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| This is a 'page' from an album of my niece's life: I give her Mum a handful of 'pages' each Christmas |
Add to that: a handful of these persons have birthdays between now and Christmas too - it would be really easy to cave in and just buy something.
Add to that: the inescapable feeling that giving a handmade gift is probably only fully appreciated by people who hand make themselves. It might feel a bit 'cheap', although I know it's not.
Add to that: have you seen the list of people I've decided to erm, 'bless' with a home made gift this Christmas? It's, well, ambitious.
Add to that: I've seen several tickers on other blogs that count down the days. I could so easily wind myself up into a hysterical fat blob.
Instead, I thought I'd share my coping mechanism:
1. Make, whilst in the mood, whilst the going is good.
2. Make and finish one thing at a time..midnight on the 24th December is not a time reserved for frantic finishing and crappy wrapping. No, it ISN'T.
3. Set a reasonable, seasonal deadline to finish the makes. Mine is December 15. Then, I shall gracefully (!) accept if I've failed to finish and trot out to buy gifts where needed, and still have time to wrap them.
4. Do not get silly about this. Do not make loads of stuff and then lose your nerve and decide against giving any of it away. To this end, I recommend wrapping as soon as possible after finishing!
So how does that sound - my manifesto? Simple and workable. I hope. I intend. It's safe to share here because most intended recipients aren't blog readers. Don't actually hold your breath, but you know - watch this space. I'll not be able to resist showing off if the going remains good!
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15 comments:
Ummm, a few less than that Julia (75) but here's to your cunning plan - I'm sure you'll achieve wonders between now and 15 Dec.
Toni xx
Sounds pretty good to me :o)
Argh! I knew it was close but did you have to put a DAYS countdown on t? *sob* I know the feeling of to much inspiration - not enough time. Will watch with interest!
Hi Julia, closer than you think - according to the ticker on my blog it's on ly 76 - well 75 as we go past the midnight hour. Like your manifesto ... think I'll adopt it to, the 15th seems a good day to stop agonising and attempting the impossible :) Elizabeth x
Brilliant and timely! I especially love the wrapping as finishing idea :D. For myself I have two things for coping. The first is a notebook listing who I need to make gifts for and what I'll be making. I try to work on in pretty much year round, keeping a weather eye open for supplies on sale and such. The second is a box with all the gifts and supplies (or a list of where the supplies are). Because one year I squirrelled things away willy nilly and only just found a present intended for DD 4 years ago.
Is it ok if I ride the coattails of your manifesto? LOL I think #4 is going to be my challenge. As this is my self-declared personal crafty year (which is not going very craftily), I'm trying to match "handmade" with "something they might want or use". Nothing like getting a handmade purse organizer (anyone who knows me knows that I don't carry a purse) or some other item that clearly shows they just wanted to make SOMETHING even if it didn't really fit the recipient. That's my fear... the "what the heck was she thinking?"
Anyway, please carry on, my Inspiration. I'll be here with Carmen and the others, "watching with interest"! =)
It's a tough call because there is some fab stuff in shops too...and it's the time factor that will be the killer in the end...A small festive artwork is nice but then you have to give it early. I might go for small packs of luxury handmade cards in a fancy ribbon...looks good and is usable and maybe this year I will design a special card of my own for folk and have it printed. I can cope with them being chucked then. I don't allow any festive frenzy or fun until the D month appears and I start on my 99p Barbie advent calender...
So let's hope that the goings remains good! I'm just glad that I already finished a few gifts and most of them involve my photos, so I make photobooks and calendars online and they assemble them and send them to me. So I just have to wrap (and often don't do this because the wrapping paper will end in the trash).
I would be in the 'lose my nerve and change my mind and have to go buy something instead' group... because most of my family aren't crafty and I think they see it as a cheap get-out for gift giving... when in reality we all know it is anything but cheap!!
There's always one isn't there
I haven't even thought about it yet - but I won't be doing handmade this year (again!). Like your manifesto though. Good luck!
Good plan. The things I made as presents last year were so well received I decided to soldier forth this year to - although in reality I find the ladies in my life much easier recipients so have targeted them - hence the bags this year - while also honing another skill ;) The downside of this is I am a making for everyone else and nothing to keep - but that is what January is for (or after the 15th December!)
this is a very pretty xmas gift
Oh gosh that is too organised! Love the LO by the way.
Helen x
Sounds good to me. Very organised in fact. I understand completely, I wonder about giving homemade gifts. I myself love them because I know how much thought, love and work go into them but do others? Who knows. Stick to your plan. It's a winner.
....and I love the page of your niece. Simply lovely x
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