Old Style Christmas Preparations for Christmas 2013

Artytarty

That sounds very nice! I was given a scar f last week by a friend who bought it for healed in Peru. The colour does not suit her but it does me, it's baby alpaca, very soft.

mramoeba

Artytarty wrote: »

ARRRGGHH, today's Sunday Times Style magazine declares that "our" type of Christmas present giving is OUT. People want luxury at Christmas , not a packet of homemade fudge and ajar of chutney. In fact , if the article is to believed, they never did want them in the first place.
I feel deflated. Perhaps that's why I hardly got any thanks for the aprons I made last year

I think home made is never 'in' or 'out' of style but the things we make may be. For example an artisan handmade piece of silver jewellery....or some chutney. Well ok, I don't have the skills to make jewellery! but I do think just because i handmade something doesn't automatically mean it's appropriate for or will be appreciated by everyone, and like the wool scarf from the one luxury ball of wool, you could really make it special. I would LOVE that, but I'm not so keen on jam. So I personally wouldn't give the same thing to everyone, just as I wouldn't with a bought gift. And lastly I always go overboard on the wrapping/ packaging. Even a cheap plain candle looks fab with a cellophane wrap with ribbon and dried leaves) Over the years I have amassed a lot of ribbon, cellophane etc and it really does make a difference when you put effort into that. This year it's plain brown or red kraft paper with coloured raffia, tartan or red ribbon and dried fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, real foliage and artificial heather. And maybe a drop of orange essential oil just before you give it. Father Christmas always brings conventionally wrapped things. He is much too busy for that.

quidsy

OK, this is NOT a critism on home made gifts but I rarely like HM gifts, unless from a child. I would rather a token small poinsetta or a pot plant if someone was trying to save money.

I can barely eat a cake if someone made it by hand as I have issues with certain foods so things like jam or soap or anything like that is a no no for me. Sometimes I am given something that I can tell has taken effort & I am grateful for their time & thought but I do think they have wasted their time as I would never eat or use what they made. So although HM gifts are very thoughtful I do think you need to think about who you give it to.

If I were to give anything HM to my mum for example she would politely receive it but never use it & it would probably end up in some charity shop by new year cause she is even more funny about it than I am.

So sometimes it is better for the maker to not do certain people as they just don't get the idea or have an aversion to homemade.

I hope this doesn't offend or upset, just giving another side to the coin
So don't feel

Artytarty

No offence taken, you are quite right. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
Funnily enough the fiend who appreciates them the most is the most wealthy,there is simply nothing she could not buy for herself.

mrs-moneypenny

i can totally understand what you are saying quidsy. i love making things and aprechiate the time that has gone into tings and am happy with all sorts of hm gifts. but i have friends/family who i wouldnt do hm for for the exact reasons you stated.
some people think you are being cheap doing hm, where it can somethimes be more expensive as well as time consuming. other people have real issues with using or eating things that havent in their opinion been made in factory hygenic conditions.

as an example i used to regularly use a market stall and one of the customers used to make lovely looking pies she often bought the stallholder one as a thank you. i was there one week when she did it, it was sealed in a plastic bag in a foil tray and looked like something you would buy in a shop. the stasll holder thanked her and said how lovely last weeks was then once they lady walked away SHE THREW IT IN THE RUBBISH!!!! i must have looked horrified as she said im not being funny but ive never seen inside her kitchen so i wont eat anything made there. i said why dont you tell her not to make them then and save her the time and money. she said it had been going on for years and she didnt want to upset her. it upset me on the ladies behalf!

my sister has now started doing hm candles which look and smell gorgeous but shes so worried that someone will burn something and sue her shes bought special labels saying they should be used with care and not left unattended and she isnt responsible if you misuse them.

ostrichnomore_2

It's true not everyone likes and appreciates home-made stuff. And it does depend a lot on what it is. There's some things that people put on here that would make me go :think: if I were given them. Some of the ideas are ok but just basically assembling something rather than making something. If you swirl a flannel up into a cupcake case, it's still just a flannel you've rolled up a bit, and I don't want a flannel for Christmas (but I'm sure other people would like it so no offence if you are doing these). If it's well made, involves a bit of skill, something I'll use, and well presented. Then I LOVE home made presents.

I'm making something I think looks good, quite 'professional', unusual and useful and will be nicely presented, and they cost around £5-7 when I've seen them on sale, (the felted soaps on other thread) but I'm still not giving it to everyone.

OH said he thinks homemade is cheap and tacky and he doesn't want one, or for me to give to his family . It's just not their thing. Even when he saw them and he said they looked really good, he followed that up by saying I could tell people I'd bought them...he just doesn't get it.

On the other hand, I know some of my family and friends will be impressed as they make lovely things for me sometimes and I always appreciate the love, time and skill that goes into them. Homemade, to us, is better than something you just spend a few minutes getting in a shop.

If you don't want your feelings hurt, you have to know what the recipients attitude towards homemade versus shop-bought is.

IrishRose12

Well as much as I love handmade things, and am making some myself for the 1st time this year, at the end of the day if the person I have given it to doesn't like it then tough luck. No matter what you give someone, be it home made or shop bought someone isn't going to like, or appreciate it!
I work in a school so get a lot of gifts that I don't use or like, and they are either put in the bin, given to someone I know will like it or it will be sent to the Charity shop. I make a big fuss of the kids when they come in with their gifts, whether I like it or not.

The way I see it is, it doesn't matter whether you personally like it or not.......... it's the thought that counts at the end of the day. And if you don't like what I give you, then not my problem, the thought was there, I thought about what I gave you and I wouldn't have given it to you if I thought you would't like it. And it's the same with me, I would never tell someone that I don't like something they give me, I am appreciative of it, I won't hurt your feelings and you don't know what I will be doing with it when you walk away.

Twice a year - at Christmas and end of school year, I end up with umpteen bottles of wine, they are received with a smile and given away again when I get home.............. as I don't drink! But most parents don't know that, and won't know that either as I don't even expect gifts from children in the first place, but the thought from the parents was there

boredjellybean

Hi there, I want to plant some bulbs up for my Aunties as presents this Christmas, what should I be looking at planting up???
Sarah

mrs-moneypenny

morning all

boredjellybean - sorry i think you may have left it too late this year, if you want them to be ready at christmas you need to buy the specially prepared 'forced' bulbs and start planting in sept.
I forgot myself this year as DD3 normally does a bowl of hyachincs for her 3 grans. i thought it would be ok as shes really into baking now and could do them cupcakes, but then DD2 told me grandma said to her not to get her flowers as DD3 always does then added your mum usually get the bowl back off me in the summer so im guessing im getting a new bowl as well this year OPPPS!! i will be having a look round shops and market stalls for some to see if there are any i can pass off as homegrown. usually i write in my new diary plant blubs for christmas in septs page t remind me but this year i forgot.

hope everyone is well
you all certainly look organised

Artytarty

Oops, ! Well I tho you might find some forced hyacinths in Mr T that you could repot. Good plan.