How do you organize your holiday crochet gifts

[mason204]

Happy thanksgiving to my American crocheters..

 

I've been looking at my Christmas list, my lack of cash, and my huge stash of yarn. I've decided once again this year to crochet stuff for some of my friends.

 

Can anyone share their ideas as to how they organize their crochet gift list?

 

Here's how it's been going for me for several years:

 

I'll see some yarn in my stash, find a pattern and immediately start crocheting with a gift in mind. Then, I finish the item, put it away in a safe place intending to wrap it later to give it away, then forget that I made it, let alone where I put it. Often I find the gifts (there are usually many) after Christmas.

 

Sometimes, I start a project then get carried away with something else and forget I started something.

 

There are also many projects that I just don't finish because they need "eyes sewn on" or seam finishing.

 

Needless to say, my crochet gifting is somewhat disorganized.

 

Anyone else experience this? How do you keep it together??

 

Cheryl.

[JennyBunny]

I have covered storage bins, From Wal-mart (about $10) one labeled "Baby Gifts" - blankets, hats, sacques and booties go in there, other(s) labeled "Christmas" - finished Christmas gifts go in there. I have sometimes forgotten who gets what, but I have all the items in one location.

 

I start crocheting about mid-August as I generally make small items for most of the family so it doesn't take me long to make everything.

[joyfulyarn]

This is my first year crocheting Christmas gifts, so right now I just put the gifts I have made so far, in with my small stash. I make sure they are on top of the yarn and not on the bottom.

 

The way I'm organizing my gift ideas is that I started a Favorites folder on my computer and whenever I see a pattern online that I think someone will like, I'll put it in the folder and put the person's name next to it. For example, for my SIL, I have: Donut Pincushion- Jodi. That allows easy access to the pattern when I need it. And, if I see something in a book that I want to make for someone, I write down in my little notebook: Name, Pattern Name, Page, Book Title. I think I'll also be putting the same info on sticky notes and putting those in the books..

 

I hope my ideas help you in some way! Good luck!

[Elle]

Every year I plan to start crocheting my next year's Christmas gifts right after Christmas, but it never works out that way. I always find other projects I'd rather work on, and I talk myself out of the whole "make a couple of things each month so there's no rush at the end of the year" thing so that I can work on the new projects that strike my fancy.

 

I have found through the years, though, that when it comes to Christmas gifts (or ANY gifts, for that matter), I work best under pressure. If I have a whole year to work on them I will lollygag around, put it down, pick it up again a couple of months later only to find that I've forgotten what hook size I was using, and it then becomes a perpetual UFO. If I start a gift or gifts a month or less before the date they are neeed, I buckle down and crochet like a crazy woman and get them done.

 

I always give everyone at work something crocheted for Christmas and birthdays. Even the men. And they have all come to look forward to it. Even the men. The way I determine what I make them is very simple - I ask them what they want. I give them a choice of "do you want something to wear or do you want something for your home?" They give me their preference and I take it from there.

 

Except in rare circumstances (if I'm doing multiple afghans or something like that) I start my Christmas crocheting Thanksgiving weekend. If I start it sooner I never get it done because I keep thinking I have all kinds of time to do it and always end up in a crunch at the last minute anyway. My personal best was last Christmas when I made nine shawls in nine days.

 

Elle

[boksie]

I have a drawer in my house that I keep "gifts" in. I get things at sales to save money. I usually have a gift available ahead of time and when I put something new in the drawer I see what I already have. I always have a few pairs of crocheted slippers in there because they have been a big hit with friends and family.

[Titus2woman]

Since I'm so new to crochet it's VERY simple this year! EVERYONE is getting dishcloths/washcloths, which I'm thinking about making a yearly Christmas tradition. It's something I can keep a stash going of always, and I can concentrate on more personal gifts for birthdays. Tomorrow I'm going to have the boys decorate some brown paper lunch bags with construction paper crayons, and I'm gonna start stuffin' 'em and crossing names offa my list! LOL! (((((HUGS))))) sandi~sorry I'm not more help!

[Knit Happens]

I'm a list maker--if you don't worry about anyone seeing your list, make it up and magnet it to the refrigerator. P.S. I'm known to staple notes to my purse strap too so I don't forget to do something, take something in to or from work, etc. People laugh...but it keeps me on top of things.

[NanaM3]

I put gifts all over the place and when company comes I have to heap them all someplace else... I'm about as disorganized as can be but somehow it works out alright.

 

As for starting earlier and being organized ... it just doesn't work! If I have 2 months to make something I tend to spend 6 weeks printing out a zillion patterns (all of which are right now in stacks on my stairs!) and then fall back on making the first pattern I had come across.

 

Today I had my daughter shovel the piles of "I'll get to this tomorrow" up to my bedroom ... which means that I'll need to watch out when I go up to bed later ... who knows where those piles ended up ...

 

But you know what? The day will come when I'll have the time to be organized and to plan ahead and all those wonderfuls but that day will also be when I'm no longer active socially and in the community ... and I bet I'll miss it terribly just like my Mom did ... so I'm aiming to do what she did, remain as active as earthly possible right up till the very end of life.

 

However, unlike her, I doubt I'll ever be as organized and neat as she was.

[kazily]

I have found that the best way for me is putting them in a plastic Rubbermaid box labeled "Gifts". I use the same idea on the computer with a folder labeled Gifts (before the items are crocheted).

 

I use my gifts folder to browse for ideas. When I find a pattern that looks like it would make a great gift it goes to that folder.

 

If you have a lot of gifts, you can tag each one with a name.

I also designate a certain day as "Gifts" day (my day is Sunday for obvious reasons) ...that day I work on gifts. If it is something large like an afghan I will work on it other days as well, but include it on gifts day too.

[contrary.crocheter]

I also make that vow right after Christmas that I will start immediately on ideas for the next year and I never do well with it. I tend to procrastinate until the last possible minute and then do the marathon crochet! What is that expression...the tyranny of the ugent...the next birthday or ministry need, crops up and takes precendence of those well intentioned Christmas presents!

 

I do have an idea though. I have bins for every craft supply and I saw that someone suggested doing a bin of Christmas gifts. I would buy one of those red or green bins just for Christmas stuff. It would be hard to make and wrap things for people (I know I would forget what in the world I made them), so I would put them in a ziploc, write on who I intend it for and put it in that bin. Then if you want to change things around giftwise, you can, but keep a master list in that bin of who you want to make things for and check them off as you go. I may try this myself this year!

 

Good Luck!

[wiz3283]

Christmas? Organized? LOL:rofl

[Momcrochets]

I usually start looking for gift ideas late spring...garage sale season. sometimes I find the perfect gift there. Then, mid summer or later, I start the crocheting end...I always seem to have some shopping and hooking to do yet in December...though with all my family in Canada or CA, their packages get mailed next week (week after TG) every year, so the bulk of it will be done. DH family is all local. I have a box (cardboard) on a shelf in my closet that holds gifts. Lastyear I wrapped and labelled as I went..this year, I'm about 1/2 wrapped I do keep a notebook to write down ideas in, especially if I find the "perfect gift" early in the year. Then, wrapped or not, I can always check my note book to see where I am at in the process. It usually works for me.

 

I like to have my gift crocheting done by mid Dec if possible, I hate feeling pressured to try get it done at the last minute. Then I can relax making something just for fun...maybe even for me