As each year goes by, I get more and more nervous about getting the ‘right’ gift for everyone. In general, people already have a lot of ‘stuff’ – and it’s very hard to know – even if you have an idea of what they might want or need – which model, color, size, brand, etc. is the RIGHT one. In addition, it gets harder and harder to spend days shopping. And this year, the weather didn’t cooperate – at least on the days I wanted to go shopping.

What to do? I decided to make a lot of the gifts this year. That itself is risky business. Some people like handmade gifts; some don’t.  Now, for any guys reading this, you may think this a girly post – but just bear with me.

For my friends, I made candy jars using pint canning jars decorated with ribbon and other decorations and fill with chocolate treats. Once the jar is empty, it converts to a low-light candle by inserting a LED votive candle. I used papercrafting and stamping sdkills and enjoyed every minute of the major mess I made to my desk.

For many of my friends and family, I simply gave a ‘cash’ gift card. Using papercraft skills, I created the holders, a ‘Happy Christmas’ tag for the front (which were hand stamped ) and a card for the inside (computer skills) which simply reads “Treat Yourself or Someone Else.” This gift was probably the best of all worlds – hand made but with cash that lets you get anything you like.

For family members, I put my knitting skills into high gear. This is also a gift for me – because I enjoy my time knitting. I made hats, scarves and doll clothes. The bonus – I already have requests for more – but chances are they won’t have to wait until next Christmas.

Lastly, GUYS –  you, too,  can make gifts. Woodcraft gifts are always good. Or you can simply take some time to fix something or help with a household project. For those of us who aren’t as agile as we once were, a helping hand is greatly appreciated. As we get older, gifts of time often mean much more than a physical gift.

I hope you had a Happy Christmas! As for me, I’ve already started the next knitting project and have lots of other gift ideas for the next year. It’s never too early to get started.