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I really like making gifts for people at Christmas. To me a handmade gift, if you’re actually making something you think the person will like and not just some whatever, is more special than buying something. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t appreciate handmade gifts.
A few years back I did all handcrafted gifts for my family. Some of them adored the gifts I made. Mom still uses the chair-arm storage bag I made for her puzzle books. The grown men (all geeks) still play with the custom dice I made them. Some people, well, not so much. The amazing teddy bear I made for my nephew never saw the light of day and the ladies never wore the gorgeous crocheted lace scarves I made them.
I believe that Christmas should be more about love than money, but many people disagree. They want something from a store and will scoff at handmade items. Now, I can understand that the millionth afghan from grandma stops being cool, but some people really put their heart into the gifts they make, and people should appreciate that. (Plus, people can buy lame gifts just as well as make them.)
If you want to make gifts for your family because it feels right in your heart or because it costs less or both, I say go for it. If your heart is in the right place, it’s not your fault if they don’t like what they get. That’s a problem with them if they’re materialistic and can’t appreciate what you’ve done for them. It takes a lot more love and devotion to make a gift than to buy one, and anyone with a heart will be able to appreciate that.
I’m doing all handmade gifts this year. I did the store-bought thing last year, and I don’t want to do it again. I have what I think is a fantastic idea this time, and I’m going to go with it. Oddly enough, I’m also giving gifts to more people than I ever have before. It’s not because I feel obligated or they expect me to, but because this year I can, and my idea will allow me to give all the gifts for well less than our set spending limit of $20 per person.
I know that some people will put what I give them on a shelf or in the trash, but that’s okay. I’m doing something that fills my heart with joy and that I believe will be great for all the recipients. I’m even going to be able to customize the gifts for each person to show that I know something about them. I’m also going to hope that it might make people think a bit differently about the idea of handcrafted gifts. With any luck it will go over really well and start a trend.
