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Countdown to Christmas - Artisan Gift Favorites - Week 2, 2026

Week 2 of the Countdown to Christmas 2026 has already come . . . and gone!  No worries, however, because many unique artisan handmade / designed items were left in its wake.  According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 86 days (as of the day this blog posted) until Christmas is here.  With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her wonderful four-footed sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop.  The twelve week time period was chosen to correspond with the ubiquitous Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas''. This week, there were 24 shares by 8 artists featuring a wide range of gift ideas: unique jewelry, lampwork beads, art prints, garden banners, journals, table linens and a host of other beauties.  If you need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping, the Countdown is the place to do just that!  An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN.  And, most of all, SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE to support indie businesses!  We will absolutely thank you!

Each week during the Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. Here are my favorites for Week 2:   

Countdown to Christmas Gifts - Artisan Favorites - Week 1, 2026

It seems the Countdown to Christmas was happening just a few short months ago?  Where has the time gone?  Here it is, the middle of September, and the first week of the Countdown is already up and running!  The ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown clock says there are only 93 days (as of today) before Christmas is here!  With that in mind, it's definitely not too early to start thinking about all those people on your Christmas shopping list.  Where to start????  What should you get for them???  A perfect place to shop (and hopefully buy) is on the 12 week Countdown to Christmas 2026 collections.  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, all the collections will be filled with a wide variety of artisan handmade / designed gifts.  A new collection will be added each Friday through the beginning of December.  On week 1 of the Countdown to Christmas, there were 33 shares from 11 artisans, a wide variety of gifts: unique jewelry, journals, home decor, note cards, art and more.  A good holiday motto to remember:  SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all:  SHOP SMALL, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie sellers!

Here are my favorite picks from Week 1 of the Countdown to Christmas:

Christmas in July 2026 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 4

Here we are at the last full week of July!  oh my gosh, how does the time speed by so quickly???  This is also the last full week of the Christmas in July 2026 promotion.  Since Santa and his flying reindeer will show up before we know it, it’s not too early to start shopping for unique holiday gifts for a loved one.  There are now only 148 days to Christmas (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.  

Artist friends were asked to participate in a “Christmas in July” promotion, sharing four of their favorite items - one that was “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and three others that didn’t have to be.  The first week was only Christmas items - the weeks since have been a mixture.  Many of these beauties are one of a kind, so be sure to shop early (and often) so you don’t miss out.  And please visit the shops of the artists for even more wonderful items that are handmade / designed from the heart.  Hopefully items featured either here or in the shops will make it into your shopping basket.  Buy a unique artisan gift for a loved one . . . and be sure to treat yourself!   Remember:  SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!  The indue artists will thank you!

Here are the items featured in this last week of Christmas in July 2026 - Week 4:  

Christmas in July 2026 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 2

It’s a bit over halfway through the year and Christmas will be here before we know (just like in years past!).  Because of this, it’s never too early to start shopping for unique holiday gifts for a loved one!  Santa will be clattering around with his herd of reindeer in about 5 ½ months - actually 162 days (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.  

Artist friends were asked to participate in a “Christmas in July” promotion, sharing four items - one that was “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and three others that didn’t have to be.  Last week, Christmas items were showcased in a new blog.  This week the items are a mixture of Christmas and non-Christmas creations.  Since many of these beauties are one of a kind, be sure to shop early (and often) so you don’t miss out.  And please visit the shops of the artists for even more wonderful items that are handmade or designed from the heart.  Hopefully items featured here or in the shops will make it into your shopping basket.  Buy for a loved one . . . and be sure to treat yourself!   Remember:  SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!