Is it time to plan projects for next Christmas?

All the time. I am already planning gifts for next year.

-- www.carvingandturningsbyrick.com, Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Yes I have that problem and I hate waiting for some finish to dry….GGGGRRRRRR!!!!

Can’t think that far ahead Bob but come Christmas next year, I’ll be mad at myself for not doing just that.

-- Bernie: It never gets hot or cold in New Hampshire, just seasonal!

i was going to plan ahead once

but i think i went and got drunk instead

never did plan

thanks for the reminder

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

I was thinking along the lines of making cutting boards a and things have have been going to do for the last couple of Christmases. Seems I’m too busy with other stuff during the Christmas building season. Must be time to extend it! ;-)

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

I did start one of the projects this year in the summer due to the need to have paint dry and the fact that my shop is too cold to paint in while there are little fingers in the house always on the lookout for fresh paint.
This year I started a little earlier overall in Nov and did more projects then previous but wouldn’t have finished the ones I did without my wife’s help and didn’t finish all of them still so I’m thinking of trying to start in sept this year though now might be a good time to begin.
I did find that on a couple of small projects I made that making an extra or two to sit around really helped. Couldn’t remember that I needed something for someone or an unexpected arrival that brought an unexpected gift and a quick stop in the shop for something that was already done produced something.
For 2013 my daughter and nephew will have outgrown their current rockers and will be getting rocking goats, I’ll make a third at the same time and set it in the back closet and someone will need it. Same with cutting boards, rolling pins, or pens.

-- --Rev. Russ in NY-- A posse ad esse

Sounds like a plan, Bob….never too early to start I guess…..I would make some gifts, but noone wants mine…...they all think I’m a hack, so I just build stuff nobody can see…...

-- " Don't ever wrestle a pig in a mudhole....he'll be having more fun than you..!!

I have Christmas, almost, twice a week ! Which one are you talking about?

-- Sam Shakouri / CREATING WONDERS WITH WOOD.....Sydney,Australia....

Hi Bob. I am usually a garden/house slave until 1st October. I am often wanting to rest up from the Summer work then, so I usually don’t get started with much before November, then my grandsons want to make stuff, so my stuff usually has to wait until December. My most productive time is Jan. thru March. Maybe a good time to start on Christmas gifts (although I usually don’t)!

Note to Rick Dennington I don’t believe people don’t want your projects!

-- Mike, American in Norway

Oh yea. I did the same thing this year….wanting to start making my gifts in January….... Somehow, it was May the 1st, then, it was Thanksgiving, and, finally got them started Dec 8th…..........LOL Glad I got started early….Whew, I was pushin it…

-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net

I have kind of a plan for XMAS gifts. Throughout the year I just print a copy of things I see on the web that would make good gifts and then I file them. I try to do the same item for everyone so I may be doing 6 or 8 of them. In August I look through the copies and pick one item to do for gifts. I like to start construction in mid to late September with completion for all of them in early December. This allows me time to do other projects but still get the gifts done…LOL. I have kept on this schedule for some years now and it seems to work well for me.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

My big sales time of year is September and October so I have started now to build up an inventory for those big sales. I do sell some projects throughout the summer so I still have a pretty busy fall. I do not make sesonal items but sales are seasonal anyway.

-- In God We Trust

I am not much on planning; so I am doing. I am starting an inventory. Got some cutting boards cut and glued.
Cut five push toys, dowels and everything; http://lumberjocks.com/projects/74969.
I put each one in a paper bag and labeled them. They are too hard to store built, so I’ll build them later in the year (2013)
I want to have at least fifteen jewelry boxes finished by Thanksgiving; http://lumberjocks.com/projects/72804,
these have sold very well.
I am currently working on some palm boxes, a lady friend wants one for her husband, they are currently in the drawing phase. I will do a proto this week.
Plan the work, work the plan!

-- Made in America, with American made tools....Shopsmith

Well that is an issue ,when to start ?
Around here it seems like it’s Christmas all year long .
I build something and along comes somebody and it’s gone .
I think the best time would be December then at least I can say you got your present .

-- Kiefer 松

I’ve always had my presents ready for Christmas
Which year is another matter :) I would like to have
the discipline to make one gift project a month and
put it away. Unfortunately with these wee projects
I tend to give to the first person who admires it. I always
give a gift to anyone that visits my shop. Fellow woodies
might just get a chunk of wood.
jamie

-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe