I knew as soon as I joined Pinterest that this would happen… my head is just swimming in incredible ideas for the holidays thanks to all the “Pinspiration” and “Pinteresting” things I find there! If you aren’t familiar with it yet, Pinterest is web site where you can store and share all the fabulousness that you run across on the web. Think virtual bulletin board, only more organized!
Right now, I am giddy over the cool ideas for Elf on the Shelf, not to mention great gift ideas and recipes! I just love to log in and instantly see things that are fun, simple, creative, and completely doable. I realized today, though, that I’m not yet using Pinterest in a way that makes total sense – getting organized for the holidays! As I run across gift ideas for my family, I can Pin them. As I find recipes perfect for holiday gatherings, I can Pin them. When I see cute decorating displays, I can Pin them. I love that I can add notes right then to specify who, what, when or where I am thinking of using the idea. I have been doing this to some extent, but not necessarily in the most organized way.
Today, I spent a few minutes reorganizing and adding boards that are more specific. Plus, I realized I can repin to multiple boards. So, if there’s a gift in my Gift Ideas board that could be given any time, but I am thinking about it now as a great holiday gift for a neighbor, it can live in both places. Hooray! I also just added a board for things I have already tried, thanks to Pinterest. Here’s a photo of a thankful tree I made this year.
Here is what inspired my Thankful Tree. To really maximize Pinterest’s ability to help us organize for the holidays, here are some tips for you:
- Create new boards specific to the holidays, such as New Year’s Eve Ideas, New Traditions, Holiday Recipes, Party Planning, Holiday Gifts, etc.
- Go through your current boards to see what could be moved or repinned to your new holiday boards. For example, you may have an outfit on a style board that you would like to replicate for a holiday event.
- Make specific notes on pins when you pin them. Quickly jotting down thoughts like “Great gift idea for my elderly neighbor,” or “Pretty Christmas dress for my daughter,” will help you remember what you had in mind when you revisit this later.
- Create a board to repin all the stuff you’ve tried thanks to Pinterest. Delete or make notes on pins of things you tried but didn’t like, that way you won’t repeat the disappointment in a year or two!
Have you found holiday inspiration on Pinterest that you can’t wait to try? Have you tried things you really loved? We’d love to hear what’s Pinteresting to you!
P.S. You are welcome to follow Aby and me on Pinterest! It’s another great way for us to connect and share!
I’ve just added your boards and can’t wait to look through them.
I started off thinking I’d use Pinterest efficiently, and then just got plain pin happy. I need to spend some time to go through my boards to delete, rearrange and recategorize.
I have still to actually go through with some of the ideas I’ve added on Pinterest, but some are very high on the to do list and will get done in January. It’s been general ideas with me rather than specifics.
I can definitely relate to getting pin happy! 🙂 Love that expression.
~ Aby
I almost don’t want friends to know I’m on there or to follow me. I don’t want them knowing where I get all my great ideas!
Pinterest organizes my mind. I have used it just the way you described, and it’s extremely helpful. Next up is creating my “Pinterest — Did This” board.
I have boards for my husband and three children — I put gift ideas, inspiration for them, etc. — whatever reminds me of them. I really wish I could print them off and give each of them their “board” from me for Christmas. My kids love looking at what I’ve collected about them!
Staci
Julie, I have thought that same thing! I have to be really careful about now not to let my kiddos see my pins! 😉
Staci, oh my goodness, I absolutely love your boards for your family members. I’m snagging that idea! 🙂
I have tried to registered with pinterest (also while attending organizing101) but it never worked. The website always says it’s “by invite only” – I think I already requested invites 8 times from them but never got it (maybe I am harrassing them? ;->>>). Can anybody of you guys send me one (I don’t want to put my email-address up here right away, maybe someone who’s willing to help me could write an answer to this comment first and then I publish it?)? I would looooove to have an account there, I love looking at the pictures and boards, it looks so much fun and a great way of collecting ideas…
thank you and have much fun with pinning! ;->
HA! I just got my invite from pinterest, now I am registered as well, horay! ;->
Hi Jennifer, I just got your invite to Pinterest – thank you so much! In the meantime, I had sent them another email and asked them to invite them and this time, it did work out – so I am at Pinterest as well, am already following you and am finding my way around. It looks like a lot of fun! ;->
thanks so much, all the best from Austria,
evi
The ideas are brilliant. I am a visual learner…visually inspired. The pictures plant seeds and ideas I doubt I ever would had the time to find with my own efforts and limited time.