What is a December Daily? A Beginner’s Guide to Journaling and Memory Keeping
90 Creative Ideas to Fill Your December Daily (and a DIY Santa Paper Doll)
Why a December Daily Works for Busy (and Creative) Christian Women
If you’ve ever wanted to journal more but felt like it was too much pressure, a December Daily might be exactly what you need. It’s simple, fun, and honestly something you look forward to every single day.
Now that my kids are grown and the nest is quiet, the holidays feel totally different. Sweet, but different. A few years ago, I stumbled onto the idea of a December Daily, and suddenly something clicked. I had already been junk journaling, but very inconsistently.
Confession time: my January Junk Journal 2024 has… two pages finished. Total. I could not keep up with the daily challenge prompts, the supply pulling, the brain-switching, the “be creative now” pressure.
But a December Daily? Those are a whole different story.
Why a December Daily Feels So Easy
When I heard people were documenting real moments of their December — scraps of wrapping paper, gift receipts, bulging shopping lists, ticket stubs, napkins from parties — my little creative heart said yes please!
I was hooked.
One year my daughter was expecting her first baby, and my December Daily was all gingerbread pink-and-blue because the gender reveal was Christmas Eve. I even made a gingerbread blue bow tie and a pink hair bow to glue into the journal depending on the reveal. (The picture below is priceless.)
That’s when I realized: December Daily isn’t really crafting. It’s storytelling. And your story is worth documenting.
Why These Journals Become Treasured Keepsakes
When you document your day after it happens, you can tell the story in a way that future-you will love reading. These journals become the kind of keepsakes your family actually wants to keep.
Let’s be honest… I still cringe thinking about the 15 boxes of Creative Memories scrapbooks in my garage from the 90s. Did you ever go to a “crop til you drop” scrapbook party? You’d bring a rolling case stuffed with stickers, die cuts, decorative scissors, and spend five hours making one page while eating pizza and popcorn?
December Daily is nothing like that. This is easy. Relaxed. Joyful. A few cut-and-pastes, a little doodling, a few sentences about your day, and that’s it.
A HUGE List of December Daily Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
Use these to help you fill your December Daily with meaningful memories, not pressure. Use the ones that fit your story and skip the rest.
- Real or fake tree
- Scrap of this year’s wrapping paper
- A family holiday tradition
- Gift list
- Letter to Santa
- Christmas party guest
- Christmas party host
- Favorite moment of the day
- Making cookies
- Wrapping gifts
- School play
- Looking at Christmas lights
- Tree farm visit
- Making crafts
- Decorating the house
- Stocking stuffers
- Ugly sweater day
- Mittens or gloves
- Hot cocoa recipe
- Build a snowman
- Fruitcake: love it or leave it
- Mistletoe moment
- Watching Christmas movies
- Family photos
- Candlelight church service
- Craft bazaar visit
- Snowflakes or paper chain banners
- Window decorating
- Visit with Santa
- Ice skating or skiing
- Weather snapshot of the day
- Favorite Christmas memory
- Reading Christmas books
- Cookies for Santa
- Shopping receipts
- Christmas Eve
- Opening presents
- Favorite gift received
- Christmas dinner
- Gingerbread houses
- Caroling or favorite Christmas song
- White elephant gifts
- Christmas games
- Hanging stockings
- Advent wreath
- Christmas candies
- Christmas cards
- Family Christmas photo
- Ornament exchange
- Holiday socks
- Elf-on-the-shelf antics
- Wrapping station chaos
- First cup of Christmas coffee
- A kindness you gave
- A kindness you received
- Your favorite Christmas scent
- Holiday shopping outfit
- Something funny that happened
- Christmas décor you regret buying
- A new ornament
- A childhood holiday memory
- The Christmas song you overplay
- A holiday recipe you always burn
- Church notes
- Your favorite Christmas ornament
- A favorite Bible verse for the season
- Your nativity scene
- Your Christmas table
- A gift you made
- A gift you wrapped creatively
- Your tree topper story
- Letters you mailed
- Your pet and Christmas
- Christmas pajamas
- Your Christmas scent of the day
- Holiday marketplace or vendor fair
- Cup of cheer (your favorite warm drink)
- Advent calendar moment
- Something you bought for yourself
- Favorite Christmas childhood toy
- A recipe card from someone you love
- Something that didn’t go as planned
- The funniest gift you ever gave
- Christmas traditions you want to start
- Christmas traditions you’re letting go
- A miracle moment this season
- A prayer for the upcoming year
- Something God showed you today
- What you’re grateful for today
- Your word for the coming year
The Benefits of a December Daily for Christian Creatives
Emotional and Mental Well-Being
- A creative outlet without pressure
- A mood booster
- Surprisingly therapeutic
- Helps you slow down during a busy season
- Cultivates gratitude and awareness of God’s goodness
Memory Keeping and Storytelling
- Captures fleeting moments
- Creates a keepsake you’ll actually reread
- Combines handwriting, photos, and real-life ephemera
- Lets you tell the story God is writing through your days
Creative Growth and Practical Benefits
- Jumpstarts creativity
- Builds a consistent habit
- Helps you repurpose scraps, packaging, paper, and pieces of your life
- Connects you with other creatives
- Strengthens your artistic voice little by little
Use #dressoutlouddecember when you share so our creative community can cheer you on.
Behind the Scenes: What I’m Working on Right Now
I’m currently making watercolor lipstick “Santa” ornaments for our family ornament exchange. We’ve been doing this tradition since before 2000, and every family makes and sends handmade ornaments that represent who they are. Mine is lipstick themed this year because… well, Lipstick Boss. My husband is Mr. Lipstick Boss by default.
Eight families. Eight handmade ornaments. And years and years of memories hanging on our tree.
Meet Santa Boss. My official Family Ornament for Christmas 2025.
DIY: Want my secret to making these Santas? I did an online search for lipstick clip art. I drew the shape on a piece of cardboard from a cracker box and created a template. I traced around it with pencil, on watercolor paper (140 lb.) and then I found a cute Santa clip art face and incorporated it into the lipstick pattern. I put one of my Lipstick Boss brand labels on the front and gave him a ‘Glow Up’ with some glitter glue and loose glitter. Now I need to figure out what type of hanger to use so he can hang like a real Santa Boss. (I made extra to use as paper doll focal points in my December Daily too!)
Scripture to Encourage Christian Artists
Here’s the verse for today’s creative journaling:
Psalm 63:5
“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.”
Let this remind you that creativity is one of the ways God fills your soul. It’s a kind of spiritual satisfaction.
Maybe print this verse in your December Daily today? I’m going to write it on the back of my Santa Boss ornaments because… joyful lips!
How to Begin…
- PRAY first
- PRINT the verse
- Create a PRETTY PAGE (decorate the page: doodle, color, collage, tape, stamp, paint, glitter, glue…)
- PROCLAIM! (write a truth statement or prayer)
- POST IT! (#gettingreadydaily)
What You’ll Need to Get Started
To make your December Daily enjoyable and simple, all you really need is a journal with at least 31 pages—handmade or new works perfectly—plus a few basic supplies. Colored pencils, markers, a pen, and any holiday ephemera you collect during the day: coffee labels, wrapping paper scraps, Christmas cards, stickers, gift tags, receipts. Add a glue stick, and if you want to go all out, paints and glitter and paper dolls (focal points) and of course lots of FUN paperclips peeking out the top of your journal.
The key is to keep everything in a box or pouch right next to your journal so you can grab it quickly. Keep it simple. You can journal in the morning about the day before, or at night before bed. It only takes a few minutes, depending on how much you want to decorate your pages. If you’d like, I have handmade December Dailys, junk journals, paper dolls, hand painted ephemera and journal kits available in my Etsy shop, all ready to help you create and record your December memories.
Your Takeaway Today
You are a Christian creative. Your art isn’t just something you make — it’s something God breathes life into. A December Daily helps you create every day, strengthen your artistic gifts, grow your storytelling voice, and draw closer to the One who created you to create.
When you show up to the page, you’re saying “Yes, Lord, I’m here. Use me.” And He will. He always will.
Keep the Inspiration Going
If this post encouraged you, you’ll love my story about How God Revived My Creative Calling (at 62). It’s full of breakthroughs, inspiration, and proof that God’s timing is perfect – even when it seems late. Click though and see how He breathed new life into my creativity and how He can do the same for you.
Resources for Christian Artists and Entrepreneurs
Hey Creative Friend! Are you ready to stop worrying about getting a ‘real’ job and step into the creative business that God gave you? I wrote this book for you…
GETTING READY: Becoming the Super Successful Artist God Called You to Be
(A Self-Published Guide for Artists, Creatives & Kingdom-Minded Entrepreneurs)
If you’ve ever wondered how to blend your creative calling with your God-given purpose, Getting Ready is for you. Think of it as part faith art journal, part how-to guide, and totally made for creative women like us — artists, makers, and dreamers who love Jesus and feel called to something more.
Inspired by Queen Esther’s season of preparation, this book takes you on a heart-level journey — a mix of spiritual growth and practical action — helping you align your creativity, business, and identity with who God says you are.
Perfect for:
Artists, makers, authors, and crafters
Anyone craving a creative comeback and a little spiritual renewal — Queen Esther style!
Thank you for visiting my blog where I love blending Beauty & Creativity for Self-Care and Mental Health. Before you go, if you haven’t already, grab the free resource below and Make it a beautiful day! Nancy
Page with Comments
Comments are closed.