I made my friend something, for her soon-to-be-born baby, but she said I could have it back, as she then ordered a professional set :( AIBU to be upset, or am I being a bit sensitive?

[WillH]

I made letters for my son's nursery recently. She commented on how much she loved them. I know that friends say that to be nice too, but I genuinely thought she liked them.

I made her a set, which took me a couple of evenings to paint. I know that isn't ages, but I put in a lot of effort.

I gave them to her. She opened them and was a bit "oh, they're nice" but then points to a bit of paint where it isn't perfect and then goes "I'm just kidding", but it didn't feel like it. I thought she might have been, so that was that. I recently went round to her house and noticed different letters, so I pointed that out by saying "they're lovely, better than mine!" They were, but I was a little upset. She then hands me the ones I made back and said that I can have them as she "preferred the professional ones, obviously!"

Am I being over sensitive? If I am, please tell me. I've added a picture of one of the letters. Are they that bad? Again, tell me if they are!

The colours of OP's letters don't go together very well to my eye (don't shout, I would have accepted the letters anyway & happily displayed).

I make things that (some) other people don't find perfect enough, either. It's also why I gave up making anything for school bake sales: if it doesn't look like it came out of a factory, many folk don't want it.

lljkk, but they are Avengers themed, so they do match and also match the room!

Actually, that's another thing, who does violent theme cartoon characters for a baby/toddler room?? Maybe that was the first hint of odd taste.

Your friend is being quite shockingly U.

Really sorry.

I love your letters, and you were really kind and thoughtful. Your friend is a twat!

I think the idea of having themed letters is inspired - every time the room is decorated as the child grows it'll need the letters replacing.

Peppa Pig to Frozen
Postman Pat to Superheroes

Etc.

You really could make a business out of it. They're very very well done.

I think you're right about the friendship, but she's in my baby group, so I'm not sure breaking it up would be great atm, she's quite popular in the group.

I wonder how long that popularity will last if this is indicative of how she treats people.

Those letters are lovely. Really well done. Your 'friend' is clearly an idiot.
Like other posters have said, even if she wasn't keen on them to hand them back to you is breathtakingly rude!
Some people are weird about handmade stuff though, I make cards, I think they're pretty nice, they take forever and cost a lot more in materials than a card from a shop would yet I sometimes get comments like 'oh that's lovely, almost as good as a shop bought one '. Almost as good as a mass produced bit of printed card? Wow! Thanks!
This is one that got that reaction. (From my bloody dh, the recipient liked it I think)

YANBU, they're great.

What you should do is sell them to someone else in the baby group, so they can gift them to her at the next birthday/Xmas. Then, by dint of them having been paid for, they will automatically become "professional". Kid gets something fab for his room, you get some cash and reassurance that they're really good, and she gets an "up yours"... Win win

WTF! Those are amazing.

I was going to suggest making a G as well and putting it in the garden but Skittlesss got there first!

You could always make an S and spell out 'ARSED' and give it to her for Xmas?

We received handmade letters for the door of my DS's room. It was so thoughtful and lovely and I love the hand crafted look because it reminds me that someone thought so kindly of us they took a lot of time out of their busy days to make something for our baby. And I'm honoured that they shared their talent with us.

If they'd been avengers-themed like yours, DS would go nuts over them. And so would I!

I make baby blankets which cost well over 100 pounds by the time I pay for the materials and they take weeks to do. So I'm pretty careful that I only make them for people who wont see it as a shitty home-made bit of cloth and end up using it for the dogs basket! I learned my lesson well!

OP they are fucking awesome. You've a customer here if you ever want to start selling!

When I saw the first letter I thought that it was really really nice when I saw the other letters I was amazed at how beautiful they are, you have a real talent.
I make things like that and like you for gifts and I never sell them. One of hubbys friends live my glass etching and is always asking for me to make some and I get reimbursed with wine
He asked me to make a glass for my hubby but I'm out of action at the moment as I have a poorly arm and he get and ordered one online somewhere and he said he paid £20 for it and it's not got that personal caring touch, I was gobsmacked by his comment as I really didn't think I was that good.
Anyway I would love you as Friend xx

Germgirl Wed 06-Jul-16 13:40:39
Some people are weird about handmade stuff though, I make cards, I think they're pretty nice, they take forever and cost a lot more in materials than a card from a shop would yet I sometimes get comments like 'oh that's lovely, almost as good as a shop bought one '

Cardmaking is one of my hobbies. One of my friends once said "ooh that must save you a lot of money"

well, yes, if you usually pay £9.99 for an extravagant card from the likes of Hallmark, I can make one from scratch that costs a fair bit less. But not if you buy the £1 or £2 cards from the supermarket. Or factor in the time it takes.

But forget about the hundreds of pounds I've invested in equipment, card, papers, adhesives & all the trimmings (and the storage).

I love handmade things, the time it takes to put the effort into something so personal is priceless.

WillH your post and picture just made me slightly teary!

(And I don't think it's just my hormones)

What a lovely gesture it was to make and paint those letters!

What a rude, ungrateful bint your friend is. Don't make her anything ever again.

That's hurtful. I would be upset. Your letters are great x x

Production line mass-produced things are bound to be more precise than handmade one-of-a-kind things. But it's not just the finished article - it's the though, design, and hard work that went into them, thinking of her little boy.

Urgh! She obviously wasn't worth the effort.

Do you know anyone with a son named Dane?

Another D and a W would work for an Edward.

Someone's little one should get the enjoyment out of them, if hers wont.

What a bitch!

I also think she's jealous OP.

I don't know why but I have a niggling feeling that that is the reason she gave you them back to try and knock you down a peg or two (not that you need it) so she is 'better' in the 'oh look, I can buy mine I don't have to make them'

My sister does this. Often says my work is shit so I made her a knitted poo.

Your friend is a dick OP.

Is this her first child?

She's rude. What a lovely thing you did making them for her. I think that E looks great, brilliant job OP :-)

I actually think a lot of people are being slightly disingenuous here. We have thread after thread taking the piss out of "Facebook selling glittery shit".

I don't think all the people screaming moral outrage and calling the friend vile names have never snarked on those, right?

Obviously the letters are very nicely done, but nice is in the eye of the recipient. I'm sure there are lots of people who think glittery shit is nice, but slagging it off has become MN sport.

I do agree that the friend was unbelievably rude. She should have said thank you and then stuck it in a drawer, to be display when the giver came round. However the names she is being called are insane.

She's a bitch

Your letters are lovely and your friend sounds insincere and ungrateful.
Where did you get the letters from to paint? I think this could be a lovely idea for my baby's bedroom. Would be a good baby shower activity too (though I don't go in for them myself). Hold your head high. Your friend is being weird!

It doesn't actually matter what the letters look like. It doesn't matter that they weren't to her taste and she didn't put them up. It was the returning them with the side swipe that was rude and the ingratitude shown when they were first gifted

Is nobody else desperate to hear the other side of the story?! I'd love to find an AIBU along the lines of...

So I vaguely know this woman. We're in the same baby group. She's a little scary. She keeps turning up at my house and stands, staring through the window, stroking her hair. She goes through my bins. I'm pretty sure that's how she found out I'd ordered some letters for my sons room. She made some herself, and proudly announced the red in the Iron Man A was made from her own blood so we would always be together. When I pointed out my son's name was Edward, she sneered and said, "No. Arden suits him far more". Was IBU to hand them back, close the door and promptly put my house on the market?!

Sorry, OP