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Homemade Gifts

© Donna Dunn

One of the neatest presents I have ever received is a cross-stitched Christmas ornament. My niece made it for us at a time when money was really tight for her, and even though she was told countless times not to get us anything for Christmas, she still wanted to give something.

At the time she was uncomfortable, and even embarrassed I think, but every year when I hang that beautiful ornament on our tree, I am reminded of how much she means to me. And of how much we must mean to her.

Now that's a gift.

And it really doesn't matter if Christmas is five months away, 10 months away, or one month away, it's never too soon (or too late) to start planning and making some homemade gifts for the people who mean the most to you.

I love homemade presents: I love the fact that someone chose to spend their time and energy creating something for me, and I love the fact that they may even have had fun while they were doing it. Homemade gifts have so much going for them -- of course, they can save you money, but even thriftiness aside, homemade gifts can be soothing to the giver as well as the recipient, unlike a frantic trip to a crowded shopping mall. And they can be also be personalized, heartfelt expressions of caring: attributes that defy a dollar value.

But it's also true that not everyone appreciates homemade gifts. I remember a discussion in a crafters' newsgroup from a couple of years ago. Many of those crafters wrote to tell how hurt they had been because their hard work was clearly not appreciated by the recipients. Subsequently, I also remember many comments of the "pearls before swine" variety. Yes, that may be overstating things a bit, but if you do plan to make gifts for others, for your own sake make sure that the person to whom you are giving likes receiving homemade gifts. Some people really would prefer a store-bought blouse costing $19.98 over a handmade afghan worth well over $50 in materials alone. It's nobody's fault; it's just the way things are, and the recipient is entitled to his or her own opinion (however misguided they may seem!)

To get the most out of creating and giving homemade presents, here are three things to keep in mind:

• Know your recipient.
• Plan ahead. Trying to finish a homemade gift at the last minute can actually be worse than a hectic trip to the mall. And it can easily turn a Labor of Love into a Labor of Haste.

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