My holidays have just about always been handmade. When I was young I had no money to buy gifts, so I made little presents for my parents and grandparents. Thirty years later, some of my first creations can still be found on Gramma's shelves! I've always been a creative person, and as I got older I grew more skilled at sewing, sculpting, and crafting in general. I was able to tailor the gifts for each person's tastes. I even learned new art forms in order to create gifts for certain people. For me, the joy of giving a gift I made myself just can't be beat. Whether it's homemade cookies or an elaborate and meaningful sculpture, people appreciate something that comes not only from my heart, but from my hands. This holiday season I'll be pretty busy, so I may actually break down and buy some gifts. But every gift I give will be handmade. That's become very important to me. And I love supporting my fellow artisans as well- sales always make for a merrier Christmas! When I buy on
ArtFire, I feel like I'm buying from friends, and I've always been quite pleased with everything I've purchased on
ArtFire.
Like many, I've already started making some of the Christmas gifts I plan to give. My best friend and her family will be visiting for Thanksgiving, so we'll exchange gifts then. She has a young son who loves dragons, and I'm working on a plush green dragon for him. I may add a knight or wizard if I have time. I really enjoy making gifts for children, and seeing that smile on their face when they open up their present. I remember being a little girl and Gramma making dolls and stuffed animals for me. Those were the most special gifts, because Gramma made them just for me. I'd sit at her knee and watch her sew the pattern pieces together by hand, and just feel like I must have been so special for her to make something like that for me. You know, that's what Christmas is about for me- the love of family and friends and the joy of being together with them. And the gifts I give come from my heart and hands, not WalMart.
Here's wishing everyone a happy handmade holiday!
-Michelle of
CreativeCritters
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