24 Comments

• 1. Blakelyn&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 7:41 am

  I personally wish they would wait AT LEAST until after Halloween before putting out the Christmas stuff. I think November 1st is a reasonable time to start promoting Christmas.

  My favorite scrapbook company would have to be K&Co. They just have the cutest stuff!

• 2. Christina Moquin&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 7:47 am

  I’m half way done with my Christmas cards already. If I don’t start early, I’ll never get them done. The only thing holding me up was waiting for the paper (I’m going with Eskimo Kisses from Basic Grey this year) and now that I have that in hand I can finish the cards off at a crop this weekend.

  I do a lot of crafts for gifts and since I work full time and go to school part time, starting early is a must for me. I usually start in September, planning begins in August.

  Of course, I’m one of “those people” who aims to be done Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I hate the malls over the holidays!

• 3. Kajikit&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 7:51 am

  The fact is that Christmas craft stuff is NOT the same as decorations and Christmas music… stores plug the latter months too early (you shouldn’t be forced to listen to Jingle Bells until Thanksgiving!), but there’s no such thing as ‘too early’ for buying Craft supplies – the sooner you can get them, the more time you have for making your projects. If you’re making projects for charity, they need them in their hands before the Christmas supplies are even on the shelf in a lot of stores! (I make cards for Operation Write Home and their Christmas mailing deadline is November 1st.)

• 4. Carolina Almendrales&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 7:59 am

  I share your opinion that Florida is just going to skip Fall. I live in Miami and we have been in the 90′s for the whole month of October! We seriously need a break from the heat.

  I feel comfortable with Christmas decor on Nov. 1st. We are planning a trip to NC for Thanksgiving and I am already thinking about what gifts I can find up there. I was born in Colorado and I really enjoy the mountains, so I would like to see anything with snow covered mountains…hopefully I can get some custom work done after this trip! Thanks!

• 5. Jan&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:00 am

  Christmas Early please!!! If you teach or do your own cards it’s nice to see what’s out there early.

• 6. Tina Edwards&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:13 am

  PLEASE Julie. Please!! NOt until after Thanksgiving! The pilgrims deserve to be recognized too!! I HATE the fact that it is getting earlier and earlier!! Then poof it is gone and SUMMER clothes are out. For people like me who live in Michigan and your children have a growth spirt or lose their gloves and can only find swim suits in February….PLEASE wait on the holiday season…..

  Tina

• 7. Tina Edwards&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:15 am

  Ok, I understand crafting is different then the holidays…so I will rescind my last comment and acknowledge for those who make their cards, God bless you and bring on the Christmas paper:)

  Tina in Michigan…..

• 8. Andrea&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:16 am

  I believe the Christmas season has become too commercialized. Unfortunately. I don’t believe it has been the customers choice to see this out so early. I think it’s retailers in their push to make money.

  What happened to being able to enjoy the upcoming holiday? Life already goes by too fast. Let’s enjoy Halloween then begin to take in Thanksgiving and from there move on to the Christmas season.

  However, I do agree that craft supplies is a bit different than music, displays and decorations. I would agree with others that Nov. 1 would be a reasonable time.

• 9. Sue&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am

  I agree, Christmas Craft & Christmas Decorations are two different things. My local independent scrapbooking store always has some Christmas around somewhere…you never know when you’ll need to scrap a cute Christmas layout. Jo-Ann fabrics used to do a Christmas in July promotion for all of us sewers who have to start early or we’d never get anything done in time!

  I am with you Julie, Santa brought Christmas to Macy’s (even though I lived in Texas at the time) and the day after Thanksgiving is when it all started. I think it is all waaaay to early and we should go back to making it more in-line with the seasons. Target had Christmas stuff while they were still selling back to school! But I’m a throwback, I am really starting to come to the opinion that we ought to go back to stores being closed on Sunday so everyone can have a day of rest in this insane world!

  p.s. live just outside Boston and it was in the 30′s last night and they are talking about the “s” word for Friday.

• 10. Debbie&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:22 am

  Please have holiday paper, diecuts, and stickers early! Christmas is my favorite holiday but with working full time I try to start my projects, cards and gifts early so that I can enjoy the time with my family.

• 11. Cathy&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:46 am

  In my parent’s home idle hands were the devil’s playground. Crafting and presents were made year round, so I am always in favor of having any holiday supplies available year round.

  My birthday is November 30, so the Christmas decorating season does not start for me until December 1.

• 12. Liz Lowe&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:49 am

  I agree with all the “Craft People” that Christmas craft supplies should be available all year round. There is something really magical about making Christmas decorations for my local Church craft fair when it is July and 90 degrees outside !! Summer sweaty fingers make it easy to pick up sequins !! HOWEVER, the stores should clear out the Halloween decorations and then put up the Christmas display, so I also agree that Nov 1 is a good time for stores to start their Christmas displays. Of course Hallmark Cards always does the Christmas in July thing on July 25 and if you collect a certain ornament collection, you had better be there at 9am when the store opens !! I am not a crazy person who gets up at 5am on the day after Thanksgiving, but I am usually the first on line at Hallmark on July 25 !! LOVE those dated ornaments…very sentimental to me

• 13. Destini&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 8:56 am

  I think for craft items it’s ok to make them available year round. Decorations themselves and advertising should be reserved for late November.
  Julie, I want to thank you, not many people care what their customers want like you do these days, and you deserve to know that it is appreciated.
  I look forward to every Wednesday, just so I can read what is going on in Julie’s world.
  I envy your employees for having a boss like you! (and for your lack of cold weather!).
  I know has nothing to do with you blog anymore, but
  Thank you for your time!!!
  Destini—St. Louis

• 14. Bethlehem79&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 9:03 am

  I have been looking for Christmas paper for the last couple of weeks. I’ve asked the sales people at Michaels when was the paper coming in. I just want to get strated with my cards. I try to send them out Thanksgiving weekend because after that, I get caught up in shopping and other holiday stuff. I hope to find some really nice light blue Christmas paper with glitter for my cards. I know there will be lots of reds and greens.
  Thanks for all that you do.

• 15. Karen Bushy&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 9:58 am

  Almost all of the scrapping I did this summer was a Christmas book I’m working on – - – scrapping Christmas over the years. I think it is a mistake to think that we only use seasonal paper at that season. I wouldn’t care if you never had another Halloween paper…I just don’t use them very much, and I have what I need. I love working on the church Craft Show – called Christmas in July – and by the time the Thanksgiving/Christmas season actually begins, I put away the scrap stuff until after Christmas. No time!!!! As to the timing of your presenting the Christmas lines, if I see new products on another website I buy it! I have no way to know if you’ll be carrying that particular selection, and after this many years of scrapping, I’ve learned one lesson – If you see it, and you like it, BUY IT NOW!!!!
  So….I’ve found that I’ve purchased things from other vendors, only to find you carrying the same thing some time later. I say, post it the day you get it!!!! Let us decide for ourselves if we want to “wait” or if we want to jump in right away.

  Thanks for asking!!!! Karen

• 16. Vicky&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 10:22 am

  Bring it on! I’m already in the Christmas spirit!

• 17. Gail Brandt&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 10:38 am

  Christmas decorations and especially christmas carols should be after Thanksgiving only! As for craft supplies – for me I would like them early since I have to send a lot of Christmas cards back home (South Africa) so like to get them done early.
  Christmas in South Dakota is way different to Christmas in South Africa – here we are cold and snowy – back home we are on the beach:-) Still trying to adjust to that!

• 18. Vicki&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 10:48 am

  I had this same conversation with a friend recently. She runs a textile business. For her she MUST get her Christmas stock out by July or August so her customers can purchase the raw materials for their crafts. That way her customers have time to make the necessary items for sale in time for the holidays. So I fully understand the need to get stuff out, although I hate to see Christmas items when its still 95 out! Most of what I’ve seen out lately is crafty items and not so much Christmas decor.

• 19. Dawn&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 11:25 am

  Please Christmas stuff early. I start my cards early and am always scrapbooking Christmas no matter what time of year it is. To be honest I am sick of seeing so much Halloween stuff, would love to see more “Fall” stuff too.

• 20. Wendy Bradley&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

  I would understand the need for the Christmas product for people to make their cards early. However, it is so very sad that Christmas has become so commercialized that they start selling things right around Labor Day now. They are taking away the true meaning of the season by trying to make a buck. But I do understand in the craft business, the need to get started early, so you can get your gifts or cards made early. Thx. for reading.

• 21. Susan Hughes&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 2:23 pm

  I am for having a Christmas crafting section all year long — you never know when you will actually get around to scrapping those Christmas pictures you took! BUT, I’m not for a big Christmas promotion push until the week after Thanksgiving. I also love to enjoy each holiday as it comes along, and I’m especially fond of Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time it is to slow down, get together with family and remember to be THANKFUL for all the blessings we’ve been given. As always, Julie, thanks for allowing your customers the opportunity to provide input into your business — I know that’s why you have so many loyal ones!

• 22. Janet Senior&hellip  |  October 14th, 2009 at 7:37 pm

  ‘YES’ ‘YES’ ‘YES’ PLEASE! AS SOON AS A SHOP OR STORE HAS CHRISTMAS THINGS I PURCHASE AND BY THE TIME THE OTHER SHOPS PUT THERE THINGS OUT I DON’T NEED THEM SO THEY MISS OUT.
  AS A BUSINESS OWNER IF I WAS IN THIS LINE OF BUISNESS I WOULD DEFINALTY PUT CHRISTMAS ON DISPLAY SOONER AND ESPECIALLY FOR OVER SEAS CUTOMERS LIKE MYSELF I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE I AM ALREADY SELLING MY XMAS GIFT BOXES NOW!! AND I NEED TO MAKE MORE NOW SO GOING SHOPPING TODAY TO BUY MORE CHRISTMAS STUFF TO THE SHOPS THAT HAVE CHRISTMAS THINGS PLUS ALSO FOR ME TO SEND MY FAMILY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS I HAVE MADE FOR THEM I HAVE TO POST IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BY SEA. CHEERS JANET AUSTRALIA

• 23. Carol Carratt&hellip  |  October 15th, 2009 at 1:25 am

  I wish the stores and other businesses would wait until after Halloween to decorate for Christmas!! I would however like to see Christmas themed card making and scrapbooking items by September so that I can get a headstart on my Christmas cards along with Christmas with Cricut. I would love to see SEI Christmas Mint collection and another one (?) Christmas with Cricut used recently.

• 24. Jan Ross&hellip  |  October 15th, 2009 at 8:05 am

  Definitely wait until after Halloween to decorate stores! The Christmas season starts for me when Santa is at the end of the Macy’s parade and we share that tradition of the parade with our grandchildren. I do admit my goal is to have my holiday shopping done (except for maybe some stocking stuffers) when that Thanksgiving turkey goes in the oven. Just can’t stand the crowds! Thank goodness for online shopping with free shipping!