ivabel: Christmas Self Made

Loving or hating Christmas, everyone loves gifts. What to give for a present is one of the most often questions we ask in December.

While making my list this year, I have two main points:

- this is the last Christmas when my daughter still believes in Santa;

- everybody else from the list officially does not want a present (great help!).

This year I wanted to give only hand made gifts, from artisan shops or made by myself. Looking for ideas, I asked some friends what were the best gifts that they received at any point.

Have fun with the answers, also you can try to guess which of them came from women and which – from men.

1: I think my best gift was a bike when I was little.

2: Presence. Someone who was not able to buy me a gift was able to come from afar to spend the holiday with me.

3: Handcuffs.

4: No special things to remeber. But my colleagues gave me once a drill, saying that this is the most deserved gift for the "Master". Perhaps they had it as a sample, but it was cool how they presented it.

5: My period every month?

6: The moment when my life fu*ked up. Now it looks like the best gift.

7: I have only received trivial presents. If it is considered a gift - we moved into the new house right on my birthday - that's it.

8: Photo session - best experience and best memories.

9: My colleagues gave me a training to an international level in the field where I work - a wonderful gift.

10: Box of notes, which read why I mean so much to someone.

11: Surprising trip – I didn’t know where we were going, for how long, what were we doing.

To one of these people I gave a paragliding jump, a week in Paris, etc. But he chose something else as his best present and this definitely made me decide on the hand-made stuff. It will involve me, as a gift-giver, much more, and occasionally will be much better remembered.

Since its still before Christmas, I will only give some examples of the gifts I am buying and making:

- self made limoncello in a self-decorated bottle;

- hand-made flower brooch from a Charity bazaar;

- his favorite shirt (too worn out for wearing out) made into a book cover;

- made by order personalized calendar;

- The hardest was the gift to Nia – she wanted a “Winx doll and stuff”, so she will get her own Winx costume and a hand made Winx doll with the same costume.

- And else, but still a secret.