Journal Your Christmas with Teresa Collins

first posted on Dec 4, 2012

I am thrilled to begin my December Daily album. I began journaling my way through the Christmas holidays when my son was born so I would remember every moment. A few years ago I decided to make a scrapbook for the entire month and discovered that others had the same idea. What a treat to see what other scrapbookers come up with for their December Daily Scrapbook.

I couldn’t be more excited to begin this December and this year my girls have decided, they would like to create a December Daily journal as well. I really look forward to this craft project all year long.

Journal Your Christmas is a scrapbook that details your entire month of December of that particular year. This is a wonderful way to document the silly season up to Christmas all compiled in a journal with photos and words/journaling. The basic idea is to create the pages before December 1st even appears on your doorstep so you can experience the wonderfulness of each December day as it occurs AND photograph it before the sun sets.

Simply begin on December 1st and end either at the end of the month, Christmas Day or the end of Three King’s Celebration, which is the last day of the Christmas season (the end of the 12 days of Christmas). I usually a couple of days in the new year.

In the past, I have created different books for each December creating whatever struck me on that day, but this year I have purchased a new binder that I am particularly fond of from Teresa Collins. I will use her line of Christmas Cottage scrapbook paper, supplies, card stock, chipboard, and loads and loads of embellishments. I have a huge stash of holiday supplies on hand from previous years that I will be dipping into as well. I have already begun my pre-labeling of days! I will also be using page protectors, envelopes, and pocket pages that I create from Teresa Collins gorgeous holiday paper.

Some things to gather during the month of December to add to your Journal Your Christmas:

photos

receipts

scripture

wrapping paper

sketches/doodles

print-outs of emails received and sent

pictures my children create

letters to Santa

play programs

service handouts

cards and notes

Sometimes thinking of something to journal and document about each and every day can be difficult so here are some ideas to get your creative mind set to work. I like to take photos of the weather (we have fabulous snowy days here in the midwest), Christmas card out takes, Advent, Visiting Santa, our yearly trip to The Walnut Room, Assisting with the Outreach Center at our church, Holidays sights in the city, Chriskindle Market in the city, Wrapping Paper and presents, the lighting of the Christmas tree, FOOD . . . oh, glorious food, documenting the many visitors throughout the holiday month, Letters to Santa, Cookie making and hanging of the stocking. As well as journaling about traditions, old and new, our perfect Christmas dreams and Christmas music.

Here are the first ten pages that I have created for my December Daily 2012 album. I will store all the completed pages in a red binder (hopefully they will all fit!).

Each day in December has its own challenges so I never know how much time I will have to commit to journaling, creating and photo taking. The wonderful aspect about Journal Your Christmas is that you can spend as much time on a page as you like or as little time as you like. There is no pressure to make your pages exactly the same. I like to keep it flexible in case I change my mind and want to use something I have created on another page instead of the one I had originally planned. No pressure!

Personal, FUN and stress-free! And Gorgeous! I can’t wait to see how gorgeous this will be December 31st!

Please consider a Journal Your Christmas this year and start gathering your supplies now!