For most makers, the next ten weeks are the busiest of the year. The ones who enjoy it are the ones who planned in October: supplies ordered, listings ready, dates decided and a cut-off they stick to. This checklist covers everything we would want to have sorted, in roughly the order to do it.
The dates that matter
Christmas 2026 key dates.
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Friday 27 November | Black Friday |
| Monday 30 November | Cyber Monday |
| Saturday 5 December | Small Business Saturday |
| Friday 18 December | Royal Mail’s last recommended posting date for 2nd Class |
| Saturday 19 December | Last date for Tracked 48 |
| Monday 21 December | Last date for 1st Class and Tracked 24 |
| Wednesday 23 December | Last date for Special Delivery Guaranteed |
Royal Mail’s dates are from its published Christmas schedule and may change. International dates are much earlier, so check them if you post abroad.
1. Decide your own last order date
Royal Mail’s dates are for parcels already in the post. Your last order date has to be earlier, by however long it takes you to make, pack and post. If personalised pieces take you five days and you post 2nd Class, your last order date for those is around 13 December, not 18 December.
Pick your dates now, one for made-to-order and personalised items and one for ready-to-ship stock, and put them in your shop announcement, your listings and your social posts. Customers would much rather know than guess.
2. Order supplies now
Your suppliers are about to get busy too. Order jars, wool, card, boxes and packaging in October, with some spare. Running out of tissue paper on 10 December is a very avoidable problem.
3. Get your Christmas listings ready
- Add festive photos to your bestsellers: the same product on a table with some greenery or wrapped as a gift.
- Use the words people search for: “Christmas gift”, “stocking filler”, “Secret Santa”, “for him”, “for her”, “personalised”. Put the most important ones near the start of the title.
- Add Occasion attributes such as Christmas, so your products appear when shoppers filter. Our attributes guide explains how.
- Offer gift wrapping or a gift note if you can. It is often the deciding factor for buyers sending a parcel straight to someone else.
- Make some lower-priced pieces. Stocking fillers and Secret Santa gifts under £10 and £15 are what many people are searching for in November.
4. Set honest dispatch times
The “Ready to ship in” time on each listing is a promise to the customer. In December, give yourself a margin. If you usually dispatch in two days, say four. Our help guide on what happens after a sale explains why it matters.
5. Make posting easy
- Buy postage online and print labels at home. If you are on Plus or Premium and use Royal Mail, link Click & Drop so orders arrive with the address filled in and tracking comes back by itself.
- Always get proof of postage, and use a tracked service for anything valuable.
- Pack with a little extra protection. Parcels get thrown about more in December.
6. Plan your offers
Decide in advance whether you will run a Black Friday or Small Business Saturday offer, and make sure it still leaves you a profit. On Plus and Premium, coupons let you offer money off with a code. You can also opt into our Spotlight Offer, which features your products in our buyer newsletter with a 10% code.
Free postage over a spend is often a better offer than a discount. It nudges people to buy a second item, and it costs you less.
7. Tell people
Post your last order dates, your bestsellers and your behind-the-scenes Christmas making on social media from November. A short email to past customers in early December, with your dates and a few gift ideas, is one of the most effective things you can do.
8. Plan your break
You are allowed a holiday. Use holiday mode to pause orders over Christmas while keeping your shop visible, with a message saying when you are back. You can set a date range so it switches on and off by itself.
9. After Christmas
- Returns: customers can usually cancel within 14 days of receiving an item, except personalised and made-to-order pieces. Be ready for a few in January.
- Ask for reviews: a short thank-you message to December customers brings in reviews that help you all year.
- Write down what sold. Next year’s planning starts with this year’s bestsellers.
When should I stop taking Christmas orders?
Work back from Royal Mail’s last posting date for the service you use, then subtract your making and packing time. For 2nd Class that is 18 December, so a five-day personalised item needs ordering by about 13 December.
What are Royal Mail’s last posting dates for Christmas 2026?
2nd Class on Friday 18 December, Tracked 48 on Saturday 19 December, 1st Class and Tracked 24 on Monday 21 December, and Special Delivery Guaranteed on Wednesday 23 December, for UK addresses.
When is Small Business Saturday 2026?
Saturday 5 December 2026, the first Saturday in December.
Should I take part in Black Friday?
Only if the offer still leaves you a profit. Many makers prefer free postage over a set spend, or a small gift with orders, instead of a straight discount.