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!

Yours looks ace - I would be proud to display it in my home if it had been bought from a shop and even prouder if they had been made by my friend. I would chalk this one up to experience re: the 'friend'. I wouldn't be able to continue the friendship in the same way if a friend had acted like this. My daughters name begins with E if this is still going begging I also think you should flog em, they are lovely. X

When my first son was born my nana made a sort of quilted door hanger thing for him out of pale blue material with rabbits on from the 1980s. It was quite odd. I told her I loved it, obviously.

It hung there for years and became part of the fixtures. My nana died last year. My son is older now and has just had his room decorated in minecraft theme. I took the door hanger off to put away for him and he asked to keep it there as it reminds him of his great-granny. I realised it's probably one of my most treasured possessions. These things that are made by hand are filled with love. That's much more important than a bit of paint out of the lines. If your friend can't see that OP then she's truly missing out.

Your letter is lovely, by the way. My son would love one of those.

Wow the letters are brilliant!!!

Heidi and others not "getting the colour scheme"

It's THE AVENGERS, one letter is Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America etc

polishes nerd badge

The red and blue and the USA look to them may not have been what her room decor was like and it wouldn't go?

That's besides the point really though isn't it? Even if they weren't to her taste, the polite thing to do would be to accept them graciously anyway, and not make it so flaming obvious that she'd replaced them with something else instead!

It's The Avengers, her little boy's room is this theme, that's why I went with it! the ones for my son's room are different.

Nope, I don't sell them currently! But thank you

YNBU. How rude. All that effort and thought. That must have gone into it
Pregnancy doesn't give you a free pass to be an ungrateful bitch.
You're letters are fab btw. You should start your own business. It'll do really well

Rude!

Oh gosh OP what a mean thing for your so-called 'friend' to have done. What a dick.

You, by the way, are rather talented! I'd be delighted if somebody did that for me!

They are beautiful. But, even if they were not, I would still have loved them and put them up in my house!

I don't understand this 'everything must be new and shop-bought' mentality. I love that friends and family members have been making things for my impending baby!

Those are genuinely fantastic. You should start an Etsy shop.

The woman is staggeringly graceless and rude. I've smiled and thanked for several things not to my taste over the years. It's basic manners. And when someone (even when not talented and skilled, which you are) goes to that sort of trouble for your child, I don't know what is wrong with someone not touched by it.

If you ever decide to hit me up!! begging you! Got an avengers mad DS1 and a lovely 10 letter name!

OP, they're fabulous - definitely start selling them, you'll definitely do well!

And then, a year from now when your 'friend' asks how you decided to start selling your letters, you can tell her that after she decided that your letters for her child weren't good enough, everyone on mumsnet decided that she was a complete cunt and convinced you that your letters were absolutely brilliant, and that's what gave you the great idea to start a small business! And then thank her graciously for being such a poor friend to allowing you the opportunity for making money out of your talent.

She's a proper knob. You're very talented and I would genuinely be interested in commissioning some for my two little ones if you're in the market? Only I'm overseas. But would definitely be interested!

Presumably a "professional set" is made by a machine. Your friend is a fool.

Your friend sounds a bit superficial really and not very kind :-/.

You could make these to order (let people choose their letters, and what theme they wanted) on a craft website, and then you'd know that people really wanted and valued what you'd made :-)!

Lifeofdino

They look really good! She was very rude...

The handmade things we got (knitted blankets and shawls) have been used and treasured. None are perfect, all were made with love and I see that every time we use them.

They're lovely, how utterly peculiar of her

I'm honestly flabbergasted at that...

What an absolute, utter TWAT she is

They're actually genuinely good, OP, and she's an ungracious bastard, and I'd be upset too. Bitch!

The letter is lovely!

The saddest thing about all of this is the influence she will have on her child.

Why don't you text her and say 'I want you to know I enjoyed making those letters and spent a lot of time and effort doing so. Your actions and attitude have hurt me and I am saddened you don't value something that was made and given in love'.

There amazing! I honestly can't understand what the hell your friend was talking about?! Was she expecting to pay for them or something? Really can't see why she didn't want them.

Gotta echo everyone else really..

Those are nice quality - yes there is a handmade look to them, because they are hand painted, but they are good enough quality to sell for sure (and I sell my own artwork in various places so I am not just saying that).

She is NOT a friend. A friend would put them somewhere even if she had got another set. A friend would appreciate the thought and the time and the care that went into making them, even if they were not exactly what she'd have bought herself.

Make some that say 'bitch' or 'cunt'. Give them to her. Smile sweetly. 'I thought these would be more your thing'... walk away, never speak to her again.

(Or you know, just daydream of doing it).

I am really picky who I make gifts for though these days, you live and learn - some people have no idea the time and effort that goes into art and crafts stuff.

Christ, what an awful friend. I assume that's one of the letters you made? If so, it's lovely. Obviously you put a lot of thought, time and effort into it.

The handmade gifts we've gotten for our baby are by far my favourite, because of the sentimental value and the fact that people really took the time to think about and make something for the baby. It's easy to buy something from a store or online; it means a lot more to actually go to the effort to make something yourself.

Also, agree with YoureAllABunchOfBastards

Thank you all x

I'll definitely let people know if I sell them! That's very touching! I just don't have the time due to work. But thank you so much x