Christmas in July Crafts
You may be wondering…what in the world is Christmas in July and why should I join in? Today we’ll get a head start on some black and white Christmas crafts, while I share the history of Christmas in July and some ideas on how you can get in the Christmas spirit.
I’ll add the free printables at the end of this post, in case you like any of the designs and want to download them for yourself. Scroll down for that download!
I did a video right here, with the same content, just in case you want to watch instead of read. And don’t forget to “Subscribe” to my channel while you’re on YouTube!
// joy sign
For this first DIY, we’re going to use some old boxes. I really appreciate well constructed packaging, so I always save boxes that I find are very sturdy or have a cool shape.
This Green Estate box lid was from some reusable makeup remover pads and I actually used the base of this box to make a planter awhile back.
If you don’t have any box lids like these, there are some good options at Dollar Tree, in their gift wrapping section. I also love these little wooden drawers, which you can take apart and basically end up with 2 separate boxes.
I have also found these smaller wooden cubes in the craft section at Dollar Tree. This comes in a natural wood color, but I had painted it for another project.
The first thing we’ll do is give these box lids a coat of flat white primer.
I attached all those together and then added a white ribbon, so we can hang this on the wall.
To decorate the ribbon, I used an eyeball off this snowman, and placed that on a fabric snowflake I also got from Dollar Tree. I think black and white looks so sharp with Christmas greenery, so I added a sprig behind the snowflake.
For the front of the box lids, I created a sign that says “Joy”.
I want a torn edge to create a little texture on this piece. With this thin ruler, the texture will be really subtle. If you want more of a larger torn look, then go with a taller ruler. The extra height gives it more of a torn look.
My printer did something weird and added stripes on the black ink. But I’m kinda digging the look! It ups the chic factor a bit and looks like a black pinstripe suit, which I’m ok with.
So, let’s talk a little about how this tradition got started. Sources say that it started at Keystone camp in North Carolina. The camp director, Fannie Holt dreamed up the holiday in 1933. Therer was a huge production with gift exchanges, shows, Christmas trees and Santa Claus. The tradition at the camp has been passed down through generations and has inspired lots of other camps to do the same.
The last step is to use some spray mount and place the letters on the box lids.
// christmas house
My Dollar Tree has a new $3 and $5 dollar section. Let me know in the comments section if your Dollar Tree has this too.
We’ll be using this cute house I found for $5.
I spray painted the outside with that same flat white primer we used earlier, and then painted the drawer front with black acrylic paint.
I created a bow that we’ll be using on the top and attached some greenery on top, so it would go with our black, white and green color scheme.
So, what can you do to celebrate Christmas in July? The day is usually recognized as July 25. But really you can make a fun day out of it on any day of the month.
Ways to celebrate Christmas in July could be getting a jump start on your holiday shopping. If you have cold winters, doing your Christmas shopping in July may help you avoid snowy wet conditions while shopping. Another way to get a head start for Christmas is to have your kids work on their wish list.
You could have a fun themed Christmas in July party at work or at home with family and friends. Cook up some ham and decorate Christmas cookies as a fun activity. The Hallmark channel does Christmas in July, so you could finish the party with one of their Christmas movies.
If you have kids, you can build excitement around the day and have Christmas jammies and then the next morning a tiny tree shows up with a present or 2 underneath. Christmas cocoa, Christmas music and homemade crafts can be fun activities for the day. And then any little ornaments you make are all ready for December.
Ok, back to the crafts! I have this sleigh ornament from Dollar Tree and think it will look nice inside the house. So I re-did the decor on the outside to match our black and white theme.
I attached the bow to the top left of the house as the finishing touch.
I think this would be such a cute Christmas scene sitting out on a coffee table or entry way table. It could even work as part of a tablescape for the Christmas dining table. Now, I’m getting excited about decorating my whole house for Christmas. But I’m not going all out on that until November…so stay tuned!
// christmas florals
Here’s another example of some great packaging. This was a Kleenex box, made for small spaces. It is really solid and well made, so I’m going to turn this into a vase for some florals.
I started with some of that same flat white spray paint we used on the other projects and let that dry.
I created this reindeer head and it also printed out with those cool pinstripes. You could trim this out and wrap the entire piece of paper around the container. But this is a simple enough design, so I’m going to be my own “Cricut” and cut this out myself.
A little retail history on Christmas in July. There was a movie called Christmas in July in 1940 and by the 1950s retailers had caught on to the trend.
It seems like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s and other home decor stores have slowly been creeping earlier and earlier in the year to have their Christmas displays out, with some starting as early as July. Everyone seems to be catching on to this trend.
I’m going outside to give this reindeer a light coat of Super 77 spray mount and press the design right on there.
I thought the reindeer needed a little dressing up, so I put this on her so she would match our other projects.
These florals are from Dollar Tree. They have just the right amount of sparkle and are a really crisp white color that will go so nicely with our sharp looking Christmas decorations.
Here are those Christmas printables I promised you.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas in July and find fun, new ways to create creative traditions!
Other posts you may enjoy are linked below.
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How about some Target Dollar Spot crafts and Dollar Tree coastal transformations. We’ll be putting together tiered tray miniatures to decorate our little coastal vignette.