Make It Monday – Week 5: Apricot Jam, Crochet Dishcloths & Getting Ahead on Handmade Christmas

Week 5 of the Handmade Christmas Challenge was one of those quietly satisfying weeks where a lot got done without feeling rushed — the kind of progress that really shows the power of starting early.

My week began with an absolute gift: 7.86 kilos of freshly picked apricots, straight from the tree. Summer fruit is one of the joys of this season, and stone fruits are my clear favourite. 

Out came the jam jars, and 4 kilos were turned into rich, golden apricot jam, now neatly lined up on the pantry shelves — a very welcome addition to our handmade Christmas stash. The rest were stewed, with some set aside for breakfasts (stewed apricots with yoghurt and muesli is just delicious), and the remainder bagged and frozen for winter crumbles and pies. Future me will be very grateful.

This is one of the reasons I love including food gifts in my Handmade Christmas plan — they make the most of seasonal abundance and spread the work across the year.

In the evenings I crocheted more cotton dishcloths. Some are for us, some are destined for Hannah’s Christmas stocking, and others went straight into the present box.

Dishcloths are one of my favourite Handmade Christmas items because they are quick to make, easy to batch and as a gift they're useful and always appreciated. 
They’re perfect “sitting projects” (think watching TV of an evening or on car journeys or waiting for something/someone) and a great way to make steady progress without thinking too hard.

This week I also reviewed my to-make list. I’m a planner at heart, and breaking the list down into individual items made everything feel much more manageable.

Here’s what the maths looks like:
178 handmade items planned for the year
That works out to 16 items a month
Or just 4 items a week

Batch making is the secret! It sounds like a lot when you see it all written out, but when I go over the list, the reality is much calmer:
• Many items can be batch made
• Most projects are quick
• Only a couple will take a few hours from start to finish
The key is treating Handmade Christmas as planned work, not something squeezed in when I feel like it. Even though the work is enjoyable and relaxing, it still has a purpose.

When I counted what’s already done, I couldn’t help but do a happy dance — I’m not just on track, I’m ahead.

What’s in the present box so far:
• Dishcloths (14)
• Canning mats (2)
• Pot holders (2)
• Kitchen towels (3)
• Gift bags (4)
• Cutlery rolls (2)
• Vanilla extract (still brewing – enough for 4 bottles)
• Apricot jam (4)
• Etched jam jars (6)

That’s 37 items already completed — two months (and a bit) ahead of schedule. Woo hoo!

That’s the heart of the Handmade Christmas Challenge — small, regular effort that adds up to a relaxed, joyful Christmas, finished well before December.

If you’re joining along, remember: you don’t need to do everything at once. You just need to keep working on your gift list.