Homemade gifts, your real thoughts.

[Itsmychristmasdress]

I am making a picture for a friend for her birthday.
It's not professional looking at all. It's obvious it's home made should I just buy something instead?
Are home made gifts really shit?
Honestly?
Yabu. Yes shit. Buy something instead.
Yanbu. The thought always counts even if the finished product is not amazing.

I love a homemade gift as long as it’s not edible. I don’t know the state of someone’s kitchen/ cooking abilities etc so I wouldn’t eat it.
A picture I would love!

Like all gifts it's great if it's something the recipient actually likes. But if you make a million jars of marmalade and dole them out to everyone regardless of their tastes then a chunk of people won't appreciate the gift.

I grew up with a mother who spent her days sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, baking cakes etc etc - instead of spending time with me. So many Christmases I was bequeathed yet another embroidered picture, beautifully and expensively framed. For years, decades!, I hung on to these gifts, too guilty to get rid of them, even though they weren't to my taste and merely reminded me of my lonely and barren childhood.

It's nearly 20 years since she died, and I finally - finally!! - donated the last of said pictures to a charity shop. The relief is immense - and I no longer care enough to feel guilty.

Generally I’d be polite about a homemade gift but unlikely that I’d use/display/eat whatever it was.
Exceptions from this are that a jewellery making friend made me some earrings that I absolutely loved, they are beautifully made and incredibly simple. Also my dds have made cushion covers which are now the cushions in the front room, no theme to them and they don’t match anything in the room let alone each other but I love that they made them as their first projects at a sewing class MIL enrolled them into when they were young teens. Have had them for years now and I still smile when I look at them.
But generally, if someone made me a piece of art (unless a young niece or nephew etc) it wouldn’t be displayed although I’d be very touched that you had gone to the effort and been very thoughtful.

I've been waiting years for my friend to draw me a bloody picture. But she's very good at drawing. If she wasn't very good at drawing I wouldn't want her attempts

To be honest it depends if its actually any good or not. Some of my friends/family paint and they are brilliant and I have a had a couple of gifts from them. I also love photo gifts, so not handmade as such but personalised.

I would feel really awkward if it wasn't good enough to display and probably would display it anyway, but only you know if that's the case.

I love homemade gifts and display things people have given to me (like paintings) around my house and love tbe memories.

I love home made gifts.

I would love a homemade gift whether it was to my taste or not because I would know a friend gave me their time and effort which is priceless.

I'd always appreciate the thought behind the gift. Whether I actually want the item or not varies. Basically, would I want a shop bought version of the gift? If so, I'd love the handmade one. If not, I'd rather just have a card. So if your friend would buy 3d paper flower art, then it's a great present. If not, the thought will be appreciated but the item will be tat to store or dispose of.

My friend crocheted a blanket for my son when he was born. I absolutely love how much effort she put into it, and I love the blanket itself. A crochet blanket is a practical thing that I might have bought for my child anyway. But if she started giving me other crocheted items as presents, I'd still appreciate the thought but not the items as crochet isn't my style at all outside blankets.

I don't like homemade gifts - the things I've received are usually not very well made or designed. I don't like edible gifts except from family, I am always too suspicious of hygiene standards.

DH likes the look of homemade/unique items so I often buy him things from Etsy - but they are made by people who have expertise in that craft and they are usually well made, and have plenty of reviews.

I love a homemade gift, and I don't think I've ever been given a bad one. My friends are not manky people, and I don't worry about their kitchens.
Even if the gift isn't something I would choose, I still love it.

i don't give homemade gifts though, because I have no craft skills.

Depends on what it is. I've had some beautiful etsy type personalised scrabble art from SIL.
I have been creative with some of my Grandparent gifts, homemade family tree etc.
I love things that has thought put into it even if it's not my taste.

A crocheting friend gave me a crochet blanket she’d made which I made polite appreciative noises about but got rid of because I hate the stuff. I’ve since learned how long crochet takes and how expensive the materials can be so the next time another crocheter gave me something I was honest about how I felt and gave it back. That’s been my tac since on most homemade gifts, unless I genuinely love them, so as not to just waste somebody’s effort.

I'm iffy about homemade edible gifts unless it's a close and trusted friend or family member who has a food hygiene certificate

Other homemade tat is questionable, unless made by an adorable child.

How about something in between like a photo in a frame. Personal touch and needn't cost a lot.

DD1 (23) knits to de-stress. She's a student and during lockdowns used to knit through online lectures. Christmas shopping didn't happen for her due to her studies but she came home at Christmas with a bag of handknitted hats, which was passed round for anyone who wanted one to help themself.

I love cooking and at Christmas 2020 I made jams, marmalade, chutneys and oatcakes for family. My DM returned the pink grapefruit marmalade the next time I saw her because she can't have grapefruit due to medication (I didn't know that or I wouldn't have given her it) but it was done graciously so I wasn't offended.

MIL is a hobby painter and I'm not always a fan. One Christmas she gave us a painting and as soon as DH had opened it, FIL took a picture off our wall and hung MIL's painting in its place; I still hate that painting due to FIL's action.

I absolutely love handmade presents. I can buy myself something from a shop, so a shop bought present isn’t generally as nice as a handmade item that can’t be bought. It’s especially great if it’s from a talented friend. I love knitted stuff, for example, and I’ve got a friend who’s a good sewer and she’s made me personalised lavender bags and aprons in the past. It’s so lovely when someone puts time into making you something.

I really wouldn't welcome a home made present. Edibles I would bin, artwork I would feel irritated to have to display and knitted stuff I just wouldn't wear. But, I don't actually want presents at all and would prefer people to send a card and no gift, or take me for lunch/coffee, or buy a charity gift on my behalf. I think I am a little odd!

Homemade food - jams, chutneys etc, fab. Homemade beanie or scarf (knitted or crochet), great. Skilled quilter? Wonderful.
Painting or collage? Unless a talented artist or you are under 10, no thank you.

I'm somewhat puzzled that so many people would throw away edible gifts. What do you all do if you are invited for tea, lunch, dinner?

Definitely not. It would go straight to the nearest charity shop

Massive no to edible gifts too 🤢

Depends on the skill of the maker. My friend knit a cardigan for me decades ago. I loved it but in a move and fit of cleaning out it went to the charity shop. Regret it to this day

I think it depends on whether it is any good or not. I cannot see any point in a painting that you say isn’t very good and you don’t expect her to display. What is she going to do with it then? It is just going to take up space.

Love it. It's about the effort