This project is about creating Christmas joy and magic in our community but it isn't really about Christmas. Children do not need to observe Christmas to take part. This is just a time of year for friends and family to get together and celebrate. We want to extend the kindness and care people have for their families to our wider Lower Hutt Community.

Christmas is also about consumerism - and buying to make ourselves happy. If we are mindful about our purchases, we can support local businesses supporting us and use some of the money we would be spending anyway on spreading joy to children in our community.

Just like with family, all marketing and administrative costs in doing this project are paid by Amy and I. I have purchased Christmas decor and craft supplies to donate and raided my supplies. All money fundraised will go directly to children in our secret santa program and any leftover will be given to Kōkiri Marae Pātaka Kai.

We want to make this experience special for santas, children, families, small businesses and our community. That is why I am extending my family Christmas traditions to this project - we want to distribute presents in santa sacks, have santa mail sacks for presents, to decorate the spaces for pick up and drop off. Watch out for our Santa Stop Here signs at our drop off points!

For me - what makes Christmas special is personal touches. I will be making hundreds of cards for children and for fundraising. I will be propagating hosueplants and curating Christmas decor. I will try and have colouring in and a few treats at drop off and pick up sites. These efforts are an extra touch of Christmas magic.

I know that there are crafters, artists and makers who care about their community and their community cares about what they make. We could have sewers make Christmas sacks with donated fabric and personal touches from our creative community.

 We are working with Sew Good Collective at Common Unity to pass on our family traditions to children in the Secret Santa project. They would love you to join them.

I am calling for sewers, artists, makers, houseplant enthusiasts, Christmas décor obsessed people or anyone interested to join me in trying to create some Christmas magic. Even if you can cut our Christmas Magic Business card straightish,* it would ease some of my craftsmas list so I have time to connect with more santas.

The rapid pace of this project has quelled some of my overthinking and perfectionist tendencies. It has made my crafting more productive and fun. *I am not Vistaprint okay? I am trying to be as low budget and community minded as possible! Our “Christmas Magic” business cards were made at pace by me from my craft stash. I printed out our cards at home on linen paper and then used toner reactive foil and my $15 Kmart laminator to foil them. Cutting was a challenge for me. I sucked it up and just did my best because I am trying to be all about progress over perfection. I don’t think I need to hard sell anyone on helping children in our community: people want to be part of this. I added NFC tags which I had hundreds of after watching a video about how they can be used with home automation to make life with ADHD easier. I linked our www.huttcommunity.co.nz website to the NFC tags, stuck them on the back of the “business cards.” There is a lot of delight when I show how easy the cards work to people. I hope they are a great way to connect people with our project. My main problem is that they are too popular and I have run out. Maybe it is time for me to slow down my “hustle” and just wait for my community to respond? 

Contact me at rita@huttcommunity.co.nz to be part of it!