCYCLE TIRED AND WORN OUT DECOR
This is the year to really evaluate your Christmas decorations! Only keep what you love and use!!! It’s time to get our Christmas decorations in order! Here is the BEST CHRISTMAS ORGANIZATION TIPS YOU WILL EVER GET! REALLY!
8. PUT AWAY ALL CHRISTMAS DECOR WITH NEXT YEAR IN MIND
Put the decorations that you need to find and use every year in a specially marked box. Like your tree skirt and stockings. I like to put out my manger scene first… so I keep them in a special box and know just where they are. This is the voice of years of searching the basement for that one special thing talking to you!
9. START YOU CHRISTMAS DIY PROJECTS NOW AND WORK ON THEM ALL YEAR
The first of December is not the time to start that burlap ruffled tree skirt (that’s what I’ll be making). Get an early start! Just think how beautiful that JOY banner will look across your mantel next year… you know, the one you make in June! To see how to make a JOY banner click HERE.
10. MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE
Keep a running “Christmas List”. Write down everything you buy (a year is a long time to remember). Make a list of things you need for next Christmas. Start a Pinterest board of all the great ideas you find. Write out your Christmas gift list early and work on it throughout the year!
With Christmas 2016 only a handful of days away this post may seem a little… or a whole lot… premature! Enjoy the Christmas moment… and as soon as Christmas is over start preparing for Christmas 2017 and enjoying it now!
Designthusiasm | Creating a Cozy Christmas Tablescape
Maison de Pax | Christmas Kitchen
Savvy Southern Style | French Country Christmas Foyer
Shabbyfufu | Blissful Christmas In White Kitchen
So Much Better With Age | Vintage Christmas Stockings
StoneGable | Things to Do Now for Christmas Next Year
Cedar Hill Farmhouse | The Best Christmas Ideas from 2015 and 2016
You might like to follow me on Pinterest and see all the great things I am finding to pin HERE.
Great tips!
Thanks for the gtreat tips!!!
Love the pic of Bobby dressed up like Santa – that is who it is, Isn’t it?
Hi Carol, this is not Bobby bur the real Santa in Williamsburg, Va.
Fantastic ideas to use! I especially like the ideas of deciding on next year’s color scheme and choosing only 3 gift wraps!
I loved this! Thank you for your ideas
I agree, that starting early really saves money and makes for a less stressful next Christmas!
Great tips and I’m pinning. But do you know of discount floral companies to buy greenery? You had one easy tip for decorating that you can purchase quality greenery and then display it year after year. I don’t have any storage for lots of nice Christmas decor and I’d like to collect a little bit of nice Christmas greens. I have vases that I could decorate. Right now Hobby Lobby and Michaels are out of everything. Places like Wal-Mart the greens look really artificial 🙁 Have a very Merry Christmas.
Michaels has a 70% off on all of their greenery right now, I just bought new for next years Christmas. I bought some picks to use in them as well and I hope to add to them at a later date
I already have the store picked out where I will go the day after Christmas to get decor half off.
Great tips!
Love the craft paper with the white snow flakes, did you stamp that or did it come that way?
Wonderful tips, thanks for sharing. Enjoy the weekend.
It’s always a good idea to think ahead! I saw the most adorable papers, bags, boxes and tags at Target this year by Sugar Paper – a company out of L.A. However, I had already bought my papers. I am going to try to buy some on sale to save for next year! I am a stamper, and I make all of my Christmas tags. I have enough for next year for sure! I just need to remember that. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Thanks for the wonderful tips. I just wish I had more storage room that I could do exactly as you do. I will weed out this year because i’m getting rig of all the moving boxes we have stored them in for years. Finally in one place to stay.
Where did you find those gorgeous taper candles on your dining table?
Are they made of glass?
Great a tips! I was in JoAnns yesterday and their selection was good at 70% off. I love the bargains, especially on ribbon.
My Mom would do most of these when I was a little girl, which was decades ago. It was not unlike her to have next year’s gifts purchased and wrapped in the back of her closet by April! I’ll admit there were a few times I peeked and rewrapped. ?
You’ve inspired me, I’m doing it. Especially keeping the list of things bought for gifts, and where I’ve hidden them, ha
Pat
Great tips, but I don’t have the mind set for this yet. We leave for the south after the holidays, so that is on my mind now. Maybe I could shop there with your post in mind. I will certainly pin this.
My mother, sister and I always shopped the day after Christmas for ornaments, wrapping paper and decorative items. This was in the 70’s and 80’s when stores did not have sales until after Christmas! Lunch was also a must and we had a great time together!
These are great tips, and I will be trying them for next Christmas. Anything to keep the Christmas chaos to a minimum so we can enjoy and not stress, is what I am after!
Great things to do this time of year! I love the red, white and black theme and will be adding a little to it next year. Also, as I put my decor away this year, the upstairs decor will go in our master closet and the basement decor will be stored down there. I planned to do this when we designed our new house. Wish me luck getting the tree in the MC!!! Lol!
Hi Yvonne, I LOVE your green and natural pillow ticking paper. Do you remember where you found it? Thanks for your great ideas.
Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas!
Great Santa. Love the Christmas wreath over the mantel. Where did you get those snowflakes. Love all you do!,,
I love all this, especially #7. I always need to SEE how people do things. Thank you for showing your organization skills.
Linda Tucker
I love your ideas for setting decor colors for next year. BUT how do you do that? When I have so many red and green items that I can’t throw out, so how do I spend $$$ on my all new colored scheme? What do I do with all my years of red/green collectin? I have picked up this & that throughout the yrs but to start anew, just won’t work for me. It would be nice to see how to incorporate another color in my color scheme. I love your idea of adding black to a decor (which I love) but I just need ideas. Thank you for starting my brain for Christmas 2017!!!!
Love all these ideas!! I must put them into practice!
Great tips Yvonne….I used to hit the ground running the day after Christmas going to the specialty shops for great bargains on Christmas decor…Now I am downsizing many of my collections…I need to follow your lead by starting projects early!!
Thinking of you…Merry Christmas dear one!
Fantastic tips, Yvonne! I downsized all my Christmas decorations last year and donated tubs full to a charity, who were thrilled to get them. Making projects all year long, now that’s a great idea, I wish you and your family a beautiful, memorable Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas! Xoxo Lidy
These are the best tips EVER! I will need a new tree next year so I will buy one after Christmas. This year my colors are bronze, turquoise and silver. WOW! And talk about old and tired decorations – I have containers full. I tried too late to donate to local Thrift stores, but they get pretty overload by early December…. and usually don’t have the capacity to store them for the next season.
I am smiling as I read your tips because I have already done 1 to 5.
For next year, I’m going with a neutral color scheme and adding red.
Bought all my ribbon at 70% off and some champagne ornaments.I also
have storage issues,so I have to be selective with my new purchases.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I love alllll your ideas and I’m going to print them!
I just told my husband I am going to re-organize my thinking and planning
for next year. This could not have come at a better time.
You always have the best gift wraps…do you have a favorite place to purchase?
Great tips and I agree about use real ribbon, I always look for ribbons at state sales and yard sale and I wrap the presents for the adults in the family with pretty paper and each one has a different ribbon and some greenery and they love it.
LOve the 3 max paper choice!
Very good information to help me get organized! Every year I find myself scrambling to decorate, shop & bake! I love your ideas & especially your style!
That is good advice. I try to avoid the after Christmas shopping crowds but I may venture out this year. Picking a theme for the following year and buying while on sale not only saves you some money but some valued pre Christmas time in 2017. You think of everything, Yvonne.
I love these ideas to take some of the stress out of planning for next Christmas.
I just love opening your blog. I find everything informative and inspirational, thank you. In this post you wrote by real ribbon, this may sound silly but what is “real”? I buy most of my ribbon from Costco it is the best price I have found. Is that considered real?
Such great ideas, Yvonne! You are always such an inspiration to all of us who read your posts. Have a blessed day!
Excellent ideas! Thank you! Marry Christmas!!
Great Tips!! Love the gift wrap.
LOL, we think alike. I am a disaster without organization. I purchase color-coded bins on sale, like red for Xmas, orange for fall/Halloween, purple for Spring/ Easter, and blue for the 4th. of July. then put a contents label on the outside of each. I have clear stacking containers for smaller items. My wreaths all get placed in plastic and hung on a basement wall, the garland clipped to hangers and placed inside rolling plastic clothes storage racks–this way nothing gets dusty. I also have color-coded lists for everything we have so that I can just give it a quick look to decide what items will work together for the theme of that particular year ( I have 6 or more themes, so it takes organization or I’d never do much decorating!). I don’t know what I’d do if we didn’t have a basement for storage because I just love decorating for every season and holiday. Unfortunately, once it’s put up, I don’t like to take it down, so things usually stay up longer than the norm–once had our tree up until February! I also use mostly larger items that one can easily see rather than lots of small items that just make the house have a cluttered feeling, and stick to themes, say, A Christmas Carol Dickens or The Nutcracker Suite–gives the house a more cohesive look and the eye a place to rest. Thank you for another year of beautiful details and great inspiration, Yvonne. My very best wishes for a lovely Christmas and year to follow.
What a great list Yvonne ! I always have the best intentions to get a head start but never thought of starting now.. Hoping I can put your good ideas to work!!
Thanks for the list of smart ideas.
Thanks for the great tips!
Great tips and ideas to prep for next year!
Wonderful ideas! I have so enjoyed all your blogs and the beautiful photos. This holiday season has been the best.
Have a blessed Christmas!
Ho! Ho! Ho! Wow I thought I had a lot of Christmas decor! I have nothing compared to the perfectly organized decor you have! Love your ideas and they make perfect sense. Do you have a preferred wrapping paper? I like the design you picked. Thanks for the many, useful ideas….
Great tips for next year Yvonne. I try to do most of them, however I don’t get started on my DIY gifts until later when I’m in the holiday spirit! Now some of my ideas will have to wait until next year, because I didn’t get things ordered or purchased at the stores early enough. You’d think I would learn my lesson!
These are all great tips. I don’t have the funds to totally start over each year with a new color scheme though so some tips on how to incorporate new into existing decor would be useful.
Funny that I finally had a chance to read this post. I had just been sitting here thinking how I have about a dozen people to buy for and that this coming year I should buy one gift a month for each adult and then can focus just on the kids and not feel so stressed financially in December. Coming up with $30/month would be so much more manageable!!
Thanks for all your ideas oh– and you might want to find a safety pen for your tree next year since little guy will definitely be mobile. 😉 , and I look forward to another year of beautiful things, great ideas, and friendship. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and enjoy your little guy.
Great ideas! Christmas is a lot more fun when I can spend the time decorating instead of hunting for my decorations! I really like the color scheme idea for next year. Having a plan and a focus is such a good idea! I have been meaning to ask ever since finding your blog. Tell me about the wonderful Santa in your photos! He is amazing!
Excellent ideas. I will be moving in a few months so I have begun to downsize my decor and wean out the old. Thank you
Good tips. I added a page to my planner last year — Things to be done before kids arrive home from college! Oldest graduated from college the week before Christmas last year — so that threw in an extra travel day — and put me behind a day; while also bringing younger daughter home (college freshman) and all her stuff (!?) for winter break.
My list includes making beds are made up — special holiday touches for their rooms (thanks to you and Talk of the House); have inventory of TP and laundry detergent — etc. and a good cleaning, to make sure all the recycling; & donations are out of the house prior to their arrival, tidied up and clean. That way I have time to spend & cook & bake with them. I still need to get my Christmas dishes out and get a breakfast basket set up.
I love the idea of purchasing 3 types of Christmas wrap and choosing a color scheme. I’m definately going to do this. I love that look! Why didn’t I think of that!
Thanks for your advice!
Yvonne,
These are such great tips, especially for bloggers. I just survived my second year of holiday tours and diys, and I need to learn not to wait until November. It just becomes so overwhelming . I will be referencing these tips for next year.
Merry Christmas!
Erica
Thank you for the tips and inspiration. I will certainly try to follow your plan this year.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
You are a gal after my own heart. I always shop the sales after Christmas. I love the idea for planning ahead for your theme also. I definitely need to improve on wrapping paper selections. I am all over the place on that. I also like to buy more neutral papers like polka dots, chevrons and plaids that can be used all year long. You have given me some really great things to think about.
Love your tips. Being a teacher, I am always looking ahead and doing things that will make life easier, more organized, and less expensive. All of your tips will help with my goals. Thanks so much!/frF
OMG! Can t believe we re onto next year already and haven t even celebrated this Christmas. This article makes Christmas appear to be all about stuff and buy buy buy.
I need the red napkins where can I get them.
Hi Deloris, I love love love these pretty red napkins with a white hemstitch. They can be used at Christmas and all year. See them here: http://rstyle.me/~9nF3R
Wonderful tips! LOVE!
First time looker. Great Site.
Welcome to the StoneGable family, Sandra!
I have learned so much from your Stonegable blog! I look forward to opening my mail from stone gable every morning. Since I have been reading your blog I have rearranged my living room and edited! Looks so much more airy. And I ordered to new French chairs! Thanks for all the tips and photos!
Shirley Esenwein
I cleaned up my attic in October and took all my unwanted Christmas decorations to the Children’s Home and they were so excited to get them early enough to start planning where to use them without having to store them all year. I took 2 trees, a box of wired unused ribbon, and boxes of other good stuff. The director told me the girls had a blast decorating and invited me to visit and see why they did. It was beautifully decorated and the girls were so proud of their home. Thanks for so many good tips and I love your Santa. Merry Christmas 2018!