Why Handmade Gifts?

Still need to come up with some gifts for the holidays? As a creative, maybe you’d like to give a little bit of yourself. Meaning, making those gifts. “But I don’t have time for that Chris!” Believe me I hear you…

This season is packed with extra shopping, visits, extra school concerts, greeting card mailing, wrapping, plus all the usual stuff, and I know I haven’t covered it all. Whew… That’s a lot.

And I’m right there with you. However. . .

It’s impossible to be all go, go, go, with no YOU time.

Hand made book marks from my shop will be a popular gifting option for me this year.

Not to mention, it’s no fun at all. :-( That’s the reason so many people get overwhelmed, lose their temper, get frustrated, and generally break down during the holidays. It’s such a shame and completely avoidable!

What if we could find some balance in all of the holiday chaos? And that’s where the making part comes in. Did you know that the act of creating lowers your heart rate, and is said to relieve stress? That’s why I scheduled in some maker time during this holiday season. Here’s what I discovered in the process:

  • It made me feel good knowing that my extra creative activities had a dual purpose this holiday season.

  • I stayed away from the holiday traffic and shopping frenzies for longer periods of time.

  • I’m going to be giving gifts that I’m super proud of.

  • I spent more time doing something I truly love.

  • It was a total confidence booster to know I could pull this off.

  • I had so much fun!!!

I could actually probably think of more benefits, but that's a pretty good start. If you have kids or grand kids, these crafts are also wonderful group activities. Actually it takes time to shop, so you don’t even have to feel guilty about spending the same time on making gifts.

So are you on board with this yet?

If so, I’ve got some creative gifting ideas to inspire you. Just in case you need a little pump priming. You could do one or even several of these:

 

Image via Peggy Dean on Skillshare.com.

 

Macramé-

This lovely art is so relaxing and calming. I suggest wall hangings featuring organic wood branches, keychains, earrings, and necklaces. Peggy Dean of The Pigeon Letters has a Skillshare class to help you out with some instruction.



 

Image from SylviaRaschella.com

 
 

Quilting-

If you can sew, you can quilt! If you’ve never tackled this craft before, try a mini quilt that can be turned into a wall hanging, or a pillow. Sylvia Raschella has some excellent patterns and tutorials.

Image from @mosstangle on Instagram.

Wood Burning-

I've never tried this one but boy is it on my list! This is perfect for coasters, jewelry, phone cases, and lots of other things! Check out Crystal Bailor from Moss Tangle for some awesome tutorials and her Skillshare class here.




Image via CityGirlFarming.com.

Culinary Treats-

If you’re looking to gift some tasty treats from your kitchen, you’ll want to check out artist/homesteader Kerrie Hubbard’s amazing Cooking with Essential Oils Through the Winter Holidays Cookbook for ideas. Her adorable illustrations inside those pages are a huge bonus!! Oh and if you love canning and/or dehydrating she’s got quick tips and clever recipes galore. She also has a Skillshare class for a great collage project that would work great with a holiday theme.

Image from @juliehamilton on Instagram.

Paper Craft-

Speaking of collage, have I ever told you how much I love paper? I can spend hours in the stationery stores… With paper you can also create cut-out art, origami, and paper dolls. I love what Julie Hamilton does with paper and scissors.



 

Image from the Embellishments for Illustration class on Skillshare.

 

Watercolor Painting –

This is so perfect for greeting cards, framed original paintings, notebook covers, hand made wrapping paper, and lots more if you think about it. Check out some of my classes on Skillshare for ideas on what to paint. My newest, show, above, is a particularly great process for holiday art!


Just a note that if you're not a member of Skillshare yet, the links I shared with you I will give you one month free!

Are you inspired yet? I hope so! And I hope you've come up with a bunch of your own ideas. If you're going to be making some of the gifts for those on your list this year, I’d love to hear about it. Send me a pic or tag me on Instagram at @octopusconnection.

Chris V