Handmade Gifts

A friend of mine asked me what gifts I’m making for the holidays.  The answer was, “Not much!”  But there are a few things I got around to making this year.

I know everyone did the book wreath 3 years ago, but I still love it, so I made one for my sister.  The problem was that I hadn’t thought about the fact that I would have to transport it a few hundred miles.  They always get bigger than I a remember.  There are a lot of different styles you can make, and a quick google search will give you a plethora of tutorials, so I won’t bore you with another one (plus, I’ve got treats to deliver).

A shirt with a California silhouette for my niece, complete with a heart where she lives.  Want to make one?  They’re super easy!  Just google for a silhouette of your state and make a freezer paper stencil out of it. 

For my parents I wanted to get them some journals that are easy to fill out.  I looked at a lot of different ones, including this one and this one, but none of them were quite right.  They asked questions that didn’t really apply to my parents.  Questions like, “What is your favorite accessory that you’re wearing today?”  My dad is not really into accessories, although he used to carry a pocket watch until cell phones came out.  Anyway, I decided to make personalized journals for them.  They can just write a quick list that goes with a question.  For my dad I chose questions like, “What beaches have you surfed at?” and “What things have you invented?” (he designs robots for a living).  For my mom, “What are your favorite foods to make?” and “What are your fondest childhood memories?”.  I got the books printed and hardbound at lulu.com.  Lulu is a great website for getting books made (it’s geared more toward writing than picture books, but I believe they can print pictures as well). 

That’s pretty much it for handmade gifts this year.  If I get around to it, I will probably make a blanket for Josh in the shape of the Italian flag (he is obsessed with Italy right now), and some American Girl Doll clothes for Kate and the doll she will be getting for Christmas.

There’s not much time left before Christmas, but these gifts are pretty quick to make, so you might still have time.