Creative Christmas Planners

Small, sweet and colorful, we love this crafty ring-bound planner from craft designer Erica's Doing Something Else!

Erica used commercial scrapbooking products to create her little planner. With simple ring binding, pretty dividers and a free printable for small-sized planner pages, it packs a lot of organizing power in a tiny creative package.

Better, this would make a great "scrappy" project to use extra chipboard and bits and pieces of holiday-themed scrapbooking paper to good effect. Add some down-sized planner pages from Organized Christmas, and you could create your own planner for pennies .. or less!

Nice job!

Erica's Christmas Planner

Ten steps to an easy Christmas planner? You bet ... with this new tutorial from the Under the Sycamore blog!

Written as a guest post by three sisters, bloggers from eighteen25, this illustrated tutorial will take you step by step through creating a pretty Christmas planner.

A bonus: free printable labels and decor elements to spark your project!

Start with a simple composition book, then layer patterned paper, cardstock and labels to create a custom cover. With inset calendars, dividers and tags, this is a pretty--and practical--planner project.

eighteen25's Christmas Planner Tutorial and Printables

Lavish and layered and oh, so glorious: check out this Christmas planner from crafts blogger Cardsister!

Sure, she's started with a simple composition book base, but this combination of coordinated patterned papers and layers of lavish die-cut elements is a knockout!

Add the sophisticated color combination, ribbon and chipboard letters, and you have a Christmas planner to die for.

Zowie ... where are my Tim Holtz dies for the Sizzix Big Shot?

P.S. This Westie owner ADORES Cardsister's profile pic!

Cardsister's Holiday Planner

Start with a simple photo album from the dollar store. Add patterned paper, index cards and a bit of creativity, and what do you get? This delightful Christmas Planner from blogger Janelle at the Arizona Families blog.

What we love about this? Simplicity! Using an inexpensive photo album as the base, users add standard-sized index cards to photo pockets to create a durable holiday organizer.

Don't miss Janelle's advice about adding tabs. Using a paper punch makes it easy to make as many tabs as you need. Since you create your own planner, your tabs will be as unique and individual as you are!

Simple, inexpensive and creative: a winner!

Arizona Families Craft: Holiday Organizer

What's the secret to Scrappin' Kat's elegant--and easy--altered journal Christmas planner? Combine coordinated patterned papers and cardstock, add an inexpensive composition book, and voila! A dashing entry in the Christmas planner field!

The organizer in me loves her abundance of pockets. With four sections to the planner, top tabs--a real innovation that should avoid the "dog-eared" look!--and the appeal of simplicity, this Christmas planner glows!

Nice job!

Scrappin' Cat's Christmas Planner

Think you've got to have a scrap room full of papers and tools to make a splash with a Christmas planner? Nope!

Take a look at this vibrant Christmas planner from Vicki, blogging as Angel Stamper 2. Built from a scrapbooking kit from Colorbok, Vicki's planner rocks!

Layered self-adhesive embellishments make the cover special, while a simple--yet colorful--interior is laid out for efficient holiday planning.

Vicki uses small clips to attach gift lists to the planner pages, and tucks receipts inside a dedicated envelope on the cover.

Great job!

Vicki's Christmas Planner

Like a vintage feel for your holiday planning? Check out this new Christmas holiday planner from Katrina at the Arty Parrot blog!

Cardstock covers and divider pages are arranged inside simple O-ring closures. With receipt envelopes and planning sections, this planner will conquer Christmas chaos.

Note, too, the clever button closure on the front cover. Makes it easy to keep gift lists secured and away from prying eyes!

But oh! the vintage embellishments. Katrina used downloadable altered pages digitals, but the right set of patterned paper might provide a similar old-time feel.

These images took me right back to the '50's Christmas designs of my childhood. Nice to see an "everything old is new again" treatment for a Christmas planner project!

Katrina's Christmas Planner

Make a Christmas holiday planner from a simple manila file folder? Yes, you can--with this nice tutorial from blogger Carol, at the Creating with Carol blog.

With clear images and step-by-step instructions, Carol shows even the crafts-averse reader how to use an altered file folder and scraps of patterned paper to make a hard-working holiday planner.

We like the calendars affixed to the inside panel; nobody will lose track of time or appointments with that information right up front! Receipt envelopes and gift lists fill out the remaining pockets.

Finally, stamped images and labels work together to make a pretty, organized Christmas planner. It would be a joy to sit down with this one!

Christmas Planner: Altered File Folder Tutorial

Oh, golly--isn't this a bright, crisp version of a handmade Christmas planner?

Talented stamp artist Bekka's Feeling Crafty blog highlights her beautiful, multi-paged Christmas planner. Using stamping techniques and coordinated patterned paper and cardstock, she's created a luscious planner to make and share.

Not to nudge her or anything, but we'd love to see the tutorial on the Web! Until then, her blog post offers to share instructions by email.

Anybody else raring to make this pretty planner? Nice job!

Feeling Crafty: Christmas Planner

Want a great way to kickstart planning for Christmas, 2010? Check out this handmade holiday planner from Becca at Amazing Paper Grace blog.

Looking at this lovely project made me itching to get out my Spellbinders dies and play! The cover ornaments, shaped and embossed, give a classic touch to this project.

Lush ribbon closures and a stamped title make this an elegant holiday planner that would be a joy to use.

Inside the planner, don't miss three notebooks for list-making. Becca's made her own notebooks and list pad; if you're not-so-crafty, adding a cover to a repurposed notebook would shortcut the project.

Great job, Becca! Kick off a new holiday season with a visit to her blog to check out this creative Christmas planner:

Becca's Holiday Planner