Crafty Christmas tips

If the thought of Christmas leaves you feeling flustered rather than festive, we’ve got some crafty tips to get you through the season. Whether you’re trying to think of the perfect gift, or attempting to keep the kids busy, our snippets of advice will help keep you on track. 

Cheap and cheerful homemade treats

Keeping to a budget can be tricky over Christmas, so try making some of your presents to minimise your costs. Even a simple bundle of homemade treats  can spread some joy – just dress them up in a special box. There’s no need to go to the shops – just get out some thick paper or card and print off a template to create your box at home. We’ve got a selection of free gift box templates that you can use including a gingerbread house. Our top tip -  line your box with baking paper to keep the box grease-free. 

Keep the kids busy

It’s great having time off with the kids at Christmas, but keeping them occupied can be a real challenge when it comes to inspiration and spiraling costs. Pretty much every kid loves being let loose with a pack of pencils and a colouring in sheet, so let them get creative with our free festive printables. There’s Christmas trees, baubles and stars all ready for your little ones to colour in. Make sure you never run out with our templates that can be printed on demand.

Unique Christmas gifts

Are you struggling to think of a Christmas gift? It might not be new, but photos always go down a treat. What Grandma or Grandpa can resist a picture of their grandchildren? Bring your photos to life and share them with your loved ones. It’s easy to do at home and you don’t even need a computer; with our free Epson Creative Print app you can print photos on your Epson printer directly from Facebook.  

Christmas cards covered

We’ve all been there;  a casual acquaintance suddenly surprises you with a Christmas card and you’re struck with guilty pangs as you left them off your list. This year, get yourself prepared for every card-giving scenario with a selection of backup cards on hand. What’s our top tip? Opt for a neutral design so that whether they’re a colleague, neighbour or friend, you’ll be ready to sign and go. Never get caught out – keep a selection of our printable Christmas cards to hand. 

Foolproof crafting

Following your latest crafting attempts, do your friends leave rather mean comments on your Facebook page with hashtags such as #epicfail? You need to find yourself a foolproof crafting option this Christmas to put them in their place. Avoid lengthy instructions, tiresome lists of equipment and time-intensive activities, and opt for an activity that is easy, fun and proven to deliver great results. Create original Christmas baubles and hanging star decorations with our easy and free printable templates.

Last-minute gifts

It’s the giving that counts, so don’t feel bad this year if you buy vouchers to solve any last-minute shopping crises. To make your voucher as impressive as any gift-wrapped item, why not place it in a bespoke card? Give your card a unique and special touch with a shared memory from the year and personalise it with their name.  We’ve got a selection of free voucher card templates that you can print at home. 

Festive features

Is there anything better than the sight of a stack of presents? They can make a great feature in themselves with a little artful arrangement, but before you start gathering  them all up, make sure each gift has a tag. It will ensure you don’t forget who each one is to, while also adding a little finesse. Head to our website to print off our tag templates as and when you need them.

With our top tips, you’ll be able to enjoy the merriment of the season, safe in the knowledge that you’re ready for at least some of its challenges.  

Find a selection of free festive themed templates here and download our free Epson Creative Print app here.

Love crafting but worry about escalating ink costs? You can relax with EcoTank as you receive a bundle of high-yield ink bottles with the printer that could save you 90% on ink costs on average¹. Additional ink bottles are affordable too.

Find out more about the EcoTank here.

1. Average number of cartridges required /savings achieved  printing the same number of pages using the ink bottles included within the EcoTank range, excluding hardware price.  Comparison made on the average of the A4 EcoTank range versus the average of the top 10 best-selling models in Western Europe, in the period January 2017– December 2017, as tracked by GfK.  Printing costs calculated on the proportion of Standard and XL cartridges as tracked by GfK for the same reference period for the Western European market, using average retail prices.  Ink cartridge yields as communicated by the manufacturer’s websites.