Things [ Hand Made ]

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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Monday 15 October 2012

Handmade gifts

I skipped home from work today to an afternoon of sewing.

The 6yr old has had a flurry of invites to parties recently. A few years ago I set myself the challenge to make all birthday cards and most of the gifts. With her friends being 6 and 7 I can still get away with homemade gifts.

Or can I?

Every time I make a birthday gift I have a quandary.

Do I make something that the child would like? Or something I know I would like my daughter to receive?

You see the mothers are mostly my friends as well. They know I make things and whenever I ask them they all say they like to have a handmade gift.

I love making the things, I get a kick out of making it from my stash. I begrudge paying out for a gift that may be a duplicate or miss the child's interests completely. It seems such a waste.

My back up is to but nice sets of felt tip pens and a notebook.

It is a nice gift to have and does not cost much.

In my eyes children can't have too many drawing materials

This is, however, being pushed by the number of times I find pens without lids on bedroom floors.

Am I just inflicting my handmade on my friends?

Do I keep "making" as I enjoy it so much or should I pay out for that plastic tat that 6 year olds love so much?

Ok so that was a leading question.

The trouble is that on a blog about making things is maybe not the best place to ask for an honest opinion on what it is like to receive a handmade gift when you are 6.

Today I made 4 cushions, adapted from a design from the delightful book by Kajsa Wikman. More on her blog here.

I am a happier person because I make things.

 

5 comments:

dottycookie said...

If t makes you happy, then that is an important part of it. I suspect that whatever we give, whether bought or handmade, tends to end up in a cupboard. I must confess I used to make all the presents my children took to parties but now they are older, I tend not to. I don't like buying plastic tat, so these days I head to Lush or the Body Shop which our 8 and 10 year olds seem to adore.

For the record, I would be, and have been, very touched when my children have received handmade gifts. I think they have been too.

Gina said...

I think handmade is perfect! Especially if it makes you happy too.

red2white said...

You are so right about pens and a notebook, that's what mine tend to buy every time we go to the town - AND a pencilcase. So it's a sensible back-up plan. And I too want to encourage the maker in you, they can get plastic from those who don't make things. And for older ones - a kit, something they can make, could work well.

Crafts @ Home said...

I make as many gifts as I can, It makes me happy too, Its so much nicer than trawling the shops trying to find the right thing, and most people really do appreciate them :)

angharad handmade said...

I think it is a lovely thing when someone makes an effort with a handmade gift. I must confess though that not every gift my children take to a friend's party is handmade by a long shot! What we do give, though, tends to have a creative bent, whether a kit or supplies, or even pretty stationery.