At a time when we are all needing to tighten our belts and find things to do during the long winter months, making things for people rather than hitting the shops makes a lot of sense.
Homemade gifts are a unique way of telling someone you care about them
Recently a friend made a beautiful embroidered picture for me. I remembered telling her about a favourite town I love to visit and a walk through the bluebell woods there. It was so special then that she went out of her way to look that up and create a special keepsake for me.
It just happens that this friend is a very gifted crafter, but those cute and naive gifts made by children are just as precious because it tells us they have thought about us and exerted time and effort just for us. I recently received a scarf from someone who was just learning to knit and, again, it was precious, even with all its dropped stitches! In our busy world, time is precious and crafted gifts really are the gift of time.
The Chinese have a word for this sense of beauty in the humble. Wabi- sabi reflects the beauty of the flawed, the humble and the crooked. The Japanese have a similar custom, that of ‘kintsugi’, where broken pots are joined together with gold leaf to show that they have been lovingly restored and not thrown away. In our materialistic culture there is definitely a lesson for us there.
Homemade gifts can save us money
You have to be careful about this as it’s not always the case. Craft materials can be very expensive and it can quickly add up! But it doesn’t need to be so. Visiting your local charity shop can unveil very cheap craft materials, both new and second hand, that you can pick up and transform into a lovely gift. Sites such as Pinterest can also give us lots of cheap and cheerful ideas which you can adapt for that special person.
It’s good for you too!
As I’ve stated before, crafting is good for us! It’s so much better for our wellbeing to be sat at home or in a craft group creating something lovely than hitting the rush of Christmas shoppers and spending more than you wanted, desperate to get it all finished!
There is also a real joy in giving something you know will be appreciated and pride in a job well done – demonstrating your work and skill and not giving something from the high street. Homemade gifts help you develop skills and share those skills with others and they are always a talking point!
November at Dadesley Crafting is gifting month!
We will be making a variety of items which would make lovely gifts so look out for the timetable or give us a ring about ideas that you have!