Handmade Christmas gifts are a popular option for many people during the Christmas season. The reasons for giving Handmade Christmas gifts can range from simple frugality to the love of creating personalized gifts for friends and family. Making sure that your gifts that won’t be tossed in the trash at the first available opportunity is easy when you follow these simple tips.
Tip #1: Respect your time limits.
You may want to cobble together a jewelry cabinet complete with stained glass windows and mechanical music box for your old Aunt Sophie-but can you finish the job before Christmas? Finishing your handmade Christmas presents in time is absolutely crucial. If you know you won’t have the time to finish, pick a different type of homemade gift. If you don’t finish your gift in time, it certainly won’t be treasured!
Tip #2: Respect your creative limits.
Let’s face it, some people are just more (or less!) gifted in the creative department than others. While handmade Christmas presents are a great opportunity to flex your creative muscles, don’t overdo it: if you’re attempts at embroider always fail, or your paintings look like your toddler might have done them (guilty!)-choose a different creative medium, one that you excel at. Your gift recipients will appreciate an item that is well crafted over one that looks sloppy and amateur.
Tip #3: Personal is better.
A handmade Christmas present is the perfect opportunity to show that special someone that you care about them so much, you are able to reflect that in your choice of handmade gift. Personalize your gift by adding touches that you know your recipient will enjoy: Create a scrapbook of a vacation you took with your partner, use seashells to decorate a jewelry box for a friend that loves the ocean, or adorn a photo frame with a friend’s favorite book quotes. Gifts which reflect personal hobbies or traits are appreciated more than gifts which smack of indifference or, even worse, “last minute, I had no idea what to get you!”
There is no way to absolutely guarantee that someone won’t throw out your handmade gift, regardless of the effort you put into it, but making sure that your handmade Christmas gift is personal, well made and truly shows your recipient that you care about them is a surefire way to make that gift truly treasured.