In my family, handmade gifts are a special tradition. It started out when kids entered the picture and we wanted to give them something special they could look forward to and participate in.
Around Thanksgiving every year, we draw names to determine who will make for who. Some may grimace at this exercise (lookin at you bro-in-law. lol), but the rest of us can’t wait to find out who we are making for and start thinking of ideas. Seventeen years running, we now have a collection of the most thoughtful, creative and meaningful gifts we could have imagined.
It’s true that handmade gifts take more time and effort, but that’s what makes them so special. Anyone can comb the aisles of a store and find something their loved one will like. And even easier, a great gift is quickly at your fingertips online. But is there anything more meaningful than something your mother made just for you, or that your daughter painted with her sweet 6-year-old hands?
I thought I would dig into Christmases past to share some of our most memorable make gifts – everything from scrapbooks to painted pottery to yummy favorite foods. Love went into each and every one of these gifts and have given us lasting memories.
Ornaments
Ornaments are always a perfect gift to make someone for Christmas. I just finished making one for my mom because I drew her name this year. I was inspired by my recent blog post on needlepoint. I’ve always wanted to try it but have never taken the time to learn. What better reason to give it a shot? I found an artist on Etsy (where else?) that had a cute pattern for small, monogrammed ornaments. I ordered one with an “S” for Susan with a Christmas design. The kit came with everything I needed to complete the project – needle, thread, instructions and even a link to a YouTube video for visual instructions. It couldn’t have been easier. My mom absolutely loves Christmas and all of the ornaments on her tree have a special meaning to her. I think she will love this little gem (see it from start to finish below)!
A few years ago, I made my sister an ornament featuring her puppy’s first photo. I was inspired by a similar ornament I made in kindergarten for my parents featuring my school picture. With a little piece of Styrofoam, some glitter and beads, it’s an adorable piece that my sister places front and center on her tree every year.
Painted Pottery
Visiting our local paint your own pottery studio before Christmas has always been a go-to for our family. Especially when my niece and nephew were little. I would always take them there for a special night of fun when it came time to creating our make gifts. They loved picking out a special piece for the person they were making for, choosing all of the colors and special messages they wanted to add to their masterpiece.
I cherished that time just sitting and watching them create, while telling me about school and anything else they were involved with at the time. Honestly, THAT was the best gift of all for me.
And here is a neat story – The lamp my sister is holding below is actually something she made for my dad years ago, but never finished it before he passed away. My mom helped Owen finish it for her by adding the hardware, so now she can have this special piece that she made for our dad in her home.
Blankets and Warmth
My mom is an avid crocheter and if you’ve been lucky enough to have her draw your name, you’ve probably gotten a beautifully soft hand-crocheted blanket. I’ve watched her creating these works of art often and she puts so much love into them. She thinks about the colors the person would like, whether they are traditional or love a little extra design. She just loves giving people something special they will have for years to come. She has also been known to crochet scarves, gloves and even Christmas stockings. It’s amazing what she can create with a needle and a pattern. And believe it or not, even my brother in-law has made blankets – he once made me a super-soft fleece floral blanket stitched with mostly hand tied knots.
Photo Memories
I’ve always loved to scrapbook – back from the days of using paper, embellishments and cutting photos, to today where there are so many digital options available. Giving the gift of photos that commemorate a moment in time, a special vacation or just life’s greatest joys, you can never go wrong. One of my most memorable scrapbook albums was one I made for my niece Lilly when she was younger. My Dad passed away before she and my nephew were born so I wanted to make her a little ‘storybook’ album so she could learn a little about her grandpa and his fun personality (see it in the opening of this blog).
Another favorite is an album I made for my mom a few years back featuring Christmases from every year of our lives, including a few pages from her childhood. This one took a few months to put together because it involved searching for photos, asking for photos from others, etc. But the end product is something we will all enjoy looking at every Christmas forever.
Doodle Art
My sister and I are both pretty creative, but in different ways. She has been making cool doodles her entire life. Ok, I think she started in school, doodling on her paper when she wasn’t paying attention to the teacher. Lol. But now she channels that creativity into amazing doodle art drawings. They are done in b&w ink and she free hands as she goes. Each drawing features a tiny heart somewhere in the drawing, so it’s always fun to find it.
Woodworking
My stepfather Matt retired from Ford Motor Company where he was a woodworker that made models for many years. He passed away about a year and a half ago and we sure miss him. We always knew that if Matt drew our name, we would likely get something hand made of wood. Most men don’t love this “make gift” stuff, but Matt truly looked forward to it. It gave him a chance to share his craft with us. Here are a few of the treasures we have from him, including the replica of his sailboat – ‘Passin Thru’ that he made for my nephew.
Christmas Themed Gifts
Christmas themed gifts are always a good bet because you’re giving someone a piece that may become a part of their Christmas memories. Some of my most precious Christmas decor items were make gifts made especially for me over the years. Probably my favorite ever came from my niece Lilly. She loves my Christmas decor and made me a beautiful Christmas cloche that fits in perfectly. Inside there are a couple bottle brush trees in my colors, a sweet little deer and a gorgeous green velvet bow ties it all together. I love it. And last year Owen made Lilly a Christmas tree for her room, created from a base he made in his woodshop class. He loved making something she loved so much. And finally, I treasure the vintage inspired Christmas decorations my mom has made me over the years, including a vintage winter motif frame and a gorgeous, embroidered Christmas tray.
Jewelry
There are lots a great bead stores around, so making a special piece of jewelry for someone is a great idea. When Owen drew his moms name many years ago, he told me he wanted to make her a bracelet. So, I took him to a bead store, and he picked out every last gem he wanted on it – even a little heart that he thought she would like. We decided that would be the centerpiece of his design. We had the best time doing this and he was SO excited to give it to her.
Get the Pets Involved
We have a small family so there are times we will bring in the pups to be a part of the make gift tradition too – just to mix things up a little. One year, we had my dog Coco and my sisters dog Penny make paw prints as their gifts. And Lilly made Coco a framed photo of her as a puppy meeting her cousin Bentley for the first time (a photo she snapped and won an award for at school). It’s a treasured photo and a precious gift.
Food or Baked Goods
The gift of food is always a good option, especially for someone that might not be the craftiest. My stepfather loved blueberries, so one year I made him a variety of blueberry treats. He also was a huge fan of my brother-in-law’s Sloppy Joe’s, so Dave made him a batch of it, along with all the fixins to serve with it – some for now and some to freeze for later.
The great thing about handmade gifts is that anyone can participate with any skill level. Nobody is expecting perfection, and in fact, will most likely love the imperfection the most. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that you can give a handmade, meaningful gift that you didn’t make yourself too. There are countless artisans on Etsy that make impeccable things…find a few suggestions here. You can even buy kits to make things, so it’s still handmade…but you’ve got some guidelines to work with. And it’s a win if you can support a small business artist too.
I hope this post inspires you to make something for someone special…or maybe to even start a tradition like this with your family. It’s time so well spent. Merry Christmas!
~ Beckie