Christmas in July: Chalkboards

For the past few years I have made the majority of my Christmas presents. It's a "kill two birds with one stone" thing. I get my creative therapy and usually also save some money on shopping. Mostly the savings comes from not going to the mall where I find myself buying gifts for family and friends as well as myself.


Yesterday, inspired by all the great chalkboards at Reinvented and The Shabby Chic Cottage, I headed out to the Goodwill in search of trays to make into chalkboards.

The "silver" charger is actually plastic. It's a bit cheesy, but I think plastic is perfect for my friend Tammy* who has a household full o' wee ones.

The wooden pineapple tray was $3.99. I get really cheap at Goodwill and almost left this behind. Doh! $3.99 for a Christmas gift! Still a great deal. I bought some spray primer and of course, I have the chalkboard paint!

A couple of keys for Christmas crafting:

1. Start early! I have to travel at Christmas, if I waited until November or December to get this kind of thing done, it would be high pressure and not craft-therapy!

2. Shake it up! I think in some ways it would be easier to say, "This is the year of the apron! Everyone gets an apron!" but after my fifth apron I would be hating life. A variety of projects makes it fun. Just keep some sort of record of what you have made everyone.

3. Multiples save time and money- OK so take that last bit of advice with a grain of salt! I make my little cousins (ages 3-6) the same thing each year. One year they all got tote bags another year they all got travel quilts. Last year all the women in Cliff's family all got heat therapy bags.

This is a photo set of the Christmas presents I have made in the past.

Oh, and maybe you noticed that adorable vintage sitting Santa. Yeah, that's a present for me. At least he was just $1.99 at Goodwill.


*I'm rereading the Sweet Potato Queens' Big A-- Cookbook. It's a total crack up.