Handmade Giving

I have found there are mainly 2 schools of thought when it comes to those receiving handmade.

The first is the recipient that values the amount of work that has gone into the piece, and the love, care and attention given to their unique and original gift, let alone the cost of materials and time.

The second is the recipient that thinks handmade is 'naff' and a cheap way of getting out of buying a 'decent' gift with no concept of the care and hours given over to their unique gift.

In order to hedge my bets, I usually give a mix of things.

I love making things for people, but do they appreciate receiving them?

This Christmas, I decided (again) that there would be a good mix of bought things (but mostly garden, cinema and caravanning vouchers for those with those interests and who have a project, time free or holiday to appreciate them) with a spattering of handmade.

We did make the gingerbreads again this year for Tiddly Toes teachers, this year she choose a snowflake shape............

It's a great recipe, as so easy to substitute Doves Gluten Free Self Raising flour if need be. (Sorry no pics as they were gifted and scoffed VERY quickly!)

Along the lines of the crayon rolls I told you about here, I made some knitting needle rolls for  my Mum.............

 

...Mam (mother-in-Law).................  

 

 

and Auntie...................

 

 

Then there was a cute make, Tiny Angel Mummy requested ornaments for their tree.  Unfortunately, I could find quite the right colours, so I hoped they wouldn't mind the colours I chose.  Although there is only Tiny Angel and her Mummy and Daddy, she does have a wonderful Nanny, so I couldn't make a family of these........

 

 

...without making No.4 for Nanny.

 

For friends that we don't see as often as we'd like we bought bottles of wine, wrote out a little poem inviting them to dinner and attached it to the button on a wine scarf like this.........

 

 

 

I knitted or crocheted the scarves with some free yarn that came with a magazine, I added little star shaped buttons.  Some scarves had stripes, some fringes.  One is now proudly round the neck of a much loved doll (and the poor thing will need it this weekend if she's venturing out into the snow!).

 

Tiddly Toes has a little boyfriend at ballet, he also goes to her pre-school where I made Gingerbread Playdough for the children in December.  We thought that the dry ingredients in a jar with instructions how to make it up seemed to fit the bill rather nicely,....

 

 

 

 ....we teamed it with a set of Nativity shaped cutters from The Works.

I made Dad (Father-in-Law) an armchair tidy, but stupidly didn't take any photos, so that's on my to do list when I next visit them!  It hangs over the arm of his chair and hols his quiz book, pen, specs, remotes (for the many gadgets.....boys never grow up!), and a sling part to pop his newspapers in....leaving the coffee table free for the all important cuppa.....or glass of wine!

Finally, there was a very special make for my Across the Pond Friend, we met through The FlyLady, we've never met in person, bt we have a certain special connection.  We made each other gifts last year, so this year what could we do....but make each other gifts....not that we actually knew that as we don't discuss it!  But I received a beautiful cross-stitched treasure and AtP Friend got a Chris Made This inspired Lavender Bag, but made by Nora!.......

Well, I think that's all of them, if you want to know how to make anything, leave me a comment and I'll post a tutorial (or point you to one if I used it myself).

I've got some on-going makes in the pipe-line to share with you shortly, but in the meantime I'll leave you with a most treasured and rare photo taken at my Aunties on Christmas Day of the 5 of our kids together..... all smiling, all facing the camera and......well, just wonderful (not that I'm a proud Mum or anything!)

(Alex, 21.....Dan, 16.....Charlie, 18

Belle, 13 & Ellie, 3)

See you soon,
Nora
xx

P.S. Have now found the fab blog where the Owl Tutorial resides....flick on over to Becky at Hopscotch Lane here to take a look. xxxx