WHAT TO DO NOW FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS!

WHAT TO DO NOW FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS- Here are a few easy thing to do this Christmas that will make NEXT Christmas a whole lot easier!

Yes, you read that right! I know that Christmas is just a few 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 2018 and enjoy a little Christmas spirit all year long!

Today on our podcast Decorating Tips And Tricks we are talking BEING BRAVE WHEN YOU DECORATE. What we mean is to do what YOU love and don’t get stuck! This is a very worthwhile and practical home decor episode!

Listen below to episode #138…

You can listen to any episode of DTT on the podcast app of your smartphone. Or go HERE to listen!

Today is Home Style Saturday. My blogging friends and I pull out the best of our archives to share again. This post was first published in 2014 and it is still as relevant as it was the first time around!!! 

1. CHOOSE A COLOR THEME FOR NEXT YEAR

You might think that this is a little crazy, but if you decide now you can get great buys on wrapping paper, ribbon, gift tags, throws, wreaths… and all other sundries of Christmas! And Christmas looks so pretty when colors and patterns work together!

My colors for next year are red, light green and white. I can use the greens from this year’s Christmas and add lots of red decorations I already have!

2. BUY 3 DESIGNS OF WRAPPING PAPER… TOPS!

Don’t go overboard using different wrapping papers! 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 green paper, 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!

4. BUY REAL RIBBON 

 

This is a very economical tip 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 ribbon… I’ll just reuse what I have!

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 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 on Christmas items right after Christmas!  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 my bed for years!

7. THROW AWAY OR UPCYCLE TIRED AND WORN OUT DECOR

This is the year to really evaluate your Christmas decorations! Don’t put anything away that needs to go! Only keep the decorations 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 it in a special box and know just where it is.

This is the voice of Christmas Past talking to you after years of searching the basement for that one special thing that I can’t find! Label everything and put all Christmas decor in smaller clear boxes so you can find everything!

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 or a bejeweled stocking. Get an early start!

Here’s a great and easy Christmas DIY to do…make broken glass ornaments out of all the ornaments you break this year! See a tutorial 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 only a few 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 next year!

Here’s what my blogging friends are sharing today…

Home Style Saturdays Logo

Designthusiasm | Complementing Your French Style With a White Christmas Tree

Complementing Your French Style With a White Christmas Tree - designthusiasm.com

Savvy Southern Style | Christmas Sunroom

Savvy Southern Style

Shabbyfufu | Woodland Faux Rose Petal Cake Tutorial Project

woodland-cake-diy-shabbyfufublog.com

StoneGable | What To Do NOW For NEXT Christmas

What To Do NOW For NEXT Christmas - StoneGable

On Sutton Place | No Bake Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

cinnamon christmas ornaments on sutton place

So Much Better With Age | French Master Bedroom Christmas Tour

french-vintage-christmas-bedroom

Maison de Pax | Green and Gold Christmas Tablescape

green and gold Christmas dining room decorating ideas

 

You may want to pin this to your Christmas Pinterest board. Follow me on Pinterest HERE and see what I’m ideas I’m pinning for next Christmas!

10 THINGS TO DO NOW TO GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS NEXT YEAR- yes really-stonegableblog.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

56 Comments

  1. Laurene Shewan says:

    I’m going to crank up my embroidery machines to start making things for Christmas 2018 and stow them away in my gift cupboard.

  2. Joan reilly says:

    These are great ideas!
    Now, I just have to get organized enough to do them!?

  3. Donna McLaren says:

    I love your blog and all the ideas you share with us. Merry Christmas!

  4. Nancy Booher says:

    Great ideas. You have me thinking already. Where do you find the natural ticking pillow paper. A Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    1. Hi Nancy, I found the ticking paper at HomeGoods. They have gorgeous paper!

  5. great ideas.
    I would add: take a picture of what worked well so you can recreate it next year.

  6. Norma Rolader says:

    I love love your great information and tips for getting ready for next Christmas … I am going to have to do this

  7. Number 9 is mine! Start your diy projects and do them all year long. What a good lesson ! Happy holidays to your family and a blessed new year. Thanks for making each and every day special with your blogs and podcasts.

  8. Sandy Thornton says:

    These are some fantastic ideas!!! Thank you!! I have pinned them and will definitely be implementing some of them!!

  9. I confess–I have already been thinking about next Christmas! (Maybe, it is the former teacher in me. I was always thinking ahead and buying school supplies and student gifts early. I usually had my student gifts purchased and packaged by the end of July.) I like to buy Christmas cards after Christmas and try to address them sometime in the summer. I always intend have a “Christmas in July Week”–perhaps when the Hallmark Channel is doing their movies and do a marathon of Christmas present making. Your post has inspired me to be more “intentional” with Christmas 2018! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Yvonne, I love your suggestions for getting ready for 2028 Christmas! Wonderful ideas!! I know for sure I will dispose of outdated not used decorations as I put this Christmas away! It’s definitely time to regroup! Thanks so much for all your helpful hints! Have a great weekend!

  11. Louise Adkins says:

    Your ideas and readers ideas are wonderful. I do them already…most of them. Have a wonderful Christmas! I enjoy your blog.

  12. norna vaughn says:

    You read my mind…I was thinking of making a list so I would be more organized next year …your list is great. Great minds do work together…haha. Norma vaughn

  13. Karen VanLoo says:

    I love your ideas! I also fell in love with that Woodland Faux Christmas Cake with the vintage reindeer I saw. I immediately ordered the items to make one for myself. That’s the cutest thing! If I don’t get everything in time to make it for this year, I can make it to save for next year. I’ve already decided next year I want to do a blush pink Christmas! I’m talking that beautiful vintage pink color, with touches of gold and white. I’m going to keep my eyes open all year for paper, ribbon, boxes and some florals I can tuck into my greenery to add touches of that color in it. It is a great way to keep Christmas in your heart all year long!

  14. If you edit your holiday decorations, don’t forget to donate those that are still usable, to a non-profit thrift store if possible. If you wait until after the holidays, be kind and postpone your visit until spring. The employees will thank you for not showing up on January 5th, when their storage rooms are already bulging with holiday bling. This year I went through my decorations in early November and the thrift store folks were especially happy to see me since that’s when demand is highest.

  15. awesome ideas! …anything that makes next even easier and less stress

  16. Theresa at Winterberry Lane says:

    I love all your great tips Yvonne for planning next years Christmas. With 9 days left to get ready for this years Christmas I’m doing finishing touches to my DYI projects. For the great grandparents this year I traced my three grandchildrens hands onto canvases and painted their little hands to look like little red cardinals. This way the great grandparents have a reminder of their little ones for years to come. I took my daughter’s wooden dollhouse that her uncle built her 25 years ago and give it a makeover for the two granddaughters Christmas. Have a great weekend Yvonne???

  17. Linda James says:

    Your ideas are a great reminder. I always wish I had taken your advice when November arrives and I start thinking of Christmas decor.
    Merry Christmas to you and your family !
    Linda

  18. On your master gift list, be sure to not only label who the wrapped gift is for, but also exactly what the gift is inside the already wrapped gift.

  19. I decided last year to go neutral with my tree this year so I was able to pick up ribbon and some additional ornaments last year at 70 % off.Great tips, always plan ahead and try to be organized so you can enjoy your holiday.

  20. THE best tip besides all of them being relevant is buying GOOD wrapping paper, so tired of inexpensive stuff easily torn! No More for me!

  21. A great plan for next year!!

  22. You always give the best advice/ideas! This will make next Christmas so much easier! Thank you!

  23. Mary Clancy says:

    The real ribbon suggestion is the best! I have been buying velvet ribbon that I simply love for small packages. Merry Christmas!

  24. Joanne E Boulter says:

    I have all ready started on next years projects. I have three projects I’m working on and a list of to do’s. I love that I am not the only one that gets ahead of herself! I thought I was the crazy one. lol Loved your post. Merry Christmas! Jo

  25. All great ideas! But…once I’ve decorated and shopped, I have no desire to be in stores. I just want to want to enjoy the season, one year at a time.

  26. Lana Nicol says:

    I’m making a list and following these 10 things to for for next Christmas! My goal is to do one project each month for next Christmas whether it is a craft for me, a craft for gifts, or buying some stocking stuffers ahead of time. You Rock! Thanks.

  27. Great tips!! Love everything!!

  28. I’m new to your blog. Just discovered it this Christmas season and I’m loving everything I see and read. Great ideas for getting ahead on next Christmas. I’m all for trying to diminish the pressure and I plan to use your ideas. Thanks for such a wonderful place to feel connected and thanks for all the hard work you do for the blog. Merry Christmas!

  29. Love the suggestions of what to do for next year. The gingerbread ornaments seem so easy but so cute!

  30. Maggie Nelson says:

    Thank you for the ideas and I ‘m glad I did a couple of them last year like saving and get boxes in all sizes and now this year I have all of them and I already wrapped and decorate each one in a different
    way. My family loves them.

  31. Sharon Knerr says:

    I started my Christmas 2018 list earlier in December. I’m always looking for something new for decor, or for gifts, and bargains often start appearing in December. 😉 I keep a simple notebook for each year, jotting down decorating ideas, new tree themes, gifts requested/purchased, as long as notes on new recipes to try for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Next year our son and his girlfriend will be with us for Christmas, so I do more around the house. I’m always inspired by your posts, and as I usually say, love your photos!

  32. Thank for the tips on broken ornaments. I have several of those.

  33. I love your ideas. I feel a page behind. I have the house decorated but I did not get into hardly any Christmas decor. I do believe I can eliminate so much of it. I haven’t used so much yet I still like some but keep thinking maybe next year I’ll find a spot for it? No. Time to eliminate even more for someone else could enjoy it more. Timely wisdom. I did have a spot in my closet but somewhere it all exploded on me!!! I am enjoying all your shares and tips. I appreciate your giving to us and cheerful disposition!!! We had a joyful celebration here the other night so I’m happy in new traditions.

  34. Beth Pozzini Putz says:

    Yvonne, these are fantastic ideas! I have learned the older I get, the more forgetful I am!! I even forgot about a brand new Reindeer Feed Sack I left out in the open so I wouldn’t forget about it, but DID FORGET because I put it someplace I don’t usually put Christmas items….urgh! As always thanks for the great tips!!!
    ?Blessings,
    ❤️Beth

  35. Your coordinated wrapping just looks beautiful! I have been buying next years paper after the holidays for years, but just since I found your blog that I started to plan colors that create a theme! It makes my tree look even better!!

  36. Awesome ideas, Yvonne! I’m going to expound on the ideas of my color scheme this year and add in blush decor. I have really been weeding through old and broken decor too. So much easier to start now.

  37. LOVED your organizing mantras !!! You are spot on…if you are not tired of black & white..have you checked out Mackenzie-Childs pottery , etc? We in upstate New York (near the Finger Lakes, not Westchester county) love all the home goods…keep up the energy Yvonne !

  38. Jenny Young says:

    I love this. I’m getting better at planning for next year as I age. I’ve gotten much better at choosing two solid wrapping papers & switching out the accents each year. It makes such a huge impact with little effort.

  39. I love the idea of planning for Christmas next year.

  40. Great ideas! I’m happy to say I do several of them already. Having a gift notebook is really useful to me. Before I put it away, where I can easily get to when I shop year round, I list the gift recipients right down to our paper and mail carriers. Some people get whole pages and others a line, but this way no one is forgotten from year to year. I also store gifts in my guest room dresser drawer and closet.

  41. Love all the ideas! I especially like the idea of shopping the after Christmas sales for next years Christmas. The best time to buy Christmas décor and items is anytime other than Christmas! I look for vintage Christmas décor during the summer months when Christmas is far from anybody’s mind. The closer it gets to Christmas the higher prices go.

  42. On my list for Christmas 18–is pillows. I want to make some festive cases to slip over my sofa pillows.
    And stocking sacks (I tend to accumulate too much to fit into the stockings) So I used some scraps and sewed a simple sack the size of stockings. (I have one made so far — and have already thought of ways to improve it/embellish!)I hope, that as I accumulate stuffers, I will add them to the sacks, and know when to stop! Made the right size, these could also just be fitted into the stocking on Christmas Eve!

    Its so fun to find little kitchen/auto/ hardware gadgets, etc. for stockings!

  43. This is the first year that I have gotten to really decorate for Christmas and I am already planning on how I can expand on this years decorations and what else I can do.

  44. Colleen@LilacDriveDesigns says:

    Great tips to prepare for next year! I have reused ribbon for gifts on occasion…a great tip is to use a flat iron (for your hair) to quickly take any bends or wrinkles out of the ribbon…works great!

    1. I’ve used it so many year that I had to go out today and buy a few new roles!

  45. Yvonne, these are such great tips to start on next years Christmas! I have been collecting those little glass houses and buildings from thrift stores for the last couple of years. Most that I have collected only cost me a dollar or two. I’ve wanted to spray paint them white and make a small Christmas village. Well, it did not get done last year, and guess what….they still aren’t done! I will be taking your advice and painting them the beginning of the new year. Who knows, I might actually find a couple more after Christmas to add to my collection. I WILL have a Christmas village next year! 🙂 You always have such great advice…now all I have to do is, just follow it!

  46. I look forward to reading each of your blogs, the ideas and photos are informative and very inspirational. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2018.

  47. “This year I bought a green and natural pillow ticking paper that I’ll use during the year!” This sounds exactly like what I was looking for–and didn’t find. Do you have a link or store where you purchased it? Thanks–and Merry and Blessed Christmas, Yvonne.

  48. Denise carlson says:

    Yvonne I read this post before and I read it again. I already do 6 of your tips and I will try to incorporate a few more. I love to do as much ahead of time as possible, takes the stress away from such a busy time of year. also who isn’t up for a bargain. Please enter me into the drawing.
    Thanks, Denise