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'm a professional silver jewellery maker and I often give "homemade" gifts of jewellery to family and friends. My pieces are available online, from the occasional market I do and from a couple of local retailers.

I really can't win here, if I don't, I get veiled comments about how they would love to have something I made and if I do I'm now wondering how many would have preferred something from a shop!!

Could you sell it on Etsy? If not, then it's just going to be something she doesn't want to display, and she'll think you'll be put out because now she looks ungrateful. Don't put her in that position.

You're essentially saying "I've taken all this care to make something that I feel is good enough to be displayed in your home" and she may well not agree.

I make lovely cakes, but I wouldn't ever gift one as an actual birthday gift or Christmas present, because I'm not a proper baker, I just like making them... And that's not why you should gift something. I'd take one round to a friend's with me on a random morning as in "here, I made this for us to have with coffee" but I'd feel like a right CF handing one over as a present instead of, say, a jumper. It's like self declaring how good you think your own handiwork is and projecting that on to the recipient.

Okay this comment has sold it to.me that I shouldn't gift it. Thanks for your input all.

Good shout @Itsmychristmasdress but don't stop enjoying your crafting ... If you get a nice buzz out of making stuff, that's the main thing!

SIL is an amazing cook (did a hotel and catering degree). Every year she makes me special Christmas biscuits to MILs old recipe as she knows I love them. They are quite fiddly so area real labour of love.She also gives DH some of her marmalade and chutney - again a thoughtful gift as he eats it and I don't.

I can sew really well so I sometimes make stuffed toys or personalised Christmas stockings for new arrivals (the latter only if wanted) - but they are of a very high quality and I also sell them online with really good feedback so I know that they are good.

I wouldn't want any old tat - frankly I'd find a postcard or two of paintings by your friends favourite artist and give her those - then at least she could use them as thank you cards if she didn't want to keep them so they'd be useful.

Have you made it especially for her because she loves, say, sunflowers and know it'll be to her taste.

Or is this your hobby and you like making stuff, but don't know what to do with all the stuff when you're done?

First reason, gift it. Second reason, don't.

Reminds me of this...

Totally depends on the gift so hard to say. My daughter loves Stitch and her friend's mum painted a beautiful picture of Stitch which was easily of saleable quality.

I have had mixed reactions to baked gifts from delight to meh.

however, I would urge recipients to remember that a home made gift means you are actually getting multiple hours of someone's time. Even at minimum wage that still adds up. Please at least try to be nice!

To be brutally frank it depends how good it is and if l wanted something like that in the first place.

Same here. I'm a knitter and crocheter. I absolutely love making things for other people, but I don't do it unless they have either asked me to, or at least given me good reason to think they would like me to!

It’s two orange ass imprints painted to look like pumpkins. One of them is my godchild, I suppose it’s a weird humour but it’s not odd, no.

It’s in my dressing room, if that matters, so not many people other than me get to see their arseprints.

Yeah you won’t persuade me otherwise, having someone else’s child’s bum prints in paint on your wall is odd!

Nope sorry. The obligation to display it so it doesn't hurt your feelings is awful if its not to her taste

Having said that. My daughter made me a scarp book of her memories for me .beautifulky decorated and its the most important possession I own

Yes, and how old is the godchild in question now??? Assuming the child was pretty young when the assprint was made, I imagine there comes a time when the godchild will be come to be deeply unimpressed that an adult has an imprint of their buttocks made to look like pumpkins on their wall!

If it's a dear friend, I'd be happy with a homemade gift. Any gift is generous and I never expect them from friends.

If it's family, and therefore more of a guaranteed gift, I'd prefer a decent, useful gift.