Homemade Christmas presents

[Number109]

Does anyone make their own gifts? How well received are they generally?

My girls are back at school soon and I plan to go back to batch cooking and wondered if I could add a bit of gift making in at the same time - some jam or fudge would be able to be stored for a few weeks I would think.

I can also sew so contemplating infinity scarves and those make up bags with a drawstring that open out to lie flat.

As other posters have said, the right homemade gift for the right person is perfect. Dad loves sloe gin, so I make him sloe gin. I love jam, so mum makes me jam

There's at least one every year in the run up to Christmas. All the hygiene obsessives come out to explain proudly that they don't eat or drink anything from anyone else's kitchen, plus the hard of thinking who don't understand that home-made crafts of a high standard (crucially) are actually better quality and a lot more interesting and personal than ready-made gifts, and might just possibly be saleable for a lot of money. Even if not of a high standard, they're still no worse than most other gifts.

It would depend on what it was. Any kind of food or scarf then I would say thank you but I would not use them. If my Fiance for example made me something useful with wood I would be very happy but in general it just depends on the item!

Here we go, don't ever cook for anyone again 😬
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4073665-To-think-that-unless-you-know-the-kitchen-they-were-made-in-is-very-clean-homemade-edible-gifts-go-straight-in-the-bin?noti=1&utm_source=watchedthreads&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-02-27&utm_term=Mumsnet%3A+New+message+on+thread+Homemade+Christmas+presents&rei=1026825#101828625

I personally love home made gifts, although I am fairly easily pleased the thought/time that's gone into it makes it extra lovely.
I do make gifts too but only for certain people (my DF hints heavily each year that all he wants is a jar of my homemade jam for example). I think it's about knowing your audience!

We make homemade fudge, peppermint cremes and short bread (and Christmas cake) as part of our run-up-to-Christmas traditions. Last year, we gave some out as gifts (alongside shop bought presents ) and we felt they were well received. My kitchen is clean and hygenic and the guests they were given to were already at our house for Christmas lunch and dinner so eat with us anyway and know how clean my house is. I only make Christmas cake for those who want one but this is mainly because the ingredients are expensive and I don't want them to go to waste.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

There's at least one every year in the run up to Christmas. All the hygiene obsessives come out to explain proudly that they don't eat or drink anything from anyone else's kitchen, plus the hard of thinking who don't understand that home-made crafts of a high standard (crucially) are actually better quality and a lot more interesting and personal than ready-made gifts, and might just possibly be saleable for a lot of money. Even if not of a high standard, they're still no worse than most other gifts.

I don’t doubt that the some may be very good and perfect for the person. However mass produced home made gifts are more about the giver rather than the receiver I feel. I’m not sure how interesting and personal a homemade scarf can be.

Yes, I think it's the "fudge for all" that is the biggest put off. If you home made something to a very high standard, then you could probably gift it, if it was what you would have bought them anyway. Would you go to a shop and buy twenty packs of fudge and give everyone that as their present? No. They don't suddenly love it because you've made it at home instead, it just seems like a "I wanted to make this, so this is your present" which is not what a thoughtful gift is about. And it doesn't make someone high maintenance because they feel a bit off about a food gift that they have no idea what it contains, the conditions it's been made under and how long it's been stored before they've received it.

Same for smellies. If you get me something cherry blossom ish, then I know you've thought about me, because that's my favourite bath stuff. If you get me the standard generic big lavender gift set, I'd thank you kindly, and charity shop it straight away. It just tells me you have put no thought into what I might like.

I was gifted some flavoured vodka once. Clearly they'd taken time over it, and the presentation. It was gross. And notably, I hate vodka. I can remember feeling quite sad that the amount of time they had spent was a complete waste, and a little sad that someone that knew me very well, (and that I drink only one spirit) had just given me (and ten others) what was convenient to them.

I think it depends how good you are at said craft. My husbands grandmother makes homemade sewing gifts for the children but she’s really rubbish at it so it’s hard for the children to pretend to like the gift. My DHs mother is a great knitter and they would love to revive a knitted toy.

I really like them! The only thing I don’t like is chutney, but scarves and gloves are handy for walking or the allotment when it’s cold, I love fudge, and jam. What I don’t want is a bath set from Boots - I just use Radox shower gel, and hate things like body lotion or hand cream because my hormonal skin is greasy enough as it is.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

There's at least one every year in the run up to Christmas. All the hygiene obsessives come out to explain proudly that they don't eat or drink anything from anyone else's kitchen, plus the hard of thinking who don't understand that home-made crafts of a high standard (crucially) are actually better quality and a lot more interesting and personal than ready-made gifts, and might just possibly be saleable for a lot of money. Even if not of a high standard, they're still no worse than most other gifts.

I agree with this. So much of what’s in the shops nowadays is cheaply made tat. It’s a long time since this country had much of a manufacturing or artisan economy, we don’t place enough value on made goods because we’re used to cheap mass produced shit made by cheap exploited overseas labour.

My mum is a tailor of 35 years experience so her handmade gifts are impeccable

Very much depends on the gift, homemade tablet, fudge, consumables, Yes! I don't know any complete really filthy people.
Baby blankets 😍
Homemade cards, tags, lovely but what am I meant to do with them later?
Things to display in my house, tapestry, 😬 maybe not.

I am someone who loves a handmade gift. I love the thought and kindness that goes into them.

I don't know. I don't want mass produced tat from the shops just as much as I don't want three jars of chutney from next door.

The tailor example is excellent. My nan is superb at tailoring. About five years ago, I got a waistcoat. Now. It's immaculately made. Finished and crafted flawlessly. I hate it. It's a blue waistcoat. My cousin got a red one. And we both feel obliged to wear the fucking things because "your nan spent hours on those"

We got what she wanted to make. We both can't stand them. And we both feel obliged to wear them because of the effort she put in. So to add insult to injury, she's convinced we love them because we wear them (under duress) at some point every Christmas!

I mean, it is kind of funny. But that's because it's a bit of a unique situation and become a little family joke. Jars of chutney, just don't.

In theory, I love homemade gifts. My Nan used to make blankets, jam, chutney etc. My aunts do cards and decorations. We've got a wonderful neighbour who makes pickled onions. These gifts were a joy to open,

In reality, homemade gifts are often awful though 🙈

I've got other people who I love who send things that we wouldn't have wanted (knitted hair bands with giant flowers, loo roll covers, giant pictures etc) from a shop - badly done or HUGE quantities of them - like the year we got TEN tissue box covers for our two year old dd and a carrier bag of fudge.

The gift then is more about what they wanted to make in their spare time than what we would have actually liked.

It made me feel a bit sick at how much time and effort went into these things that we really didn't like.

I would only make something for someone who would appreciate it, in the same way I’d only buy something from a shop that I thought they’d like - giving everyone the same fudge/bath set/flavoured alcohol/jam set is wasteful and therefore bad for the environment, and leaves someone I presumably care about feeling like I don’t know them.

@ChickpeaCrunch

Your teenager may vary lol

My teen would prefer the home made gin

@MrsRussell

Also, depends on the individual - we're a re-enacting family and most of my presents to and from DH are home made simply because you can't buy the things we want in a shop (thank God says most people)

For my birthday he's making me a tape loom, and for Christmas I'm weaving him a scarf for his Roman soldiering kit.

I made my mum a memory quilt a year or so after my dad died, with patches from some of his old shirts.

Roman soldiers wore scarves?? not in my fantasies

@TwinsandTrifle now I definitely see the funny side of that!

My mum has carefully saved for 30 years a hideous blanket that my Nan knitted for me to use up odds and ends. It’s about to come to me for 1st DC due in Dec.
My Nan is long gone and it would have tickled and delighted her that of all the things she made, this fucking awful object had outlived her and been carefully treasured.

@ChickpeaCrunch

Do you thing mug cosys are a bit naff? I was thinking of doing them for stockings.

Mugs cosys sound lovely and will be used once or twice then people realise they need washed, throw them in the washing machine and probably never use them again.

Sorry.

I sewed a baby quilt for my DS and DH makes chilli jam. We hadn’t thought to gift people them but we started to get orders from people who had seen it tried them so I started sewing them as gifts for people. I always assume people won’t like or don’t want a homemade gift but so far everyone seems to have really liked them. I find it far more stressful than giving a bought gift though as I would hate anyone to open it and really hate it. I try to put a lot of thought into the style and colours so they will be well received and never make the same one twice unless asked.
I personally really like homemade gifts but I am well aware that not everyone does.

@BeastOfBODMAS completely with you there. But it's the sweet family connection, as opposed to the actual gift that makes these stories endearing.

When it's your aunt, who likes to make fudge, deciding everyone else will be given it, like it or not, and then they have to act appreciative because it's all handmade and effort, then it's not endearing. It's pretty thoughtless and very much about the giver.

I think the worst bit is it's a bit passive aggressive. I've made this because I'm (debatably) talented at this, and it's what you're all getting, but you can't say anything because you can't upset me and you'll look ungrateful. By the way, thanks for my signed copy of this cookbook from the chef you know I love.

Certainly did @MumofSpud though it may be nicer to think of it like a bandanna :-) A thing to stop the chafing when you sweat!

@TwinsandTrifle I think that unless you are one of those extended families that discuss and set a budget, that is an occupational hazard of gift giving! There’s always potential for awkwardness by being over or under generous and not ‘matching’ the recipient’s gift level.

For hypothetical fudge aunt I’d probably give some high quality vanilla to assist next year’s efforts, rather than over-buy and create a mis match/resentment.

My nightmare is homemade edible gifts. So I would hate anything like that. I love handmade knitted things tho, blankets, scarves baby hats they're lovely