Why Give Handmade?

Handmade is ALWAYS a good choice! We all have friends and family that we cringe each time we have to buy them a birthday or Christmas gift. We’ve all spend endless hours roaming the mall looking for that perfect gift. Little do we realize that the perfect gift might just be something that we’ve created with our own hands. Last Christmas I decided to make all of my Christmas gifts for my family. The girls are pretty easy, but the guys were a little bit harder. One of the best gifts I gave was for my 40 year old son. He and his grandpa had been close from the day my son was born. When he passed away, my son was devastated. I went through all of my pictures and found one where my dad was pulling my son around in a wagon in the front yard. I had it enlarged and found a great frame. I KNOW that this simple idea was a gift that he will cherish forever.

I want to share two of the items my son made for me when he was little. This one I’m going to let you study for a moment. Bet you have no idea what this could be, but it’s been on my desk for over 30 years!

The second gift was a Mother’s Day Card that he made in school. Now we all have Mother’s Day cards from our kids, but what made this so special was what he wrote on the inside.

He wrote “I love you very much. You are my favorite mother, and the only mother.” (I think he realized after he wrote “favorite” that he should probably clarify that! The other part of the message that I loved was that he decided that this was the time and place to tell me that his friend Cory, who had been ill, was out of the hospital.

Of course we all receive little handmade mementos from our kids over the years. But something happens as we grow older. We don’t create anymore with the abandoned freedom of a child. Ask a kid to sit down with finger paints and paint a picture. They don’t ask how big, what color or even what topic. They just sit down and paint. I have friends and family that say they aren’t “crafters” and have no talent when it comes to making a gift by hand. Sometimes, you just have to get out of your comfort zone and make the effort. The internet is full of tutorials for quick and easy gifts. I’ve also found some great tutorials on my favorite website, Pinterest. A gift from the heart, made with your own hands, doesn’t have to be intricate or expensive.

If you are just not inclined to make it yourself, then you can always purchase a handmade item. I purchased two or three items last year for Christmas gifts from my fellow artisans. These were items that I did not have the time nor materials to make. One item for my son was made with a scroll saw, which I don’t even own. Handmade Artists, ArtFire and Etsy are great places to purchase quality handmade items. If you want something that is personalized, ask the seller if they can make it in another color or add a name or initials. Whether you decide to create the gift yourself or find that perfect gift already created by an artisan, you will be giving a gift from the heart.

Now, back to that first picture. Have you guessed it yet? Not a clue? Imagine my surprise when he handed it to me….you know, that moment when your kids give you something they made with their little hands and you are at a total loss for words. It was a burrito made from clay! I asked my son why he chose to make me a burrito and he answered, “cause you like burritos, mom”. It was as simple as that!

 

 

Tags: buy handmade, Handmade, Handmade Artists, handmade creations, Handmadeology, sell handmade

Posted in Handmade