CHRISTMAS (yes I know I know, it's ages away) would you really honestly appreciate being given handmade/homemade gifts?

[MadreInglese]

We are super skinto this year and I've been considering making Christmas pressies, is it a mental idea? (I'm artistic but not particularly lentil-weavery so my friends are likely to think I've gone a bit mad)

What would you truthfully think about receiving something handmade?

a) Oooh how lovely, what a nice personal touch!

b) hmm that's nice (will take it to the charity shop later)

c) blardy cheapskates, why have they given me this homemade tat?

d) something else

?

(be honest )

what are you thinking of?

imo I would like biscuits or chutney/jam type stuff IF it was well made and not minging

OR photoframes etc

tbh I would rather have something homemade than a 'giftbox' from Boots or wherever

sil did chutney/jam/biscuits in a hamper last year I was chuffed to bits and will be asking if she has the time to do the same this year as it was one of my fave presents.

I did this last year and it ended up costing me more money

This year I will be giving small presents and some company

But answering your OP yes I love to recieve homemade things

agree with olive oil

I think it shows a lot more effort than spinning on the spot in a shop and grabbing crap!

Pick what you want to do and do it well.

You could also try homemade truffles,biscuits, mini christmas cakes wrapped in cellophane

If food stuff I'd be pleased but probably not if it was arts and crafts type affairs unless it was pretty jewelry maybe. Another valid option is just to say 'We're skint - can we only do presents for kids this year please?'

Having never attempted jam/chutney/etc before it probably would be minging!

I was thinking of patterned photo frames or notepads/diaries/calendars (have loads of materials I could use up for this), personalised canvasses for the children (have a stock pile of black ones), maybe little dress cushions or a table runner, that kind of thing. Possibly embroidering a little personal thing on a plain towel or flannel and making a little gift set with some soap (DD has seen that soap making mag on tv and is desparate to try it), or little cute smelly cushions for knicker drawers - stuff like that.

Am I mad?

i always think homemade things completely lovely and so, so thoughtful

but like nimw it's not necessarily that cheap - you need to plan carefully and cost it all out, including all packaging.

do consider books - by which I mean one book per person. a carefully chosen paperback can be very personal too. Part of the spiralling cost of Christmas has been the weird habit of giving everybody several presents at once IMO.

another alternative is just not to give presents to anyone over a defined age (we chose 25). Cuts an unbelievable amount of stress out, and I even like present shopping.

those all sound lovely - but how quick are you at embroidering? i occasionally embroider things for people but I have to allow 1 per year

For my DHs birthday, a friend offered an evening's babysitting. best present he received, we were absolutely delighted.

Depends what it is!

Your suggestions sound nice.

Or only do gifts for kids - that's what we are doing and my parents are relieved as they prefer it! Never mind the money, it's stressful trying to think of what to get people who are grown up and have everything and if they don't they just buy it for themselves anyway.

I'm not remotely bothered about getting presents at Christmas and I'm quite happy for that aspect to be all about teh kids. For me it's about putting the tree up, getting together, having quality time with the kids, going out on nights out etc.

Most of my friends and I just do buying for the kids, but there are some of my friends who don't have kids and still buy for DD so I tend to get them something, then there's all my & DP's family members.

We are not buying for adult family! Tight wads.

Hand-made soap sounds lovely, and all your ideas are unusual, so they won;t already have 6 of them stuffed in a drawer.

I once made little baskets of spices for cook-y friends, bought large bundles of cinnamon and tied them up into ribbons, and bags of cloves/peppercorns etc which I put into twists of plastic bags and tied with ribbon. The bigger bags of spices are cheaper and the ribbon is cheap but shows the personal touch. It also helped that I had a bay-tree and rosemary/thyme etc in the garden.

a few weeks ago i went away for the seekend with one of my oldest friends, we had to take a pillow each, as we were getting ready for bed she said 'oh look, i'v bought the pillowcase you embroidered(sp) for me that xmas years ago when we had no money'

yeah, it looks a bit naff now, but at the time we were all poor/hard-up and made stuff for each other, i was touched that she still had the pillowcase and even more touched that she still used it!

so, i would say, have go, i would def. appreciate a gift made with love and care!

tbh frank

i would like sloe gin, chutney, cookies, choiclate truffles

but not any of the arty crafty stuff

and definitley not bundles of anything tied with ribbons

i would rather have nothing

and gift sets etc are yuk

I would appreciate definitely appreciate home made food presents. Not sure I would want lavender bags very much and am snobby about my soap, no melt and pours.

Another thing that I would love is plants for my garden so cuttings potted up or a couple of things grown from seed would be a present I would love to receive.

and definitley not sopa or candles or homemade paper

I am deffo this xmas for my grandparents, and beau's parents (his dad is making something for DS so i'm giving as a thank you type thing) anyhow,

we're planning - as in DS and I (he doesn't know it yet but we are!)

1. a xmas cake each,
2. box of buscuits each
3. fudge or marzipan sweets
4. not sure if we can think of anything else.

with my brother/SIL we usually buy for each other, but I have DS they have a DS, bro's out of work more or less SIL is on mat. leave so I suggested kids only and limit of say £7-£10 each. bro was happy enough with this, I can't afford much, they can't either.

Madre, your ideas sound absolutely lovely. I would be thrilled to get any of those. So thoughtful. And so much better than the usual tat people end up giving.

I think that it's fine if you consider the recipient.

Me personally, I would say to your question

d) something else!

eg when my brother was skint last Christmas, I just told him to get me nothing and I bought him something that he needed. This is because I am minimalist and don't want any things - eg I wouldn't want any more photo frames or a table runner etc. This year, he has a bit more money, but I have said to him to get me nothing and get DH nothing, just get my kids something small. Again I am getting him something that he needs.

Consider who you are buying for and ask if you can just buy for kids. Grown adults do not need to receive gifts from someone who can't afford it. It is ridiculous and any sensible person can understand this.

lol zippi @ "definitley not bundles of anything tied with ribbons"

Anything homemade and edible would be most welcome in my house!

depends.

there are some people who are really brilliant and talented at crafts and things like sewing and knitting.

i'm good at baking and making homemade liqueurs, so give those out as gifts.

we made salt dough ornaments with the kids adn they're about ot start painting and decorating them with glitter and i'll tie a few of those on gifts for the grandparents, aunts and cousins.

other than that, we do 'homemade' gifts like puzzles or tshirts with their photos on it from Snapfish for the grandparents and aunts.

i'd like baked or easily used up gifts, but not 'stuff' for the house, to be honest.

And definitely would prefer nothing over scented cushions for my undies drawer.

the soap idea might work

yes you're right, it should probably be different gifts depending on the person, good plan

(and if they're really bodged I can always pretend DD made them )