How I’m Documenting December 2025
A peek inside my favorite end-of-year creative ritual—wrapping up the year with one last handmade book full of art, lists, and everyday December stories.
Hi friends, every December, I start a project that helps me close out the year creatively. It’s part reflection, part art experiment, part cozy ritual. I love that mix of intention and play—the feeling that I’m not just ending a year, but giving it a proper creative send-off.
This isn’t about chasing holiday perfection or keeping up with anyone else’s December project. It’s about making something tangible to hold the memories, colors, and small stories that make up this time of year.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this email:
Why documenting December feels different
How I’m making this year’s DIY book
My plan for keeping up and finishing strong
Let’s get into it.
The Magic (and Mess) of December
December has a certain rhythm that feels different from any other month. The days are shorter, the light shifts, and everything carries that “end of the year” energy—half celebration, half exhale.
There are so many fun little things happening this month, and it’s nice to have a creative space just for them. Having a smaller, one-off project means I can set aside bigger things temporarily without feeling like I’ve quit them. It’s a creative pause that still keeps me moving.
That said, my life has a lot more mess than holiday magic. I’m not going to a dozen parties, and most of our family lives twelve hours away. This year, especially—with it being our last December as a family of two—it’s going to be quieter. There will be twinkle lights and cozy meals and naps and maybe a few snowflakes. That’s the version of December I want to capture.
So my December album isn’t drastically different from my usual notebooks—it’s more like a festive remix. I make my pages during Daily Pages Live (about thirty minutes each weekday), using the time I already have set aside. My holiday supplies are out and ready to go, so I don’t waste time digging through bins. I still do Currently Lists, Thursday3s, and the occasional “just because” art page.
On weekends or slower days, I’ll add extra pages or pre-made inserts—little bits I can glue in when I want something easy but still satisfying. It keeps the momentum going even when the to-do lists are long and my energy is short.
Your Turn: What kind of creative container would make December feel doable for you—tiny notebook, folder, or even a single page per week?
Building the Book
This year’s book feels like something special. I’m hand-stitching it from folded typewritten notes that my friend Brandi Kincaid has sent me over the years. Each one is filled with her words—tiny letters, typed sentences, small reflections—and I love the idea of building a new project right on top of that friendship.
The notes are black and white, with that soft typewriter texture that somehow feels both structured and human. It’s a perfect neutral base—enough detail to feel alive, but simple enough to let my colors, paint, and collage shine through.
I’m stitching the pages into signatures by hand. Partly because my sewing machine isn’t set up right now (and honestly, I like the meditative rhythm of stitching), but also because I want this book to be chunky. This is the one time of year when I love adding layers—tags, flaps, pockets, bits of ribbon, maybe a tiny envelope or two. Hand-stitching gives me the flexibility to make it as thick and textured as I want without worrying about the spine giving out halfway through.
When it comes to supplies, I always start by shopping my stash. I pull all my holiday papers and embellishments first, then add cardstock, inks, and letter stickers that coordinate. I’m not chasing a perfect color palette; I’ll let one emerge naturally once I start working. The goal isn’t matchy-matchy—it’s seasonal energy: reds, silvers, kraft paper browns, and the sparkle of metallic ink when it catches the light.
Your Turn: What materials are already sitting in your stash that could become the base for your own end-of-year project?
Staying in Creative Flow
The secret to actually finishing a December project? I build it right into my existing habits.
Daily Pages gives me a natural rhythm: Monday through Friday, I have a half hour set aside to tell one story from the previous day. It’s a small, reliable space that doesn’t require rearranging my life.
Before the month begins, I do a little prep work—cutting shapes, painting papers, or creating interactive elements that might otherwise slow me down. I also make sure all my everyday supplies are stocked (yes, including adhesive). That way, when it’s time to make, I can just make.
Even writing this post is part of that prep. Taking time to ask myself what I want from this project and how I can set myself up for success clears out so much mental clutter. Creative projects eat up decision-making energy. The more decisions I make now, the more space I have later for flow and play.
And when I fall behind—which I will—I give myself permission to make multiple pages in one sitting or keep things simple. December is full of interruptions, and that’s okay. What matters is finishing the story, not keeping a perfect schedule.
Most days I start with a blank page, no pre-painted backgrounds or templates. I like the freedom of a clean slate. I’ll prep inserts, cutouts, or photos in advance, but I want each day’s page to be an honest reflection of that moment.
Your Turn: What helps you stay in creative flow when life gets hectic?
Storytelling, Reflection, and the End of the Year
One of my favorite parts of documenting December is weaving together the daily stories with end-of-year reflections. Some days, the story is obvious—a cozy dinner, a walk in the cold, wrapping gifts. Other days, when nothing stands out, I’ll fill the space with lists: books I’ve read, TV shows I’ve loved, highlights, favorite meals, or things I’m looking forward to in 2026.
These lists act like bookmarks—anchors for memory. Even if I don’t have a photo or a perfect story, I still get to record what my world felt like in this season.
This particular December feels different. I know one of the stories I’ll include is about being pregnant and all the small changes that ripple out from that—how our home feels, how routines shift, how everything familiar feels a little more temporary and a little more precious.
Overall, I keep this project light and positive. My deeper journaling lives elsewhere. This book is meant to be a keepsake—something I can flip through next year and smile at. When I look back, I want it to feel joyful, grounded, and maybe a little chaotic in that “real life” way. Mostly, I want it to feel like us—our last December as a family of two.
Supplies, Color, and Inspiration
This is the month when I get to dive deep into my holiday stash and rediscover treasures I’ve forgotten about. There’s something special about opening a box of stamps or stickers you haven’t seen since last year—tiny time capsules of past Decembers waiting to be used again.
I like to keep my supplies in seasonal baskets and bins. It’s a small touch, but having my materials in cheerful containers adds to the ritual of it all. It feels like part of decorating for the holidays—except instead of stringing lights, I’m setting up a creative workspace that sparks joy every time I sit down.
I do peek at what other people are making during the prep phase—especially if they’re doing their own version of a December project—but once I start, I prefer to stay in my own lane. Inspiration is fuel; comparison is friction. I’d rather translate ideas into my own language and keep the focus on what feels authentic to my stories.
If you’d like to keep up with my pages on a daily basis, update your settings to get my Daily Pages Archive newsletter—it goes out around 7pm Monday through Friday.
If you have any questions about this project, leave a comment below or hit reply on your email and let me know what’s up!
Here’s what we covered today:
December deserves its own creative container.
Building a handmade book sets the tone for the season.
Daily Pages help you actually finish what you start.
Reflection lists are a low-pressure way to wrap up the year.
Creative flow gets easier when you prep before you start.
Action Step: Decide how you want to document December. Maybe it’s one photo a day, a short nightly journal entry, or a mini notebook of gratitude lists. Keep it simple, keep it joyful, keep it yours.
Talk to you next week!
xoxo,
Kristin
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