For years and years, we’ve been exchanging gifts within the Warner extended family. Now that the kids are getting older and the family is expanding, we’ve had to modify the gift giving somewhat. Over the past couple of years we’ve chosen to give handmade or consumable gifts.
This past Christmas (yeah, we’re in 2012 already), after having taken a bookbinding class earlier in the year, I decided to make books for everyone. Here they are:
Handmade gift books by Mary Warner, 2011
Okay, here they are again, lined up nicely:
Handmade gift books in some kind of order by Mary Warner, 2011
When I made these, I purposely chose cover papers that I felt matched the personality of the recipient.
My personal favorite is the dark blue one in the upper left corner because it’s subdued on the outside, but …
Shiny green interior paper on handmade book by Mary Warner, 2011
… there’s a party going on inside.
Here’s what the books, with pens, look like wrapped:
Wrapped handmade books & pens, 2011
They look like candy this way.
In keeping with the Warner family theme of handmade or consumables, one of my sisters-in-law knitted various items for everyone. Here’s what she made for me:
Slipper socks by S. Warner, 2011
Another sister-in-law has recently taken up pottery, so she made everyone pots for Christmas. Here is our set:
Handmade bowls by J. Warner, 2011
My other sister-in-law, who loves to cook, went the consumable route. She provided everyone with ingredients for a favorite chili recipe (all except the meat, onions & garlic). She included her modifications to the recipe. The chili was delicious.
Do you give handmade or consumable gifts for Christmas, or do you have some other interesting gift-giving tradition for the winter holidays? Please share in the comments.
What a talented family you are! And such original ideas – much better than the commercial ready-made stuff we give each other….
Thanks, Clare! The Warner family can’t not make stuff. It’s in our blood.
Those books are so great! Your family is lucky to have you around.
Those are all such clever ideas! Love it! We have done an auction the last few years. We don’t buy a gift with a specific person in mind just things that might be of interest. Then we each get monopoly money and we can bid on what we would like to get. Kind of fun and decreases the stress especially with people who are difficult to buy for!
When I was a kid my grandmother on my father’s side would send us homemade gifts. Things like a massive furry hat that went on like a bonnet. As a kid it seemed torturous because my mother made us wear them, especially if grandma was around. Cool was hard to pull off looking like a giant Q-Tip, I mean maybe it worked in Russia’s Dr. Zhivago but I was from Blaine.
This year, I considered giving my mother and sisters each one of my painting. Then I imagined the amount of complaining my mother would do if she had to move something on her walls to make room for it…I decided it was best to skip it. But, if I were to give one of my oil paintings to my mother-in-law she would be thrilled.
I wonder if people who never “create”, simply have less of an appreciation for things that are made?
I kind of gave up giving out gifts and was instead giving the money I would have spent to our local food shelf … before times went bad for ourselves that is. But I do have one gift I still give. My dad loves home made pickled beets so it’s an ongoing gift that I give him for every holiday/birthday/anniversary so that he is supplied all year long. This ends up being a gift for my mom in a way too because it makes it so she doesn’t have to make them anymore … or worse yet … buy them. The store bought ones just aren’t anywhere nearly as good tasting.
The little books are beautiful. Handmade gifts are so genuine and great to customize for the receiver.
Thanks for the compliments, Patricia & Laura.
Love your idea of holding an auction with Monopoly money, pgirtz. I’m going to keep that in mind should the family decide it wants to do something different.
Your pickled beets gift fits right in with our consumables theme, Joan. Plus your idea of giving to the food shelf is a good one. (I’ll tuck that in my idea box, too!)
I’m trying to imagine you in a Dr. Zhivago hat, Jody. You’re right. It doesn’t seem appropriate for Blaine, MN, although it might fit right in in Ely. Good question about whether those who don’t create things don’t appreciate handmade things. I think some do. I appreciate music, even though I can’t make it, but then I’m a bad test case because I do other creative stuff. Hmm.
Those books are beautiful! Open an etsy shop FOR REALZ.