By Lily Keeley
Homemade gifts are timeless charms. These days, with online shopping carts and speedy deliveries from Amazon Prime, it’s easy to forget that the best gifts were made by hand: the hand-knit scarves, the homemade jams, and so on. Home-made gifts always remind you that, sometimes, the best things in life come in hand-made or crafted form. What is it about these creations that make them so special? For all that effort and creativity they represent, homemade gifts carry unique charms that go far beyond simple material worth. Marsha Frierson, 63-year-old, believes that, “Homemade gifts are more on a personal level. For instance, the kitchen scarf towels I make are made with fabrics that match each person’s kitchen or their favorite sports teams; and for hunters, I use camouflage fabrics. Also, I like to make little drawstring bags for my grandchildren. The fabrics were all picked to what we thought each one would like and put their names on them.”
“I do it because I know how much it means to everyone, and it helps the family members you don’t often see to feel connected to you and involved in your life.”
Hillary Keeley
At the very core of all homemade gifts is a personalization aspect that is almost irreproducible with mass-produced goods. Making a gift is a whole message to someone: I see you. I know you. I care enough to spend my time and energy making something especially for you. From a hand-painted mug to a custom photo album to a batch of homemade cookies- take your pick- these gifts all carry a bit of the giver’s heart. Every Christmas, Hilary Keeley, 45-year-old, makes a picture book with pictures of the entire family together. The book captures all the warm memories throughout the year, and the entire family looks forward to the annual book. Hilary spends the whole year picking the pictures for the book and is always recognized for the handwork and effort she puts into it. She said, “I do it because I know how much it means to everyone, and it helps the family members you don’t often see to feel connected to you and involved in your life.”
People are not just opening boxed stuff bought from stores but, they are opening, a two-dimensional tangible representation of heartfulness, thus, making the gift a lot more meaningful. It’s a way to show that you know their tastes, interests, and even their quirks; perhaps the choice of soap fragrance or knitting print reflects their personality. In a world choked with generic merchandise and impersonality, a homemade gift is truly one-of-a-kind.
Time is often very short and one of the best gifts to give; however, spending time making something at home certainly takes a lot of time, which store-bought never can.
Pictured: Tom and Hillary Keeley with their Homemade Chistmas gifts
