Giving Homemade

This year, I am doing my best to give homemade gifts.  I think we can all agree that today's economy either encourages you to splurge and build up debt or reign things in.  Well, I definitely don't want to go in debt to give materialistic gifts.

Instead, I am trying to craft usable gifts, edible treats, and simple blessings.

I got the inspiration from a card received by a friend, flipping through some home magazines and surfing crafty websites.  I'm not including photos of the finished products because I don't know if the recipients will read this and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

I have always been taught that gifts that are personally made and are given with love are the most meaningful gifts.  It's such a blessing to receive something homemade.  Maybe I'm more sentimental because I'm now in my sixth month of pregnancy, but we have recently been digging out homemade gifts received from our grandmothers in our childhood to share with our baby.  We both have crocheted blankets from our grandmothers and I also have many homemade things from my mom.

Speaking of my mom, she is the most crafty and gifted creative person I know.  She can draw, paint, sew, make patterns, come up with a million projects using staples found in every home, and just plain make anything fun and/or tasty.  She wasn't scared to get messy doing projects with glue, paper, scissors, and dry beans or pasta.  We did finger-painting, papier mache, gardening, crocheting, sewing, cross-stitch, looming, baking, decorating, and the list goes on and on. She's the one who really taught me that making a gift can be so much more meaningful than buying the same thing.

So, we'll see.  I know a lot of love has gone in to these assembled gifts and I hope they're received as blessings.