Caryn McCleskey sells one-of-kind items at www.carynmc.etsy.com such as hand-embroidered and handmade accessories, gifts, kits, and patterns. © Caryn McCleskey, 2008. All rights reserved.
Do you enjoy the gift giving process? Do you like anticipating what the recipient would like, looking for the gift, then selecting it and giving it, finding pleasure in giving pleasure to someone else?
Or is gift giving a difficult stressful task you do because it shows good manners?
If you find gift-giving to be more of a chore and less like something fun to do, then consider giving a handmade gift. Making a gift for someone can often immerse you more in the process, help you learn something new, and give you a stronger connection to the recipient as you focus your mental and emotional energy on making something they might like.
Handmade gifts can be almost anything. They can be childlike and rustic, or they can be polished and sophisticated. Crafting, sewing, knitting, crochet, and beading are all very popular methods for making gifts, and people usually do these because they are fun. Painting, paper crafts, fabric dying, and weaving are similar activities. All sorts of other things can be handmade, such as food, plant-related items, music, videos, and stories. Whenever we decide to make something as a gift instead of buying something, we put more thought and energy into the gift. By doing this, we add meaning to the gift that otherwise wouldn’t be there. And the recipient will treasure the gift even more.
Doing something creative and making a present is also fun for the giver. If shopping and buying a present is a chore, then using your creative energies might be more fun. Even if you think you are not creative or cannot make anything, think about the things you CAN do and see if any of those talents can be used to make a gift for someone you care about. While fabric and paper are often the first things we think of when we think of making something by hand, words, plants, food, music, and video images can all be raw materials for a handmade gift, too.
So change the way you tackle the gift giving process, become more involved, have fun, and add meaning. Give a handmade gift.
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