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OPINION: "Gifts you make yourself are fine ... if you're six."
This TLC "Life Lesson" commercial got me thinking ... do some people we give our handmade gifts to just not enjoy them? I think I played it safe or am I in some sort of denial about the value of the hand stamped monogrammed cards and little accordian scrapbooks I gave out this holiday season or the gifts of cookies and fudge with the handstamped tags and boxes? Am I kidding myself?
To avoid thi sinking feeling I would like to know what your BEST received handstamped gifts have been, it can something that you have either received or have given to someone. Something that was a real WOW!!! Something that others may have wanted. Pictures or links would be great.
I would love to see these too. I personally don't care what people think about my home made Christmas cards, I don't criticize their cards, so I don't think they have a right to say anything about my home made ones.
I think any gift, if given from the heart, should be received graciously. Any other reaction is just tacky.
__________________ Kristina Wife, Mommy, Stamper, Nurse Laura 6yo Jack 5yo, James 4/20/08 Megan arrived 3/16/09
I think that people who make things tend to appreciate hand made things more than people who don't.
People who stamp greatly appreciate receiving a hand-stamped card. Some people who don't stamp may really appreciate it as well. Others may not even notice - it is a card to them.
Gifts are a different issue, as we tend to think of spending more money on a gift.
I haven't made a lot of stamped gifts, so I can't really comment.
My gift recipients consist of older people who don't need or want anything, and kids who only want toys or games. In the middle of the age spectrum are people who are dieting either to lose weight or to control health issues - these people don't want treats no matter how pretty the package.
I did make a tin containing hand-stamped cards that was well received by two cousins (in their 50s) who liked them and could actually use them. Other than that I don't make gifts, although I always send handmade cards.
I would be interested to see what others have done. I do belong to a craft group from my church, and I try to come up with things that are different to sell at our fair.
Hi..I bake cookies every Christmas for coworkers and they are always well received (at least they are always gone by day's end...) I just put them in cello bags with some ribbon.. I make stamped cards and tags for people who always admire my cards and know they enjoy them.. I don't really give them to people who aren't into homemade items..like my brothers..but food stuffs they love. Make what you enjoy, and give them with love and they will be received that way, and if they aren't just chalk it up to ill manners.
I saw that same ad on TLC and I thought that it was sad.
Maybe the person in charge of this ad campaign has never received a great handmade gift and is jealous! ;)
I love getting handmade stuff, and I know that people that receive my gifts enjoy them as well. So, we should all pooh pooh that commerical and keep on creating wonderful handmade gifts (and posting them in the gallery so we can see them!)!
Please! Some of the store-bought cards I got for christmas weren't NEARLY as nice in quality as the hand-stamped ones. Seriously. Of course, I was grateful for each card I received but even more so for the ones that someone took their time to make. Whoever made that commercial has no clue.
What an interesting question. Hmm. My theory is that there are people who value the effort and time of handmade gifts and people who value store-bought stuff. They tend to run in families--the culture of our family often dictates our values. A person or two might rebel against the dominant family value, but few people who value store-bought over handmade effort will likely never change their minds unless they discover the joys of making things themselves. My family is very much about handmade, for which I am grateful!
Also, any gift given with love should be appreciated, regardless. Your accordions and treat boxes were thoughtful and sweet, and if someone didn't appreciate them, then it would be really rude to say anything negative. If you enjoyed making them, then don't question the value of what you did. You did GOOD!
I rarely receive handmade stuff, other than scarves (lots of people I know knit), but I often make books as gifts. One year for Christmas, I made about 80 miniature book ornaments for people in my family and gave them in sets in boxes I covered with pretty paper. Everyone who got them went out of their way to thank me, so I guess no one felt like it was a cheesy gift.
In 2005 for Christmas, I solicited inspirational quotations from family and friends and made them into a book. Getting everyone to participate really made a difference, and the last section of the book "About the Contributors" gave me the chance to say something really nice about each person. Again, universal positive response, but then, I'd kissed up to everyone in that last chapter anyway, LOL! Most people asked if I was going to do another quotation book in 2006 and were disappointed when I said no. So for 2007, I'm doing another. People are already sending me their quotations!
My mom loved her lunchbox tin I decorated for her for Christmas, and my sister loved the mini scrapbook I made.
I would never make a gift for my BIL, who totally insulted my sister's efforts at making cross stitched Christmas ornaments one year. The ornaments were fabulous--10 years later, it's still my favorite on the tree each year. But his family is a bunch of money-conscious snobs who don't do any crafts or hobbies at all. (Well, his mother did, but she was the lone creative one....) He's huge into family history, though, so my scrapbooking has meaning for him and he seems to appreciate it.
I guess the key is knowing people well. Find out whether the recipient enjoys handmade, and if so, make them something. For people you don't know well (teachers, bus drivers, some neighbors, and the like), do what makes you feel good. At least, this is my philosophy, and it works for me!
I personally love anything that is handmade for me. Maybe it's because I know all the work that goes into it. Regardless of what it is, If someone made it for me I am so happy that they took the time to make it for me. ANyone who complains about a gift is just rude and ungrateful. My mother in law made me a great welcome sign for christmas and it was my best gift of this year.
__________________ The boys go to sleep and I go to my little stamping space.
I think the point in the "life lesson" was thoughtless, effortless gifts are not OK. The ad shows a husband and wife with their gifts from each other. The wife is turning over a hunk of log with a puzzled look on her face. The husband states: It's a bird house. Of course I still need to stain it and give it a pirch. But I really like what you got me. And turns to a big screen TV.
I know people appreciate things I make for them. My Gram bragged to all her visitors about her card and nugget box I brought her in the hospital!
I adore handmade/crafted gifts. My favorite gift from by best friend was one she sculpted just for me! It is truely a priceless work of art!
I mean really, how cute is this?
At this point in my life (um...mature), no one can really give me a purchased gift that, if I really, really wanted it, I could not have purchased myself. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate things that people buy for me, but I'm not a kid who can't get "goodies" any other way. So if people take the time to give of themselves by making a gift, it means a lot to me whether the actual handmade item is something I can use or not.
I haven't seen the commercial... but seriously, if the gift is given with the receiver in mind then I think it fits.
As noted by others: don't give a dieter a box of homemade chocolates! I make gifts as well, but I truly try to make something I think the person will use and appreciate.
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I think if the person put some thought into a handmade gift it can be wonderful. However, no matter how much time and effort goes into a beer-can windmill, I am not putting it into my front yard. KWIM. Put some thought into the gift. Like giving me a beautifully handmade cookbook containing family recipes (I like to cook) or a beautifully hand-stamped mat and a picture frame (lots of pics to display).
Basically if the hand made item fits the person's interests and/or hobbies I know it will be appreciated. I know that just about all the ladies on this site are putting a great deal of thought into each and every gift. We want our gifts to be appreciated so we do create with a special person in mind.
__________________ Who would have thought that paper, ink & rubber could create a priceless keepsake or give me treasured friends.
I made my mother a shadow box this year for Christmas. Inside was the handle to the desk her parents owned that had broken off, along with a photo of her parents and an explanation about the handle and it's significance. The box is now hanging on the wall next to the desk (with a new handle of course!) My brother was a bit miffed about this gift.....he wished he had come up with the idea ;)
mndnco...that is an adorable sculpture! I have participated in a couple of card and tag swaps and I adore the cards and tags I've gotten! I have never received a handmade gift in my life! I don't make anything for ppl in my family b/c I know it won't be appreciated. My grandmother once made the comment that she has all her memories in her head and doesn't need some damn book about them. My grandmother is a very blunt person (obviously). I would love to receive handmade gifts!! I wish someone would take the time to make them. I'm the only person in my family that I can think of that has any hobby concerning crafts.
Come to think of it...maybe I should make cards and stuff, pick random names and addresses out of the phone book and just mail them. Anyone want to join in?! Hey, it's just a thought...lol
My most treasured homemade gift is a snow baby a friend made. It looks like the snow babies you can get in the store but she made it herself. I had her little boy in a church class (He's in collage now) and she gave it to me. I treasured it then but it means even more because she passed away a year later from cancer. I keep this snow baby out all year round. I cherish all homemade gifts and I give them out all year round. If the person doesn't like it then too bad. I give from the heart. Great thread!
I have been a crafter of some kind or another my whole life. I saw that commercial on TLC and I thought it was hilarious. :lol:
Although I always have a creative outlet in my life, it is more for me, than for others. It is my stress reliever, relaxing and something I enjoy doing with friends. Not everyone is creative and not everyone appreciates handmade things. I choose carefully who gets my creations and when I recognize that people appreciate things made by hand I'll give them something I've made. If I know that the person is not creative and sees no value in making things (some people think it's a waste of time!) I won't give them something hand made. Part of gift giving is trying to give the recipient something they'll enjoy, not something I've enjoyed making.
__________________ Kim
It's only an addiction if you're trying to stop....
Our family is vry crafty..my sisnbil..are into willow furniture n gates etc..they both paint as do i..i have made boughs at xmas..well received..painted glass ornaments..i've received beautiful sprays for my wall..special pics put into frames..i also do stepping stones...and the list goes on..we are all most happy to receive aat least 1 home-made gift any time for any occassion..my thoughts..loves ya...Gail
My thoughts:
1) Know the recipient well enough to choose a gift that they would appreciate whether it is handmade or purchased. It should be about the recipient, not the giver.
2) I'm not sure I would waste my time on handmade gifts to someone I didn't know that well.
3) Anyone who would try to promote the idea that giving handmade gifts is childish or inappropriate is probably pretty shallow.
I saw that commercial too and wondered. I think if we give handmade gifts to people who are also crafty, they appreciate them. It's the people who have no idea how much work goes into them that don't get it.
My best friend gave me a handmade gingerbread house. It was stamped and then covered with glittery snow stuff and a ton of handmade polymer clay "candies"....really tiny swirly ones...it was just gorgeous and I know it had to have taken forever to make those clay candies.
My Favorite Handmade Gift:
My Mom made a quilt for my first DS when he was born. In fact, she made all the crib bedding and the window treatments AND a little pillow! The window treatments are gone now (we moved) but we will always have that quilt. I adore it. It's worth so much more to me than any storebought quilt. She even stitched her initials in the corner and the date.
Other fantastic handmade gifts I have received:
One of my good friends this year made me a beautiful and WARM scarf! I love it! She also made chocolate dipped pretzels and really awesome biscotti.
Another friend made jam one year and gave me two jars ... it was SO good!
I love handmade gifts ... and I love giving them as well. Usually it's cards but I've also done fridge magnets and beaded pens and post it note holders. They have always been well received, but I get requests for the cards all the time! I think many people feel the same as I do ... handmade gifts are the best kind you can get or give!
The best homemade gift I ever recieved was a "kitchen stove" set my dad made for me one year for christmas when I was five or six. I loved to play with it then. But now that I am a parent, I appreciate it even more knowing all time, effort and love my dad put into it for me. It is still at my parents' house waiting for me to get a big enough car to cart it home. If I ever get a daughter, it is one of the first things that will go in her room.
To me, there is a BIG difference between something "home-made" and "hand-made". Home-made is for cookies and muffins that we package up real pretty and give to our friends and neighbors. Hand-made refers to hand-crafted items...items we made by hand with love and effort, be it cross-stitch ornaments, a quilt, a scarf, a composition notebook or cards.
We all know what a card made by (most) 6 year olds looks like. Cute, charming, and absolutely wonderful when it is from that 6 year old. But that is not what I strive for when I make my hand-made, hand-crafted cards and gifts.
My family has always done a handmade gift for christmas. We put are names in a hat and pick out one and we have to make that person something from that heart without spending more then $10. Its been fun and its personal and something to cherish.
My MIL and I just had this conversation, as I made her and my SIL provocraft tins full of cards, and she knit me a beautiful sweater. I was pretty bummed out because I had also made the same tins for my daughters' teachers, and none of the three were remotely impressed. My MIL said that most people who create things appreciate not only the gift that was given, but the time you put into it. I know I feel that way about the sweater she made, and she feels the same way about my cards.
I guess I'm selfish. The handmade gifts and cards I make, are really for my satisfaction.
Many times I receive comments, from my friends and family. And I love to hear how much they enjoyed receiving them. But, by then, I'm working on my current project, and dreaming about the next one!
I would love to see these too. I personally don't care what people think about my home made Christmas cards, I don't criticize their cards, so I don't think they have a right to say anything about my home made ones.
I think any gift, if given from the heart, should be received graciously. Any other reaction is just tacky.
I couldn't have said it better.
__________________ Taryn
"Forget regret or life is yours to miss." - Jonathan Larson
This TLC "Life Lesson" commercial got me thinking ... do some people we give our handmade gifts to just not enjoy them? I think I played it safe or am I in some sort of denial about the value of the hand stamped monogrammed cards and little accordian scrapbooks I gave out this holiday season or the gifts of cookies and fudge with the handstamped tags and boxes? Am I kidding myself?
To avoid thi sinking feeling I would like to know what your BEST received handstamped gifts have been, it can something that you have either received or have given to someone. Something that was a real WOW!!! Something that others may have wanted. Pictures or links would be great.
Thanks for your help
I love handmade gifts - so if you don't want to get them to the unappreciative... you may (at any time) feel free to send them to me!
Art is intended to provoke an emotion from a total stranger. If you�ve succeeded in this, consider yourself an artist. Paper Shanks Blog. Love me or hate me, you are still talking about me
My family has always done a handmade gift for christmas. We put are names in a hat and pick out one and we have to make that person something from that heart without spending more then $10. Its been fun and its personal and something to cherish.
I wish my family would do this.... what a wonderful way to build memories~
Art is intended to provoke an emotion from a total stranger. If you�ve succeeded in this, consider yourself an artist. Paper Shanks Blog. Love me or hate me, you are still talking about me
The point of the commercial was not the hand-made gift, it was the husband who forgot the occasion and scammed a crappy (can I say that here?) gift for his wife. He basically hands her a log with a hole drilled in it and calls it a bird house. Men should be insulted by this commercial not women who make hand made gifts.
My favorite hand-made gift came from my kids when they were in high school. They made a scrapbook of memories, used photos and wrote about things I had done for them over the years and thanked me for being a good mom. Since moms often wonder if they're doing a good job it was nice to see they really had noticed a lot of things I thought they took for granted.
__________________ Kim
It's only an addiction if you're trying to stop....
My homemade gifts were truly validated this year. :mrgreen:
When I got to my sister, Patti's house for the annual Christmas gathering, she said to me, "Leslie (that's her daughter, my niece) told me that she couldn't wait to see what you made for us this year. She always looks forward to the gifts that you make. In fact, her tree is decorated with all the ornaments you have made for her over the years." This conversation made my heart swell with love. Patti's tree is also decorated with ornaments I have made. In fact, the handmade ornaments out number the other ornaments.
My brother, Mike and his son, Scott look forward to their favorite cookies. They only get them once a year and I make them for them. Our mom used to make them for Mike and Scott, but she passed away 14 years ago and I have been making the cookies ever since.
Both of my parents died 14 years ago. I finally did a heartfelt project that I was wanting to do for several years. I scanned several of mom's handwritten recipes and printed them on index cards or paper. You can't really tell they are not the original recipe. I made a 8 x 8 scrapbook with the recipes and old family photos. Most of the family photos were from Christmases past, when we were kids. They spanned from about 1961 - 1970. I then found old pictures of mom and dad. I gave it to Mike and Patti. Patti sat by the Christmas tree crying while she looked at it. Mike looked at it and gave me a huge, long hug. They both told me that I would never top this gift. My project this year is the recipe books for my kids, nieces and nephews with my mom and dad.
My dh's family is always appreciative of homemade gifts. In fact, Matt our nephew-in-law called the caramel corn I made "da f#@& bomb."
I will continue to give home made gifts and I gladdly receive them. The home made gifts from the heart are the best. :mrgreen:
OPINION: "Gifts you make yourself are fine ... if you're six."
