Would your kids be disappointed to receive a homemade christmas gift?

[Songofsixpence]

DD loves her Build A Bear and asked for some clothes/accessories for Christmas. The stuff is quite expensive for what it is, so I thought I'd make her some.

I used to do a lot of product photography and I had one of those old fashioned suitcases that I used as a prop stashed in the loft, so I got it down and have been making Build A Bear clothes over the last month or so and it's now full. I have bought a couple of pairs of actual BaB shoes to put in it, but the rest of it is homemade.

I've had various phases of being into sewing and crafting over the years, so had tonnes of knitting wool, fabric scraps and bits and bobs festering away in my junk cupboard so a suitcase full of stuff really only cost a few pounds.

I had thought she'd love it

Anyway, chatting to friends about Christmas and what our DDs are into this year, etc, pretty much all of them have said their DDs would be really disappointed to get a homemade gift, and gutted that the clothes weren't actual BaB clothes

So, I'm panicking about it now

Would your kids be gutted?

She has got other gifts, but this is one of her main ones to go under the tree.

She will love it.

The best santa present ever in our house was a puppet theatre my son got when he was about 5. We bought a new fridge before christmas and DH and I made the puppet theatre out of the box.

How lovely! how old is your Dd op?
My Dd loves me to make things for her although I haven't sewn anything for her yet. I will be making her First Communion dress though and she will I am sure, love it.
Homemade things are wonderful and not enough people try imho.

Songofsixpence that's a brilliant present

As a child my best present ever was a box of Sindy clothes that my grandma had knitted for me (it included a Wonder Woman costume!). My MIL did something similar for my eldest's 3rd birthday - a huge basket of knitted clothes for her dollies - that was over ten years ago & the clothes are still played with daily by my younger kids.

I always try and include something home-made for the kids' - this year dd1 has a hot water bottle cover (a badger), ds1 some more knitted bacteria, dd2 an embroidery of Little Red Riding Hood & ds2 a new hat. I'm always making them things - they always have a list of things they must have but you can't get from a shop!

darlingfascistbullyboy erm...knitted bacteria? Do elaborate!

The best present I ever got from 'santa' was a puppet theatre, my dad built it out of wood and painted it and my mum sewed curtains for it and puppets. I had it for at least 10 years and forced the family to watch many a puppet show!! I only found out fairy recently how much work it was, I treasured it and treasure my parents for putting so much effort in. And it's the ONLY present I remember getting when I was a child.

Your friends are being ridiculous! DS would love that present!

They sound incredible!

My best ever christmas present as a child was a sylvanian family house my brother made - he spent months and it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I loved it and played with it for years and all the fancy houses you could buy would never have been as good as that one. It is now kept at my parents house for all the grandchildren to play with - the sylvanian animals are long gone but the house is as perfect as ever.

Mine would be thrilled but they've been brought up with crafts and handmade things so know the work involved.

One Christmas, when my younger sister and I were little (5-8 ish?) my aunt gave my sister a whole set of hand knitted dolls' clothes and gave me a sort of large personalised book of puzzles and activities. Both of which she had made herself. They were two of our favourite and most memorable presents ever. I hope children haven't changed that much!

lol TarnishdWithAshAndSootgremlin - ds has ASD and very particular interests. This year it is bacteria ( for example he's got quite a collection now), last year it was cephalopods.

My DD (6) gets knitted clothes and blankets for her dolls from Granny, loves them. Certainly doesn't care that they are homemade, just enjoys playing with them. I think your present sounds lovely!

That sounds like a really fantastic gift, don't be put off by your friends' attitudes, which are a bit odd and rude! I'm sure your daughter will love the clothes, and maybe she'll develop an interest in learning to sew from you as she gets older!

OP She'll love them! Kids find homemade gifts quite precious. My Ds7 loves all the figurines that I've sculpted for him. (He's even kept all of my old Uni prototype models and furniture that I've made).

I think it would be / will be wonderful. Either of my 9 year olds would love them.

That sounds amazing, my DD would love it and wouldn't care that it was homemade.

Sadly my sewing skills are not up to clothes but DD still plays with the bedding set I made for her doll's cot years ago

My DD is always asking me to make things for her dolls/teddies and a big pile of them would absolutely bowl her over. Part of the enjoyment comes from the fact that they have been made BY me for HER. She is 7 and has a couple of build a bears with a few clothes but she loves the ones I make just as much. You sound like a lovely mum

Thanks all!

I'm feeling more confident about the whole thing today.

I knitted a little Christmas jumper for BaB which DD got in her advent calendar this morning and she absolutely loves it. I was going to put it in her stocking but decided to give it to her early to test the water so to speak, and her reaction was brilliant.

I wish I could sew as my daughter would absolutely adore that as a present. It's so thoughtful and the fact you've spent so much time and effort makes it MORE valuable rather than less! I bet she'll be absolutely thrilled with it!

My mum has made some gorgeous, personalised things for my dc, that they love and use regularly. So far so good. A few years on, and she was gutted when she discovered that my dc thought these things were shop-bought. "But, Granna, how can they be handmade? They're so perfect!"

(Clearly my dc are more familiar with my clumsily slapdash style of 'homemade')

I saw your thread title and came on to say "if you can sew..."!

My SIL once made matching aprons for DD and me. DD was ecstatic!

And YY to handmade Elsa dresses / other princess dresses.

My uncle made me a doll's house when I was little, I refurbished it, new paint, wallpaper, carpet etc and gave it to DD for Christmas when she was 3. I don't remember any objections!

I can't sew at all, much to DD's disappointment . She's always asking me to make things.

Mine would love it. I think it's a fab idea as BaB accessories are quite expensive.

That sounds like an amazing present, my dd2 loves her build a bears and would be ecstatic to receive that. She prefers dressing her bears up in all sort of clothes, and it is rare that they are seen in any of the official BaB outfits.

Actually just asked her what she would prefer, she said home made as they would be different and special.

What a load of rubbish these parents have been spouting.

What wonderful values you're teaching your children. My DC would be happy that mummy had put love and effort into a unique present. Your DC are lucky.

Don't get sucked into materialistic crap. It's everything that wrong with our society !!

That sounds lovely!
DC3 had a scarf for years which FC gave her, which I had made (she never spotted the difference, she loved it) and all the DC treasure the various quilts and crochet blankets I have made them - to the extent of taking them to university.

I recently gave a small cousin a little homemade blanket which was a huge hit...