Easy Christmas Gifts {That Will Save You Time!}

I’m one of those people that likes to plan ahead for Christmas by buying gifts here and there year-round. That said, there always seems to be a surprise in December where I find myself running around to find easy Christmas gifts (whether that’s quickly making them or buying them.) I’m sure you all can relate, right?

This year I had the opportunity to work with Staples to create some gifts to keep on hand for those last minute gift needs. I had never used their online system before and was interested in seeing how it actually worked. Staples Copy & Print offers a variety of designs in personalized holiday cards and photo gifts which made my job easy.

I started by assembling several pictures that would be fun to use and then searched for a product to create. Doing so allowed me to easily upload photos and play around to see what I liked. For this project, I created a holiday card, a set of four coasters, and a canvas print.

Even though I’m a big fan of snail mail, I usually don’t send out a Christmas card. I know, what kind of person am I? 🙂 But given the opportunity, I thought I’d use a photo of a little ornament that my mom used to hang in her dining room.

That ornament is so sentimental to me and makes me think of our Scandinavian heritage, Swedish meatballs, and happy times with our family. I decided to keep my card plain but you can also pick from one of Staples’ designs if you want a message on your card. I might also write a personal message using a brush pen on the image before I send them out.

The coasters are part of a gift I’m going to be taking to a white elephant party we’ve been invited to. Usually you’re supposed to bring a “gift” that no one wants to white elephant parties but I was informed that for this party, the guests pride themselves in finding the best gift they can find for a certain dollar amount.

This actually made me feel better since I’ve never understood the idea of giving someone a gift you know they don’t want. How is that gifting? But I digress. I thought a set of coasters with images from the myriads of flower images we have taken over the years would be perfect. I’ll probably make a small jar of my amazing hot chocolate mix to go along with this gift, because hot chocolate + coasters is just plain fun.

Finally, I made a 10×10 canvas of poppies along the Columbia River. The day that picture was taken was so gloriously beautiful–my husband and I were taking a weekend trip in the Columbia Gorge before our daughter was born and though it rained much of the time, as you can see, the sun burst forth one afternoon in Hood River, and we took a million pictures.

This one reminds me of my California roots and my new home in Oregon. It would be perfect for another one of my California friends though I’m tempted to gift it to us! The canvas wraps around the edges and looks so nice. Um, can I have a whole wall of these, please?

To make these projects, I only had to upload an image (or several images) and drag them into a template. I didn’t have to download any software onto my computer which was really nice. And honestly, the longest part of the project was finding pictures I wanted to use. The actually making of the cards, coasters, and canvas print took minutes.

By the way, for the cards, you order the cards and pick them up at your local store, so you might want to check where the closest store is to you before you order. The canvas and coasters were mailed to my home which was very convenient for me. I’m all about ordering gifts online these days since it saves so much time.

Well, I hope these ideas got your gift-giving creative juices flowing. Thanks for stopping by and as always, have a lovely {and creative} day!

P.S. If you would like to use Staples for your Christmas cards, you can save 20% off your order by using the code HOLIDAY20 by 12/26/15. And if you’d like to make your own set of coasters, canvas prints, or another fun product, you can save 20% off your order by using the code JOLLY20 by 12/26/15.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.