It’s a shame that the idea of crafting something tends to be used as an alternative option for spending money.
You see it all the time. Don’t spend lots of money on Christmas gifts – make them! It’s meant to be the easy solution, quite ignoring the fact that crafting materials don’t tend to be cheap.
Which is, like I said, a shame. There is something uniquely beautiful about hand-crafted items, even if they don’t quite live up to what you saw online. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s worth considering spending a little more time crafting and a bit less time spending.
Not convinced? Craving after easily-bought directions and gifts with a returns policy? I’m going to try and convince you.
- Handmade Gifts Show Effort
When we buy gifts from a store or online, we tend to want the process to be quick and easy. We don’t spend hours coding the website, sourcing the products or investing in the process at all. We become consumers, even if we do it on someone else’s behalf.
But if you get cordless glue guns from Glue Guns Direct or similar and handcraft a gift? Well, that is time. It’s effort; it’s creativity. It’s another way of saying: “I wanted you to have something so much that I spent an amount of time to do it.” No, it might not be as glossy as the store-bought alternative, but it is filled with a lot more sentimentality.
- It’s Environmentally-Friendly.
Most of the products that we buy aren’t made in this country. They’re shipped from overseas – particularly the Far East – and have travelled further than most of us will this year. For every mile they travel, they are damaging the environment.
You might be thinking they’re already in this country, so what difference are you going to make? There’s some reason to that, but then again, plenty of people are vegetarian and others still eat meat. Just do what you can and hope others are inspired to do the same.
You can also make sure that your home-made options are made from ethical, recyclable materials. That doesn’t mean you have to dress up a shopping bag to look like wrapping paper; it’s possible to look good and still get green points.
- It Gives You A Chance To Do It
Let’s be realistic; you wouldn’t even be considering the idea if you didn’t like crafting. Or at least, didn’t like the idea of crafting.
If you do your own gifts and decorations, it also means you have some time to explore your creative side. That’s not something that we often do in the midst of busy work and homes lives.
It’s a lot easier to justify indulging this side of yourself when the benefits are ultimately going to be for others. It’s not selfish time just spent doing something for you; you’re helping to make someone else’s Christmas. If you have friends and family demanding on your time, it’s an even better excuse.
If you have never tried crafting before, this is also a good time to figure out if it’s for you. All the tutorials online make it so tempting, so here’s an opportunity to try it out and see if it’s a good fit. If you do end up being a dab hand, then you’ve gained a new hobby as well as saving yourself money on buying extra presents from a store.
There’s nothing to be said against a bit of selfish pleasure either. We all need a little time to relax and do something for the pleasure; this way, there’s something extra to be gained also. While it’s important not to overstretch yourself and end up needing more time to do ambitious craft projects, give yourself a break. This way, it’s a gift that is going to benefit both you and the person who is receiving it. Isn’t something where everyone wins always the best option?
- It May Well Be More Appreciated
This is especially so for people you don’t see often. They will find the time and effort gone into hand-making something is far more heart-warming than a store-bought gift. You can now buy gifts online and have them sent to the recipient without even seeing them. It’s efficient but impersonal.
Something you have taken the time over, however, is as personal as it gets. Many recipients will appreciate this. They will see it as a gesture of affection rather than just another standard gift from another standard store.
