10 Things To Do For Christmas Now

Discover the ultimate get-ready guide for a memorable Christmas! Find creative ideas, tips, and festive inspiration for what to do for Christmas now.

It’s not too early to think about Christmas! Now is the perfect time to start your Christmas to-do list and check it twice. After all, Santa makes his list and checks it twice! Today, let’s talk about 10 important things to do now for Christmas!

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I’m making a list, checking it twice, and doing what’s on it early! Here’s my top 10!

Make A Master Plan And A Christmas Calendar

My best advice is to make a master plan for the Holiday season! Write everything down on it. I like to use the back of my planning notebook to keep all my Christmas plans together. This will save all of us time and angst and help you remember all your plans. And if you are like me, you are the keeper of all family Christmas plans!

Try to think of everything! Cards, food, decor, gifts, entertaining, cleaning schedule, diy’s, gifts, events, and whatever else you can think of.

Setting aside a little time to get started is a good idea. Make headings and do a brain dump of everything Christmas you can think of. Then, organize all the things you need to do into categories. I keep my Christmas to-do lists from year to year and check last year’s list as a guide.

If I don’t have everything written down, something is liable to slip through the cracks and be overlooked. If I write a Christmas to-do list and go over my list daily, I can stay better organized. I will often assign a few tasks to one week in my calendar. It makes these tasks more enjoyable than rushing them at the last minute. And as I finish something on my list, I just love to cross it off! And that feels fabulous!

I really need lists! How about you?

Think About Christmas Cards Now

It’s time to think about Christmas cards! If you want to send cards with personal pictures on them, NOW is the time to take pictures and/or pick the design of your card, etc.

I like to personalize cards, so I write a sentence or two just for the recipient. I also like to handwrite the addresses on the front of my envelopes. That’s just me! It’s those extra little ways to show people I care! I know many companies will sign cards, put our names and addresses on the envelopes, and even send them out without you touching them, but I would much rather write a few each evening. Is that old school? Yes, I guess I am.

I keep my cards in a basket along with my address book next to my TV watching chair and write them while Bobby and I watch a current series.

Wrap As You Buy

I’ve learned this tip the hard way! Wrapping all our gifts at the last minute is no fun… no Christmas joy at all! I love wrapping gifts and making them pretty and special. So, I set up a gift-wrapping center in a guest room.

And since I buy many gifts online, I like to keep a variety of packing boxes on hand to put gifts in. Wrapping a square box is much easier than wrangling an odd-size gift.

Wrap gifts as you buy them, and keep an envelope to put all your receipts in.

Here are a few savvy tips for wrapping gifts as you buy without having a gift-wrapping mess overtake your home…

• If you have the room, create a gift-wrapping center.
• Make a Gift Wrap heading on your Christmas To-Do List, gather sharp scissors, invisible tape, pretty gift wrap, and tags, and put everything in a 3-drawer organizer on wheels. Here’s the storage unit I just got to replace my old one.
• Put your rolls of wrapping paper in a tall plastic kitchen trash can like these.
• Get these wrapping paper cutters to cut and keep rolled Christmas paper neat.
• Coordinate your gift wrap and tags with your Christmas color story.
• Invest in real ribbon. Buy new rolls of ribbon every year. Soon, you will have a stash of ribbon to use year after year.
• Collect little faux wraths, small ball ornaments, real greens, and other interesting things to adorn a gift.

You might like to see how to organize and use Christmas ribbons and other pretty things to put on presents HERE. This post is older but has tons of good ideas. Look for an updated post in November. And see how to make my favorite and so easy Christmas bow, too!

Plan All Your Christmas Get Together’s Now

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. Plan your get-togethers now! Get it on the calendar and send out invitations. Even a get-together with a couple of friends should go on the calendar. So, plan even the most casual celebration now.

You might like these smart tips for planning a holiday party…

• Send out a digital invite with all the details.
• Create a theme for your party and stick to it down to the color scheme.
• Don’t fuss! Make some, buy some is a strategy for Christmas Party success. Plan an easy dinner with a mix of great deli food and a few yummy homemade dishes!
• Have a Holiday potluck. Many hands make light work!
• Set an easy table, or just have friends in for hot chocolate and cookies! It’s all about being together!
• Create food stations. Everyone likes to hover around food, so spread it out. Who says you can’t serve drinks in the foyer?
• Ask for help. I have a very smart friend who asks one of her friends to help her host her dinners and other gatherings. Or hire a teenager for the evening.
• Play Christmas music. I know someone who has speakers outside her home. The mood is set the minute a guest gets out of the car! Here’s a portable speaker we use.
• Add lots of Christmas ambiance. Turn on your tree lights and use a lot of candles.

You might like to see how I planned this easy, HOLIDAY HOT CHOCOLATE BAR.

Plan Your Holiday Menus

I’m already thinking of Christmas dinner! Every year, our family has a huge brunch mid-morning with Christmas Breakfast Casserole and a big charcuterie board in the afternoon. Then we eat a cozy supper in the evening. This Christmas, we will have all our kids, grandbabies, and other family, too!

Christmas Casserole is a very old post, but it is just delicious! Look for a more updated version the day after Thanksgiving,

I’ll be making our favorite Holiday Beef Brisket for Christmas dinner this year (I make it for almost every Christmas dinner). It’s a make-ahead dish, so I’ll be freed up to enjoy Christmas day without a lot of fussing in the kitchen! And it’s company-worthy!

Working ahead so you are not a slave to your kitchen is a great idea. Freeze cookie dough, make soup, and have a stash in the freezer, and remember, make some, buy some.

Here are some of my must-make Christmas recipes…

• The Best Sugar Cookies is a very old recipe, but it is THE BEST sugar cookie!
• Christmas Cookie Box– how to make 5 Cookie Doughs from one Mother Dough with lots of different kinds of cookies.
• Beautiful Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake With An Orange Glaze
• Oh, Christmas Tree Cheeseboard
• Merry No-Bake Christmas Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Transition Decor From Fall To Christmas

Start thinking about Christmas decorations! Yes, already! Start daydreaming about how you want to decorate this year. And decide on a Christmas color palette.

Every year, I start with a color scheme! Nothing will make your decorations look more beautiful than every holiday thing in your home working together!

You can see last year’s Christmas Home Tour here. I still love the warm neutrals from last year, but I think Christmas 2023 will feature more red. I just ordered this ribbon for our tree.

I’m going with a very neutral color palette with a punch of red and a bit of citron green!

Now, I can start shopping for things like wrapping paper, ribbons, and the gift tags I’ll need.

As fall turns towards Thanksgiving, I begin to take down most of my fall decor and put it away. I love just a few touches of late fall decor in my home in November! Doing this also makes putting fall decor away when it is time to decorate for Christmas so much easier!

Give this a try! You will be so happy you did!

Purge And Organize Your Holiday Decorations

Now is the time to go through all your Christmas decorations. Purge those items that are tired or no longer being used, and make sure you know where your important things are, like your Nativity, stockings, tree skirt, and Christmas lights!

Throw away what is beyond repair and donate gently used items. This will save you so many headaches! And someone might love and use what you are passing on.

I do this every year in late October or early November. Then, what I have is fresh in my mind and at my fingertips as I begin to decorate!

Start A Christmas DIY

If you wait until December to start Christmas DIY projects, you are probably already too late! Start those great DIYs you want to do for Christmas now! I’m making another batch of Bleached Pinecones this year. They are so easy to make but take a little time.

Here are a few Christmas DIY projects you might like to try…

• White Clothespin Christmas Snowflake Ornaments
• How to Make A Beautiful New Christmas Wreath From An Old One
• Broken Ornament Christmas Balls
• How To Make Scented Pinecones
• A Christmas Kitchen Stacking Bowl Arrangement

PLAN CHRISTMAS SEASON OUTINGS

Now is also the time to check out all the fun holiday events planned for your area! Many special Christmas events require tickets.

Are there outdoor Christmas tours? How about planning to chop down your Christmas tree as a family? These little outings are so important to keep the fun, positive spirit of the season alive! Is the Nutcracker ballet being performed in your area or other live shows you could see? Check online for an updated list.

Give To Your Favorite Charities

Last but certainly not least, decide on the charities you want to give to or volunteer at over the Christmas holidays! Now is the time to plan your giving and even give early! Check out ways you can help others!

Many organizations sponsor Christmas-giving programs like…

• GIVING TREE
• OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
• TOYS FOR TOTS
• THE SALVATION ARMY’S ANGEL TREE PROGRAM

Now is the time to start to get organized for Christmas! What are some of the things Holiday things you plan early? Leave your ideas in the comments.