My Top 5 Handmade Gifts

I am always a little wary of giving handmade gifts that I personally make to people for Christmas. (Though, I love to give gifts that other people make!) Somewhere in the back of my mind there is a little voice saying "It's not good enough! Or it'll look like I'm being super cheap!" I listen to what toys my children want and think that maybe they won't like what I have made with my own two hands for them. I start projects and get frustrated with them and quit.

I have been analyzing these thoughts in my head lately and I realize that most of these issues that I have are all in my head. That they are not what is reality and are indeed lies. They come from my own insecurities and my lack of self confidence and of course the ever so popular "pride".  As I have been perusing Pinterest and peer blogs, my way of thinking is slowly changing. Cough it up to this blog series by one of my favorite "simple living" blogs . She has made a ton of gifts for her family for Christmas. This is very sweet and a way to make her gifts more personal.

Presently, I think making Christmas gifts can be one of the sweetest things ever... if done right. When I say "right" I mean actually taking into consideration what the person receiving the gift would like. Of course, there will be a few "blanket" gifts that you give to a bunch of friends such as fudge, cocoa, or handmade soaps. A sort of one size fits all gift. But even those gifts are given some thought as to whether a person will like them or not. Secondly, I think you also have good craftmanship. It cannot be a half-hearted thing or you'd be better off not giving the gift at all. I am not saying everything has to be perfect because frankly, who can live up to that standard! It just needs to be well made.

So with those thoughts, I will share with you what I have on my list to make. Some of these are actually completed and I hope to post pictures soon.

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These headbands would be perfect for any little girl (or big one). They can be made double sided and fit snuggly against their little heads. You can find the tutorial here.

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These hair pins that Christina, from A Home Maker's Journal, designed are a sure way to dress up any hairstyle. Plus, it is a sure way of keeping hair out of my girls' eyes. If you are interested about how she keeps those cute little buttons in place, you can find the complete tutorial here. For those of you who don't have the time to make handmade gifts check out Christina's Etsy Shop. She has beautiful Calligraphy and other handmade items. 

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Ohh MY! These are the most adorable little mice e-v-e-r!!! I believe that this is something that all of my children will just love, especially my youngest girl.  Currently, she is into all things "tiny". 

You can read more about them here. If you would like to purchase the pattern from Larissa's Etsy shop here. She also has really awesome softie patterns available in her Etsy shop.

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For those of you who are searching for more of a "grown up gift" look no furthur. These are 3 ingredient lotion bars that are sure to smooth out those dry, cracked feet. If this doesn't sound appealing to you, simply pour these into empty jars for lip balm. (There is also an alternative recipe for a more "luxurious bar".) A complete turorial can be found here along with some other DIY projects.

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Lastly, but not least, I would like to show you these bad boys. Homemade Soap! Yes, I said it homemade soap! Rachel has written an awesome tutorial on "A Beginner's Guide to Soapmaking" complete with step by step pictures. Her recipe is simple and she even tells you where she got her ingredients.  If you use her recipe, it should yield about 14 bars of soap.


There you have it,  my list of my top 5  handcrafted gifts for this season!

Merry Christmas and good luck with your handmade gifts!

Jess


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