Why It’s Never Too Early To Think About Christmas

Ignore those people who try to convince you that Christmas is ages away. They seriously don’t know what they’re talking about. Listen to us instead! August means getting ahead, meaning more time for yourself come December.

Here in the magazine world, we are always looking ahead, from previewing new season collections to researching articles, and in our case, commissioning exciting new projects for you to try. That gives us a key advantage when it comes to making sure we’re ready for the biggest occasions - and we don’t want you to get left behind.

Holidays are coming!

It seems the older you get, the more quickly time flies - whether you’re having fun or not. Can you really believe we’re into the second half of the year, already? Doesn’t it seem that just a few weeks ago we were making plans and resolutions for what the new year would bring? Christmas will be here before you know it, and there’s certainly no harm in being prepared.

Prevent the panic

How many of you have ever said, “Christmas has crept up on me this year!” or “I could do with an extra few weeks”. Go on, be honest. It’s the same date every year so you know it’s coming. Why were you so surprised? We appreciate that life often gets in the way, it’s full of unforeseen trials and tribulations, we get that. That’s why it’s even more important start planning sooner rather than later!

Make time for crafting

If, like us, you are planning a whole raft of handmade gifts, you should probably begin working on a to-make list, that’s if you haven’t already started. Whether it’s knitting, sewing, pottery, papercraft or jewellery, some handcrafted projects just can’t be rushed. Give yourself plenty of time to plan, buy and make.

You might need a plan B

If the aforementioned trials and tribulations do occur, starting now will ensure you have time to come up with a contingency. That could simply be a smaller and quicker crafty make, or something shop-bought that will still be appreciated by the recipient.

It will have to be perfect

When you’re crafting for someone else, you won’t be content with an accidentally twisted stitch five rows down or a misplaced sewn dart. That means you’ll have to unpick it, even if it is 11 o’clock at night on 23rd December. Factor in this extra time, then add some more, just in case. Rushing only leads to mistakes, and you’ll want to know that every gift you give is as good as you can make it.

Avoid the last-minute high street crush

We’re massive advocates of getting your supplies from your local store, but the memories of the Christmas Eve stampede still gives us the shivers. Starting early will mean that come 24th December, you can be sat on the sofa, watching The Snowman and tucking into the festive chocs. You need not spare a thought for the throng of shoppers grabbing desperately at the dregs on the shelves, trying to convince themselves that Uncle Steve would love a pack of kitchen towel for Christmas (because that’s all they had left).

See our great collection of pattern downloads. They’d make brilliant gifts!