Craft: Holiday Organizer

This is a cheap and really easy craft to make.  I think that this organizer is a must for every Holiday shopping Mom or Dad.  It's small and easy to take with you while shopping during the holidays.

Here's how to make it. 

• Step one: Buy a dollar store photo album.  You know the cheapy baby brag book kind?  Just make sure that the picture on the front and back are removable.

• Step two: Get your materials together.  You'll need a paper cutter, craft glue, circle cutter, and pretty papers

• Step three: Use the paper that came with the photo album as a template to make your front and back covers (I added a little extra to the width so that it went right to the binding).  Then use it to estimate the size of the papers for each slot (where pictures would be inserted). The slots will be smaller than the front cover.

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  Step four: Use the circle cutter to cut 1" (estimate) circles for the tabs.  Glue two together (back to back) on the pages.  Make sure you know how many pages are under each tab.  For example for gifts, if you have 4 kids, you'll need 4 individual pages for each child so the tab will be on the farthest page...make sense? Just do the tabs last after you figure out what will be in each slot.

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  Step five: type up the tab categories using size 8 font and print, then use a smaller circle cutter to cut them out and glue them on each tab. (I am out of printer ink, so that's why mine isn't completed)

Here is a listing of Holiday Categories:

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  Notes- use index cards in the slots
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  Calendar - Oct, Nov, Dec
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  Events (I type up 1-30 days for Nov. and Dec. on a paper to fit the slots.  This allows me to see events at a glance, see picture below)
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  Meals- use index cards and write down the meal plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you are going to someone else's house make notes about what you are bringing and what you'll need to buy (or you can type up a chart like I did, see picture below)
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  * Family Gifts- use index cards and write names of family members and the gifts you purchased or plan to purchase or leave blank so you know you'll need to figure out what to purchase
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  * Kids Gifts- use index cards and use a different page for each child or use two per child
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  Receipts- just put gift receipts so you know where to find them if you'll need to return anything
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  Toy Inventory- use index cards and keep a running list of what you already have
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  Black Friday-use index cards and make your store plan and put coupons you plan to use

(*= I put these tabs in different colors so they are easy to find)

                  MEALS                                                                                 EVENTS

Of course these are ideas, you may have something you need to keep track of during the holiday, so just add a tab

The one on the left was a present for a friend of mine, the one on the right is my personal one.  I used pretty, everyday paper, so I could use it year round

 If you want to do this one too,  I added a few more tabs. 
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  Birthdays- write family/friends birthdays, by month
• Birthday Gifts- if you have a toy inventory, you can pre-write what toys will be designated for what birthday (don't forget to remove the toy from inventory list)
• Household to buy - with dimensions of spaces...etc.
• Rebates & Receipts