One of my most treasured Christmas gifts growing up was a handmade dollhouse, triangular in shape with a handle cut out of the top so you could carry it along, and a side that opened up. This dollhouse had some handmade clothespin dolls inside. It also had my name toll painted on the outside with some other fancy toll painting. The house was made by my dad, the toll painting and dolls by my mom. Oh how I wish I would have kept this! A treasure long gone. With 10 kids in our family we didn't have any extra money. That year my parents made a dollhouse for each of us four "little" girls, I believe. I love the fact that it was handmade, with complete love. My heart swells when I think of my parents quietly working on the houses while we slept in the nights before Christmas. They wanted to give us something special with what little resources they had. I played with that dollhouse a lot! I loved it. I could kick myself for not taking better care of it and keeping it all these years.
So this made me think. After reading Afton's blog post (and you Emily!) on Christmas and gift giving, and the obligation we often feel to buy gifts, I want to give things that are handmade. I have no idea what to buy people anyway. There's nothing they need. Nothing me or Ryan needs. But the handmade gifts are the special ones. They're the ones that come from the heart and that mean so much. I think that if I can give handmade gifts then maybe I won't feel so frustrated that I have to give presents, just because that's what you do on Christmas. I think it will take the obligation out of it a little and create feelings of love towards the people I'm giving to. I'd love to find something I could make for each of the kids but haven't thought of anything yet. I have a couple ideas for family but could use some more. What was the most meaningful gift you ever received? What types of things do you enjoy receiving? Feel free to share any ideas you might have on handmade gifts. One year my dad suggested that we do a handmade Christmas where if we give gifts they should all be handmade. We haven't yet followed through with that, but I think it's an excellent idea. I'm a little tired of the name drawing that goes on (not in my family) and the public opening of presents (not in my family). That is totally focussing on the wrong thing and like I said...NONE of us need it! Most of us don't have the money to go buy gifts anyway, so why do we do it? Gifts should be humble, given with love, in efforts to serve someone else, just as the Savior would do, not big fancy, frilly, expensive. That's the way of the world I guess and it's really hard to avoid that.
Emily's Corn Cakes With Black Beans
10 years ago
7 comments:
I'm making some darling hot pads (for baking) called "pot pinchers." They look easy and I have everything cut out and I think they will make nice gifts. One year I made tea cup bird feeders with tea cups from Goodwill and copper pipe and some special glue (instructions are all over the internet). I tied up some bird seed in tulle with a ribbon. Last year's christmas gift to Robert's family was homemade candy. I spent about 8-10 days and made a different candy every day. Some turned out, others did not. Then I got tins from the dollar store and made little variety packs. It was a hit and not all the candy was that hard to make. (I blogged about it.) My sister made a collection of all-occasion cards for her mother in law one year and included a list of family birthdays and anniversaries in a folder with the cards. I made purses for my sisters (those were not really a cost saving endeavor). Gift giving in my husbands family was essentially being reduced to a 25$ gift certificate exchange. It was silly. I kept saying to my husband, why don't we all just keep our money and buy what we want? That's not gift giving...it's an obligation. I'll be excited to check back and see what other gift ideas are. Maybe Emily can post her gift list here where her kids won't see it.
Well said, as always. I have been having some of the same thoughts, although, I've yet to come up with anything really good for anyone except my kids. My girls have been begging for one of those Snuggies. So I am making one for each of them. Let me know if you hear of any good ideas and I will do the same.
Speaking of name drawing, do you know if anyone has drawn names for the kids yet?
Yes, we did it a few weeks ago. I can't even remember who we drew. Every year it seems like we get the same kids and I never know what to get them!
I'm in the process of making something that I think will make a good gift, at least for women. If I can get some time to sew it I'll post it. It's a unique dish towel, let's just say that--I'm using that Osnaburg cotton I posted about earlier so they'll be kind of a vintage-type thing. You'll see.
Afton-I was thinking, that Women's tonic you were talking about on Emily's blog-that would be awesome wrapped in one of the dish towels I'm making with a bow tied on top! I'm going to look for it--as a gift to the women in my life.
Afton, If you can teach me how to link to a word document, I can post my list...but in a few hours (after playgroup leaves) I'll post a few ideas of what I'm doing...
Yay Emily! You're so creative. If that women's tonic is expensive or nasty I could wrap a loaf of some kind of bread in the dish towel. I don't know. I found a totally cute idea for sewing birds out of fabric that are really cute. I've got to see if I can find a pattern online somewhere.
Afton, I like how you did the candy in tin thing last year. I didn't even think of going to the dollar store for tins. We love peppermint bark, and I was thinking of just making a bunch of that for neighbors and putting it in tins. That or mint brownies. I don't know. The possibilities are limitless!
my mom always made us things for christmas, my favorite was a dollhouse also and my favorite was the quilts they made i still have them , and have passed them down to my kids. (dax has mine on his bed) also we made dax a barn out of scraps of wood we had. it's huge but he LOVES it! you are so cute to think of making things i should try harder to think of things!
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