My 2023 December Daily Pages: Reflections + What’s Up for 2024
Flipthrough video of my 2023 December Daily Pages album
December always has a way of feeling both magical and completely overwhelming, doesn’t it? Last year, my 2023 December Daily Pages were my creative grounding point—a way to bring the holiday spirit into my life while keeping it simple, fun, and manageable. Today, I’m going to share a flipthrough video of that album and talk about how it’s inspiring me for this upcoming holiday season.
For those of you unfamiliar with December Daily Pages, it’s a mix of two creative traditions I love: Ali Edwards’ December Daily, a holiday storytelling project, and my own Daily Pages routine, a creative habit I’ve practiced since 2018. By blending these approaches, I’ve found a way to balance holiday cheer with the everyday joys of scrapbooking and storytelling.
December Daily Pages Art Journal
As the year comes to a close, there are some great stories to be told. Family stories, friend stories, food stories, cozy stories, work stories, end of year favorites stories — just to name a few.
As I look back at my 2023 album and prep for this year’s project, I’m excited to share what worked, what didn’t, and what I’m bringing forward into 2024. Whether you’re planning a December project of your own or just looking for a little inspiration, I hope these reflections spark something for you.
My Favorite Pages from 2023
Let’s start with the good stuff! Here are some of my favorite pages from last year’s album—and why I loved making them.
Packaging and a Picture
This page was all about creativity and resourcefulness. I used packaging from a holiday-themed product as the background, paired it with a photo, and voila—a festive, low-pressure page!DIY Photo Wreath
Inspired by Ali Edwards' December Daily community, I created a wreath design using small photos and colorful paper. It was such a fun way to mix storytelling with craft.TV Tuesday (Interactive)
This was hands-down one of the most playful pages I made! I designed a little pop-dot TV to showcase the shows I was watching that week. I loved incorporating interactivity into the page.Clear Circle Insert
A day trip inspired this page, which included a clear circle cut into the design for a fun, peek-through effect. It added some dimension to the album and made me smile every time I saw it.
Each page was a little slice of the season, and together, they created a really timely and meaningful collection of stories.
What Worked (and What Didn’t)
Looking back, I learned a lot about what makes this kind of project enjoyable—and what can turn it into a headache.
What Worked:
Keeping It Small: Using a smaller 4x6 notebook kept the project manageable and less intimidating.
Daily Routine: I created during my usual Daily Pages time (Noon, M-F), which helped me stay consistent without adding stress.
Stories + Supplies: Some days were about storytelling, and others were just about playing with supplies and creating festive vibes. That balance kept things light and fun.
What Didn’t Work:
The Color Palette: I went with a traditional holiday palette, and while it was pretty, it didn’t feel quite “me.”
Pre-Made Pages: I thought I’d save time by creating pages and bits in advance, but I ended up not using them at all.
Weekend Work: Trying to create pages on Saturdays and Sundays just didn’t fit with my life. My weekends are for rest and other priorities, so I’ll adjust for that in 2024.
What I’m Bringing Forward:
Skip Weekends: I’ll leave space in my album for Saturday and Sunday but catch up on those pages during the week.
Smaller Album: I’m sticking with the 4x6 size but switching to a structured scrapbook album for this year.
Creative Routine: My Daily Pages time is still my go-to. It’s when I feel most in the flow, and I’ll share my progress each day via email and in our live sessions.
Lessons for Your Creative Projects
Here’s the biggest thing I want you to take away: your project should work for you. Not some idealized version of you, but the real you—busy, tired, festive, or however you’re feeling this season.
If you don’t have time to document every day, that’s okay. Pick a few meaningful moments and focus on those.
If you’re not feeling the story vibe, play with supplies and enjoy the process.
If you want to skip days or keep it super simple, go for it.
Creativity isn’t about perfection—it’s about joy. Trust yourself to make something that feels good to you.
What’s Next for 2024
I’m so excited to dive into this year’s December Daily Pages! My plan is to keep things simple and lean into the parts of the project that bring me the most joy:
Crafting During Daily Pages Time: I’ll continue creating at Noon, M-F, and sharing my pages with the community both on the ALP app, and here in my Substack emails.
Simple Weekend Pages: I’ll leave space for weekends in the album but keep those pages easy and stress-free.
Getting in the Holiday Spirit: For me, this project is part of how I do the holidays. Since my family lives far away and my plans are pretty low-key, crafting helps bring the season to life in my home.
I can’t wait to see how the new 4x6 scrapbook album works out—especially since last year’s DIY setup got very chunky. It’ll be a fun challenge to see how I handle the bulk this time around!
Want to Join Me?
Here’s how you can get involved:
What Are You Making?: Let me know about your December creative plans by responding to the poll below!
Awesome Ladies Project: Share your work (and find inspiration!) in the Awesome Ladies Project app. I’ll be posting my pages there all month.
Daily Pages Live Sessions: Want to join me in real-time? Check out our December sessions and sign up!
Looking back on 2023, I’m so glad I continued to make time for December Daily Pages. It wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t need to be. It gave me a space to reflect, play, and connect with the season in a way that felt meaningful to me.
If you’re thinking about starting your own December project—or adapting one to fit your life—I hope this inspires you to give it a shot. The holidays can be messy and overwhelming, but they’re also full of stories waiting to be told.
So grab your supplies, make something festive, and share it with us. I can’t wait to see what you create!
So cute! I know what you mean about the colors. I tend to gravitate toward Christmas colors that aren’t typical Christmas Colors haha
I voted for food making, but scrapbooking is a close second. My cards are already finished. Your album is so amazing. Mine is on the simpler side.