Why this matters for a CNC shop
Custom work takes time. A buyer who remembers Mother's Day on the Thursday before is too late for a carved sign. Most of the gift and award buying in this business happens around the same dates every year, so you can see it coming. Shops that plan ahead can get their samples photographed, their posts up and their materials ordered before the rush, and they can set a clear last-order date so they're not up all night the week of.
What you need
- The calendar below, printed and hung in the shop
- A calendar app with reminders
- A sample of each seasonal product, made early enough to photograph
- A way to count your real capacity: how many pieces you can finish in a week
The 12-month selling calendar
Lead times below are starting points. Adjust them to your own speed, shipping time and how busy you get. "Last order" means the date you stop taking custom orders you've promised to deliver on time. Figure it backward from the holiday: production time plus shipping or pickup plus a few days of cushion.
| Season | What to make | Start promoting | Last order (for on-time delivery) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine's Day (Feb 14) | Engraved cutting boards, name signs, jewelry boxes, photo engravings, 3D printed gifts | Early January | About 1 to 2 weeks before; earlier if shipping |
| Spring sports banquets and awards (April–May) | Plaques, trophies, senior awards, coach gifts | February (reach coaches and boosters) | 3 to 4 weeks before each banquet |
| Easter and spring décor | Porch signs, door hangers, garden stakes, planter boxes | February to early March | About 2 weeks before |
| Teacher appreciation (early May) | Engraved tumblers, pens, apple signs, desk name plates | Early April | About 2 weeks before |
| Mother's Day (2nd Sunday of May) | Family name signs, engraved boards, photo gifts, jewelry dishes | Early April | About 10 to 14 days before |
| Graduation (May) | Class-year signs, engraved tumblers and keepsake boxes, cap and tassel holders, diploma frames | Late March to early April | About 2 to 3 weeks before the ceremony |
| Wedding season (spring and fall) | Welcome signs, table numbers, cake toppers, guest-book boards, groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts | January for spring, June for fall; bridal shows | Quote per wedding; ask for 4 to 6 weeks |
| Father's Day (3rd Sunday of June) | Grill and cutting boards, flasks, knife and tool engraving, garage signs, desk items | Mid-May | About 10 to 14 days before |
| Fourth of July | Flag signs, porch décor, patriotic tumblers | Early June | About 1 to 2 weeks before |
| Back to school (late July–August) | Teacher gifts, locker and classroom signs, name plates, spirit items, school supply orders | Early July | A week or two before school starts in your district |
| Football season (Aug–Dec) | Team and school spirit signs, tailgate items, school colors, local high school teams, coach gifts. Use team colors, not official college logos, unless you're licensed or it's the school's own order | Early August | Rolling. Watch rivalry weeks and playoffs |
| Hunting season (fall and winter in Oklahoma) | Engraved knives and flasks, antler and European mount plaques, blind and cabin signs, gun case tags, tree stand parts and brackets | August to September, ahead of archery season | Rolling. Check the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for season dates each year |
| Halloween and fall décor (Sept–Oct) | Porch signs, pumpkin and harvest décor, table centerpieces | Late August | Early to mid October |
| Fall sports banquets (Nov–Dec) | Plaques, trophies, senior gifts for football, volleyball, cross country, band | Early October | 3 to 4 weeks before each banquet |
| Veterans Day (Nov 11) | Branch plaques, flag cases, service awards, memorial pieces | Early October | About 2 weeks before |
| Year-end corporate gifts (Nov–Dec) | Branded tumblers, pens, coasters, desk items, employee service awards, client gifts | September (budgets are being set) | Early to mid November for bulk orders |
| Christmas and holidays | Ornaments, family signs, cutting boards, stocking tags, 3D printed gifts and toys | Mid October | Early December; earlier for shipped orders. Post your date by Thanksgiving |
Machine shops have seasons too. Farm and ranch equipment gets repaired before spring planting and ahead of Oklahoma's wheat harvest in late spring and early summer. Many businesses spend leftover budget near the end of their fiscal year. Plant shutdowns around the holidays bring maintenance work. Call your manufacturing and ag contacts a few weeks before each.
Step-by-step setup
- Pick your seasons. Go through the calendar and circle the four to six seasons that fit your machines and your customers. You don't need all of them.
- Put three dates on your calendar for each. "Make samples" (about two weeks before you start promoting), "Start promoting," and "Last order date." Set reminders for all three.
- Check your capacity. Count how many pieces you can really finish in a week, including sanding, finishing, packing and life. That tells you how many orders to take and when to close.
- Order materials early. Blanks, tumblers, wood, filament and stock can run short before holidays. Order when you start promoting, not when orders arrive.
- Make and photograph samples. Shoot them in good daylight in a seasonal setting: on a porch, a kitchen counter, a mantel. You'll use these photos for every post.
How to run a seasonal promo
- Choose one to three items. A short menu is easier for buyers and faster for you to make.
- Set a clear offer. Name the item, the price, the personalization, and the last-order date. A season doesn't need a discount. The deadline is the reason to order now.
- Post it everywhere you already are. Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, your website, your email list, a sign at your booth or counter.
- Post on a schedule. Once to announce, once a week while it runs, a reminder a week before the last-order date, and one on the last day.
- Reach past buyers directly. Anyone who bought this item last year gets a personal message (see C10).
- Close on time. When the date passes, post that orders are closed and, if you want, offer ready-made stock or gift cards for late shoppers.
- Write down what happened. What sold, how many, what ran short, what you'd change. Read it before next year's season.
Copy-ready templates
Announcement post
Mother's Day orders are open!
Custom [family name signs / engraved cutting boards], made here in [Town].
[Size / material] · personalized with [names / date] · $[price]
Order by [date] for pickup by [date]. Message us or order at [link].
Last-call post
Last call for [holiday] orders! We're taking custom orders through [day, date]. After that we can't promise they'll be ready in time. Message us today or order at [link].
Orders closed post
Thank you! [Holiday] custom orders are now closed so we can finish everyone's on time. Still need a gift? We have a few ready-made [items] in stock, and gift cards are available.
Message to a past buyer
Hi [Name], it's [Your Name] at [Shop Name]. Last year you ordered a [item] for [occasion]. Orders for this year are open through [date] if you'd like another one. Just reply and I'll get you set up.
Keep it going: the routine
- First Monday of each month: look two to three months ahead on the calendar. What should you be making samples for, promoting, or closing?
- During a promo: one post a week plus the last-call post.
- After each season: ten minutes of notes for next year.
Checklist
- Seasons picked for this year
- Sample, promote and last-order dates on the calendar with reminders
- Weekly capacity counted
- Materials ordered ahead
- Seasonal sample photos taken
- Last-order date in every post
- Past buyers contacted personally
- Notes written after each season
Common mistakes
- Starting to promote the week of the holiday.
- No last-order date, then overpromising and missing deadlines.
- Forgetting shipping time on out-of-town orders.
- Running out of blanks or wood in the middle of the rush.
- Offering everything you can make instead of a short seasonal menu.
- Using stock photos instead of your own work.
Notes by shop type
| Shop | What's different |
|---|---|
| Wood carving and signs | Longest lead times because of carving, painting and finish drying. Promote earlier and close earlier than the table shows if your finish needs extra cure time. |
| Laser engraving | Can run the most orders in a rush. Blank supply is the usual limit, so order tumblers and boards early. |
| 3D printing | Print time adds up fast in bulk. Test a seasonal item for print time and failure rate before you post it, and stock the colors you'll need. |
| Machining | Follow your customers' seasons, not retail holidays: planting, harvest, shutdowns and year-end budgets. Year-end corporate gifts can still be a sideline if you make desk pieces or engraved parts. |
Want Annie's to do this for you? We can build your seasonal calendar and write and schedule your seasonal posts and emails.