Do you prefer store-bought gifts or handmade gifts?

[sologdin]

daughter runs a sole proprietorship sweatshop specializing in abstract expressionist 2d and 3d manually constructed art objects. am ranking them most highly of the gifts I've received.

[Lily Valley]

My favorite tattoo comes from such a manufacuring facility. I have enjoyed refusing to pay copyright fees for 15 years.

[michaelcaldwell]

With the holidays approaching, I was wondering what people preferred receiving store-bought gifts or handmade gifts. Also, do you prefer giving store bought gifts or making gifts for others?

Hand-made gifts, I feel, always shows more care. Like someone has really taken time out for you to make something and gift it to you. However, sometimes people do it to cut cost, too! For me, since I do not have that much time in hand to gift some handmade stuff I prefer buying from stores but I pay attention enough to select gifts that would make the person who is receiving that gift, happy.

[Mladen]

Unless you can make books, don't try with handmade gifts for me. I have one simple rule, and my family and friends respect that - buy me books. So, around Christmas, New Year and my birthday which is in that time of the year, I get whole bunch of new books. And food. I forgot, I like when my grandma sends me food, or my parents send some sweets and goodies from France. Other than that, don't bother.

On the other hand, I have a niece who is, God bless her, pain in the ass when it comes to Christmas. Every year, she demands some handmade present that is completely hilarious. One year I had to made 500 origami pieces from different colored papers. She put them in her room. It was indeed lovely, but man, 500... Luckily (or not), I cracked my skull in mid-November and I had a surgery. It went fine, but it made my niece not bothering me with handmade presents. But, given that I like traditions and she is my only niece and partner in crime, I will make her wish. She hinted at me last month (read: she blatantly told me what she wants) that she would like handmade skin creams and soaps in different shapes. Since I have a friend who can help me with that and that I want to do something other than resting, I will surprise her with something.

So, if people want handmade gift, I am more happy to give that to them. Just please don't do that to me.

[Tears of Lys]

I'm currently busting my ass making my daughter a Roman shade for her front door, a valance for her dining room, and a matching dining room table runner.

I sincerely hope this all turns out nice.

[Nas!]

I have transferred my distaste for useless crap to everyone on my gift list (except for children, who still enjoy things), and they will all receive jars of homemade:

1: horseradish

2: sauerkraut

3: stout mustard

[Salafi Stannis]

I don't really care for impractical stuff. I wear some scarves that I knit, I use an afghan that a family friend made for me, and I have my own artwork on the walls. I like food. I have an active dislike for tchotkies and things that clutter up the place for no good reason. I have zero shelves of things that aren't dishes or books. Ironically, I tend to make such things and then give them away. Or make them and put them in a box.

It felt irritating this past weekend when I was working an art and craft sale (I will never get talked into that again, it was about the least fun weekend I've had all year) and people would ask me a lot of questions about my work and say how pretty it was and then not buy anything, but I realize that I wouldn't have bought it either, no matter how amazing it was, because I don't display things that other people made unless there was special meaning behind it (a yearly xmas gift is not special meaning). I send along a stream of things to my mother, who likes handmade things, but I buy my parents cheese-of-the-month every xmas, which is the greatest gift you can give a person.

Use him for what exactly?

[Salafi Stannis]

Footmade.gifts or GTFO

:lmao:

[Nymeria10k]

Use him for what exactly?

Oh dear lord... :lmao: that brought so many weird images to my mind :lmao:

I have decided I love handmade things, I received a beautiful hooded scarf in a shiny royal blue for my secret santa this year. It's sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet :love:

I had never really received handmade things prior to this so never really knew what to say. Either way it's the thought that counts :)

[The Mance]

I gifted my daughter a necklace I made out of a polished beach pebble I found while we were walking on Cape Cod this summer. Pebble was a deep green color, very thin, perfectly round, and about the diameter of a penny. Spent a bit on some nice silver findings and 2mm leather cord, is all. Daughter loved the stone when I found it, so I know she'll appreciate the thought behind the gift. Though i don't know how it compares to the Dalek alarm clock or even the xbox games I also sent.

I think the most important thing about gifts is the thoughtfulness behind them. But a part of that thoughtfulness is perhaps admitting that you suck a making things and should probably just spend some cash instead. If you are legitimately crafty at something that someone will actually appreciate, then go for it.