Random Thoughts – on homemade gifts
I’m teaching myself to knit.
Because you’re never too old to give your mom a lumpy, lopsided, homemade scarf potholder for Christmas.
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Do you give homemade gifts?
Do you like to receive them?
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steadily skipping stones 
Boots,
A friend of mine does jewelry…well. People like her stuff. I think quality is a factor (your potholder looks okay). I’m basically a gift card guy, but if I can buy something handmade for someone I will…not sure if this counts for giving.
If you are feeding me something you have cooked yourself I consider it the ultimate homemade gift.
RR
Hi Mark! I was planning to knit a scarf gift for real, but I am so slow at this point that it won’t be ready till NEXT winter, haha. And if I ever cooked for you, I’m not sure you’d thank me for it! Quality definitely counts after a certain age, I agree. I think buying homemade counts, and buying things with meaning or stories behind them count.
I’m a gift card person too. Honestly, everyone I give gifts to has too much stuff already and need nothing. I simply run out of ideas. Another reason why homemade works.
i think certain self made gifts are ok. i will give family calenders made from photos of mine for christmas as i really do not do christmas but they do. otherwise i am a gift card guy unless i know for sure you would like a specific item.
I gave calendars like that one year and they were a big hit – very personal and enjoyable all year. Unless you forget to turn over the month like I do, haha.
I like getting and giving gift cards for the sane reason – not knowing anything really specific they want or need. We mostly need nothing. I did ask for underwear one year cause I needed it, and was really excited I got it. Lol.
I make stuff for the peeps at work and some friends. Also do the gift card thing. One year someone gave me a grocery store gift card. I thought it was a great idea…very thoughtful. A while back I decided to only give what would be used and/or used up. Everyone gets what they want when they want it. Nobody waits for their birthday or a holiday. I think knitting is hard…easier to crochet…I do a lot of crocheting. What a rambling comment…
A rambling comment is its own kind of gift!
I agree! My mom has given me Visa gift cards, and I used them for groceries. When I was younger and (even more) broke, I did a lot of homemade gifts. I really do miss that sometimes, figuring out what I’d do and being all creative and all, even with the wrapping. And I love your idea of giving what can be used or used up! Too much stuff in the world already, and I definitely get most of what I want for myself.
I love your knitting! I especially love the bright colors. Stick with it, Michelle. I am so busy knitting for the business that I seldom knit for anyone else, and rarely for myself. The best gift I ever got (other than my iPad from my son) was a calendar my daughter made that had photos of me and her through the years. I loved turning a new page each month and seeing what photos she had chosen. Personal gifts are certainly so much nicer–but I do love getting gift cards!
Unfortunately, I’m going to have to take this all apart and start over. Again. Lol. I really am trying to make a scarf, but it’s way too wide and I’m running out of yarn too quick because of that too. I hate starting over and over, but at least I am getting better at it. I was thinking last night that it’s relaxing for you, but not at all for me! At least so far. But I think as I get less anxiety about it being wrong, I’ll enjoy it more.
I do think those calendars are so awesome. I’m glad you got so much enjoyment out of yours! Although iPads are pretty cool, too, haha. And cash – in the form of gift cards – are always in season, lol!
I recently taught my future daughter-in-law how to knit and she feels the same way as you do. She complained that she can’t even watch movies or TV because she has to concentrate so hard on her stitches she can’t pay attention to what’s going on in the show! She’s had to take hers apart many times, but is slowly getting the hang of it.
It’s also very hard to help her when she makes a mistake, now that we’re 2000 miles apart again. One night I made my husband hold the iPad so we could FaceTime and I could show her how to do something. Modern First World problems, right?
Haha, that’s cool though – high tech support! I have to concentrate too and it makes my hands stiff/ache after about 2-4 rows. But getting easier! You are giving me hope!
Just don’t hold the needles too tightly. Your hands and fingers will get stronger.
Crafting puts you in a higher vibration that makes you feel happy. And your energy put into the craft also stays with the gift. I know that is a different way of thinking about energy. Love and light C.
A different way, but I agree. Whether you call it energy, emotion, spirit, love… you are passing something of yourself into the craft. And it goes with it when you give the craft away.
I love to give home-made gifts, especially because of how much you can personalize it.
I made a calendar for my friend on her birthday, once. Her birthday is in December, so the timing was great. I think I have never put in as much effort into something as I had, with her gift. Each name of the month was written in a different way – ‘January’ was snowy, with snowmen and snowflakes, while June had ice lollies and sun; the facing page for each month had photos and cutouts of things that had happened that month, but in the past years; I had marked out the birthdays of some of our common friends, along with some other important dates, and each month also came with its own tiny envelope that had a small gift + a note to be opened when you get to that month.
Man, I’m really proud of that.
Oh, that’s awesome! That’s a gift that she got to enjoy all year long. I am still super proud of the calender I gave too, it just is such a personalized thing with all the special dates along with the crafting of it. I’m glad you did that, it’s so cool.
I’m the queen of handcrafted gifts. I made of job out of it, so I can crete things all year. I’m guessing that next year, everyone is going to be really sick of my stationery! LOL.
Haha, I doubt they will. So far, the concensus is handmade gifts are awesome, so I’d say keep doing your thing!
And who wouldn’t love to get “a lumpy, lopsided, homemade scarf potholder”? 🙂
😀