Crafts
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Probably Flameful post re. handcrafted gifts
It really irks me when people want ideas for "cheap X gifts" that are hand-made and generic/made in bulk. I think it totally defeats the purpose of gift-giving. To me, the point is to find something that the person would enjoy receiving. If someone wants to make me something, I truly appreciate the effort and the thought behind it. It's not about the price, but about the thought behind it! I'd rather not get a gift than get some generic thing, hand-made OR storebought item that was just done to get the act of gift-giving done as inexpensively as possible. I know I don't have to read these posts but this just really bothers me...
Re: Probably Flameful post re. handcrafted gifts
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
I love your cutie-pie dog! Mine looks a lot like him and is snuggling with me right now.
I agree on your statement. The thought that is put into the gift is the most important. I would rather receive something, no matter how inexpensive or pricey, that someone really thought I would love, rather than receive something just because of how much they saved and not thought about me at all.
Plus, at least the gift I make, end up costing MORE than something I buy in the store because time is money and they take up a lot of my time. It makes the gift more special and from my heart, but I would never call them "cheaper".
And most of the people posting these are lurkers just popping in. No fun around this time of year to give advice to someone that will just take it and not post a thank you LOL. And I really hope everyone here thinks I'm a "regular" even though I haven't PIPed much this year!!!
PAIF and SAIF welcome. IVF questions welcome, too.
I just wanted to say I agree with all the sentiments posted. Yes, sometimes there can be inexpensive gift ideas that are good for giving out to several friends (I made my own hot chocolate mix and marshmallows one year with a nice mug), so it's not a completely stupid question. But I agree that on the other hand, it's sort of a broad question and it's not always cheaper to do a handmade gift (not to mention the time!). Often when I do a handmade gift it's a lot more trouble, but I'm personalizing it and know they will appreciate the hard work.
And I can imagine it gets annoying this time of year when there are lots of them. Honestly, people should just try google - I've found lots of blogs with great ideas, even Martha Stewart has a whole section for this.
And I wanted to say that I agree with this! Biggest pet peeve on TN sometimes.
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I totally agree. I just wish the sentiment was on the receiver enjoying it rather than how little it costs!
I hope no one posts a question like this on a snarky day of mine (like today LOL... I am usually never snarky). Here is what I might do.
I've never been bold enough to actually do that and I probably never will... I am just in a mood today from some family drama.
PAIF and SAIF welcome. IVF questions welcome, too.
lol how do you get that clicky link? (wait, don't tell me, I should google it?)
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I agree, why not just make something you know they'll like instead of trying to think of the cheapest bulk gift? I'm making a number of the same item for different people in different fabrics and slight pattern alterations. The gifts (wristlets) are going to cost less than $2 apiece and are mostly quilting scraps, but they're things I know most of the recipients (sister, cousins, sporty mil) will use and love!
Stand up for something you believe in.
Do you want to know how to make a clicky link, or how to do what the link does?
To make something clicky (works on a PIP, too), highlight the word/PIP and hit the icon that looks like a chain link. It will ask you for a url. Enter the url there and your word/PIP will now be clicky when you post.
As for what the post takes you to, let me google that for you. Now type in what you want to google, and copy the link it gives you and put that in your post. Ta Da!
I am fiesty today LOL
PAIF and SAIF welcome. IVF questions welcome, too.
I totally agree. You should be looking for something you'll enjoy giving to the recipient, something you know they'll love, rather than just something to cross them off you checklist.
It's the same thing when people look at knit (or other craft items) and exclaim "You could totally make a ton of those and sell them for $10 each!" For me the value of a home made gift is the quality of the materials, the ability to customize, and the time, thought, and love invested.
This isn't to say that home made items can't be cost effective, but that shouldn't be the determining factor.
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I agree!! I would rather not get a gift, than some cheap crafty gift. I don't want or need any cheap tile coasters, bath salts, anything made with mod-podge, or random sh!t-knack. I would much rather spend the time with the person.
Disclaimer - handmade gifts from children are acceptable.
This is awesome. I really want to use it now...
Oh, and I totally agree with the sentiments here. When I make gifts it usually ends up costing more and taking a lot of time. I save the inexpensive gift ideas for my kids to make.
(m/c 1.17.07, m/c 5.15.07)
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DD2 - 12.03.09
DD3 - 3.28.11
thanks! I just wanted that link in particular, this is pretty awesome :P
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You know, if it weren't for a lot of generic gifters in our past- I don't think we'd actually own any mugs! Does anyone buy mugs for themselves? We have such a weird collection.
But, I'm pretty sure none of them were handmade. I hope that one day, I have one of those thoughtless gift relationships with someone who makes giant mugs- the ones that are awesome for soup.
LOL! Mugs used to be the "go to" gift for teachers. Now it is smelly lotions and candles. Sigh...you don't want to know how many got donated to Goodwill when we moved.
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Ha- I bet! I guess 30 stinky lotions is only slightly better than 30 apples in various states of freshness/organic-ness. I do the ultimate in slacker gifts when it comes to teachers, though- $cards. It's not that I don't care, though- I just think it's the most useful, particularly in this ugly economy. :-p
You are not a slacker--the truth is, MOST teacher would prefer a generic gift card over a "random" gift. It's not that we are ungrateful, but someone who only "knows" you through what their kids say in a school setting RARELY has any idea of what you would actually like. I don't drink coffee...you will never see a cup of joe in my classroom, yet I get coffee gifts all the time. Why? Because they don't "know" me. Every once in a while, a parent really surprises me with a unique gift, but most of the time, they are pretty generic.
Again, it is not about being grateful--I am! But think how old it would get if for every holiday/gift giving occassion you got either a smelly candle, smelly lotion, or a bookbag (which I don't even use a bookbag--again, if you ever paid attention, you would notice that I don't carry one). Sounds a little b!tchy, but I really don't mean it to be. But there is only so many soaps one can use!
My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
I don't think it's b!tchy at all- or that you sound ungrateful. I hope to know my kids' teachers enough to know if a GC will hurt their feelings or something- but, I know around here, where teachers are spending their own meager salaries to buy things like TOILET PAPER for their classrooms, a little extra $ is generally the best way to go. And easier to wrap than an industrial sized package of toilet paper.
Justin, I feel for you. mil is a music teacher, she gets tons of random crap that she tries to pawn off on me. i think after 12 years, she's gotten the hint!
I have been trying to get my fam to stop the xmas gift giving extravaganza. they are the quantity over quality kinds of people, and I would rather they not waste their $ on junk (or fill my car trunk with it). gift card to grocery store=Good! dollar store spices=BAD!!
(insert lots of sarcasm) Doesn't everyone drink coffe? How else can you deal with all those kids?
I don't drink coffee either and I hate that most morning meetings around here only offer coffee to drink.
Thanks y'all!
Vanessa--we stopped giving "adult" gifts 3 years ago and let me tell you...I DID hear angels singing! We do gifts for the kids and I love it! Less stress, less money and quite honestly, more fun!
My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
We do this too with my IL's but we also do an adult gift exchange (bring one, throw in pile and then pick and steal thing). Unfortionately we are not spending less money because of the number of kids are multiplying so quickly. I'm hoping that we switch to a name draw for Christmas soon so that we can start buying 1-2 nice gifts for our "kid" vs 1 small gift for each of the kids.
So what you're saying is.. don't make my MIL the tile coasters?
I'm teasing. Still making them. :P
But I agree. I don't want a gift if it's just some gift you produced with 20 other gifts. I don't really have a use for a bunch of junk. I think my biggest Goodwill donation is right after Christmas. I am picky about candles and lotions, so I usually don't use them (I finally had my H tell his mom that I don't need any more candles so she would stop giving them to me. I was grateful, but I had about 30 candles and no where to burn them lol.).
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I'm going to be the dissenting voice here.
I think there is a shade of gray between "what a super thoughtful and perfect homemade gift made for me" and "this is so cheap and generic." Sometimes people do want to acknowledge or express gratitude towards people in their lives but don't always have the time or budget to do it in the ideal way that meets every individual's interest.
Yes, some people are just cheap and lazy. But others are doing the best they can and we all know how the holidays can quickly get overwhelming. I can totally understand wanting to bust out half a dozen things as quickly as possible because you've got a big family, a few friends, teachers, etc. who, let's be honest, probably do expect gifts.
I don't know, I'm not explaining myself well but this post just came across as a little judgmental and just hasn't been sitting right with me this morning.
On a practical note, just point these types of posters to the FAQ. There's a whole section on holiday gifts in there (which, by the way, I can update if people want to post links to new ideas, tutorials, etc.).
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My Valentine Bookends (2~13~13, 2~15~09)
I totally get you. I used to love all that stuff, and then I started developing allergies to soaps and smelly lotions. I can't use most of that stuff anymore - but for a really long time, I'd still get it - from FAMILY who knew of my skin issues. Apparently they didn't know me as well as I thought.
I actually started giving DD's and DS's daycare teachers monetary gifts. Not because I don't care, it's because I DO care: I'd like them to have something they will use. And money...they most likely will use.
I am going to agree with you on this. I realize there is a disclaimer to the post, but no matter what the gift is, I appreciate that someone took the time to make something for me whether it is my ideal gift or not.
oooh.. me too!
and p.s. I'm completely enamored with your photo every.single.time that I see it!
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