This idea comes courtesy of my friend. Mary Carol Kendzia, and her daughter, Carolyn.

On Black Friday, instead of facing down the hostile mobs at the shopping mall, pushing through crowds to get a great price on a TV at the cost of your sanity, they host Craftsgiving.

Craftsgiving is a day for friends to gather to make decorations or work on hand-crafted gifts or just make progress on other DIY projects. Instead of mindless consumption, they create! (Non-crafty people can bring their Christmas cards to write.

It's easy enough to host. You'll need tables, a surge protector or two, extra scissors and glue guns, maybe a sewing machine, lots of trash cans.

For refreshments, what's not fun about hot cocoa or hot apple cider (or a little wine), plus some yummy turky soup and sandwiches made from yesterday's leftovers. (Just get some really good bread and you're set.) You can even serve any leftover pie as dessert. Folks can even bring their leftovers as a potluck.

Watch football or Christmas movies or listen to Christmas music.

Think about this: time with friends, progress on your Christmas preparations, help eating up your leftovers, and you aren't contributing to the madness.

Now that's an Elf-tastic idea!  If you want to get crafty, here are 30 fabulous ideas to get you started!