homemade presents and gift receipts

[true36]

NAK

How do you feel about homemade gifts? How do more mainstream people you know feel?

Do you think that gift receipts for store bought presents are a necessity ?

I feel like maybe the homemade gifts I have given are not being appreciated. Maybe these people think I am cheap and resent the fact that they are buying my kids stuff. It might be my own insecurities though...

[mamazee]

I personally love homemade gifts, and in fact they're often my favorite things. I've gotten a quilt, pottery, wonderful warm knitted things, foods my family has eaten. Things I've really had a use for. And they have more thought and are more personal. Anyway, big thumbs up for the handmade gifts from me.

As for gift receipts, I usually only worry about that if it's for a wedding or baby shower or something where people are likely to get three of the same thing. I don't worry about that for Christmas and birthdays. And I never get gift receipts so it must be what's done here.

[JL83]

I'm hit or miss on homemade gifts.

Some I love. It's clear that instead of money the person has put time and effort in.

Then there are gifts where it feels like the person has decided to do it as cheaply and fast as possible. If I've put in either time or money into their gift it does bug me.

[Anastasiya]

If I make homemade, I do it well and make it look professional. I will not give someone something sloppily done or rushed through.

So far, everyone's loved what they've been given.

[Just Kate]

I generally like homemade gifts. My grandmother used to make all of her 30+ grandchildren crocheted slippers, a hat or a stuffed animal in each child's favorite colors for birthdays. I looked forward to my new slippers every year.

However many people in my social group feel that most homemade gifts are tacky would never give them and are loath to receive them.

I always give a gift receipt with a gift, but don't feel entitled to receive one.

ETA: I think the key to successfully giving homemade gifts is making sure that the gift is something that they recipient can actually use. I've had relatives make the exact same gift for everyone and it does come off as impersonal and a bit cheep. Especially if the gift is something completely off target for some people, like a flowery, perfumed soap for a 65 year old man

[true36]

Wanted to add that the gifts have all been for infants and toddlers (all under 4). All seem like great gifts and have been what I gift to my kids. The kids like the presents (well I cannot tell for the babies) but the parents seem less then thrilled.

tutu and ribbon wands (I actually sell these)
Felt food (have sold this as well)
blankets and hats
felt jingle stuffies
a felt board

[ljc]

wow those sound like fabulous gifts. i love giving and receiving handmade gifts - but i am usually careful about who i give them to.

[JL83]

While I personally would be happy to get any of those, I can see why parents might be a bit less thrilled. That stuff is either special (like the felt stuff which not everyone likes) or ordinary and they might already have lots (like the blankets).

I tend to only give handmade stuff to people I know will appreciate the time and effort.

Originally Posted by true36

tutu and ribbon wands (I actually sell these)
Felt food (have sold this as well)
blankets and hats
felt jingle stuffies
a felt board

[EFmom]

It depends on the gift, some are great and some aren't. Stuffies of any sort I abhor because they breed when you turn your back. But a tutu sounds adorable.

[Smokering]

Depends on the skill and taste of the craftster, I guess.

I've given a few handmade gifts. I made a pink ruffly skirt for a two-year-old's birthday, which I see her wearing every so often. I made an activity quilt for SIL's baby shower, which she loved. I made a tote bag for a friend for Christmas with a quote from the X-Files embroidered on it, and she loved it. I made a crayon roll-type holder thingy for another friend for keeping hair accessories in, and I think she liked it, although it's hard to tell with this particular friend. They were all personalised. I'm less keen on the kind of crafting that seems motivated by the desire to blog "I made all our Christmas gifts this year in 30 minutes for under $10, why doesn't everyone do this? FOOLISH MORTALS, muahahaha!". I'm not into melt-and-pour soaps or candles, that kind of thing. Not that I would ever tell someone that, obviously! (And it's not anti-homemade snobbery here, for the record; I don't really like store-bought candles or soap either.)

[Storm Bride]

I generally like handmade gifts, and most of my family agrees with me. My sister doesn't like them, though...at least not clothes. She likes home baking and other homemade food gifts, though.

Gift receipts? I've never really used them. The only time I'd bother is probably for clothes, in case they didn't fit or something. I do tell people to let me know if I've duplicated anything, though. I generally keep my receipts until a few days or a week after the occasion.

[Down2Earth]

I love handmade gifts! And I would only give a gift receipt if I didn't mind them exchanging the gift. Otherwise, no receipt.

[NellieKatz]

We have some family members (sister in law and her hubby) who have a whole bunch of money and are super-extravagant at holidays, even when there is a supposed limit on what we agree to spend. So we always feel awkward. But I am an artist and I've found that they go absolutely insanely happy when I make a gift. Money can't buy a custom Sculpey ornament of their two doggies (complete with the correct colored collars!!) like I made for them this year. The personal gifts like that, or a painting, or something else that I make which is personal to them (like a pet portrait or something) are always a big hit. And I like to receive them if the person is skilled...like my other sister-in-law who always knitted nice fuzzy scarves and I wanted one of them any time there was a holiday! And my sister in law in the midwest sent us cookies that she had baked, and hand-dipped chocolate pretzels...I loved that she sent us stuff she had made.

And as for gift receipts, I LOVE getting them (on toys) because that way I can return them if they are junky and get something appropriate. And I've done that...my sister in law (also a mom) wisely tapes the gift receipts to my son's gifts and I do the same. We're both moms so we both know how it is! :-)

And I do that for books, too, for grownups. A person's taste in books is quite personal, so I don't mind at all if the person exchanges the book for one they like better.

[living_organic]

Normally I love homemade gifts, but I have relatives that one year gave *everyone* pillows made from their old jeans....his and hers...the waist was sewn up as were the legs an inch or so down from the crotch they were stuffed and decorated with lace, etc. But the jeans still had stains and worn spots. We called them butt pillows...not a great gift, we knew they were low on money, but wished they had chosen to do nothing rather than give those!

But, I love homemade goodies, or soaps, candles, quilts, afghans, etc.

[noobmom]

I think handmade gifts are best given only to people who understand and appreciate them. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Personally, I like handmade gifts and appreciate the time and effort involved.

As for gift receipts, I rarely include them with gifts (unless, as someone said, it something like a wedding or baby shower where the person might be duplicates) and I don't usually use them when they're given to me. I'd rather not know exactly how much someone spent on a gift.

[SpiderMum]

I think it's important when giving handmade gifts to actually know what you're doing. I HATE being given yet another plain, too-short, fun-fur scarf that some relative gave to everyone because they just learned to knit and it was cheap. If you're making gifts you need to use decent materials, take the time to do it right, and also make sure it's something that the giftee will actually LIKE and use.

This year I knitted a cabled tam for my aunt. She LOVES anything Scottish, it was in her favorite color, and I spent a little bit extra to get a yarn that felt and looked nice. Not the cheap Red Heart stuff. Ugh! IMO, it should never be used for anything you're going to wear or come into contact with on a regular basis. This hat looked just as good as something you could buy, and she really appreciated that I'd made it. I think total I spent $5 (it was a wool blend on sale) on yarn and had some leftovers. I also made toys for all the kids. I made sure to do a good job and not take any short-cuts...and made sure everything was age-appropriate and suited to that particular child's interests. Sure it would have been easier to make an art rollup for both my nephews...but only one of them is into art so I took the time to make the other one a memory game with all his favorite characters. It was a pain, but it was worth it because I know he WILL enjoy that.

Oh, and if you bake and give cookies and such for gifts...please make sure they are actually good cookies. I've gotten so many awful hard-as-a-brick-bat cookies over the years that just ended up being tossed.

Gift receipts rock! I love getting them because I have no desire to keep a bunch of stuff that will never be used/worn when I could return it and get something awesome instead.

[Addy's Mom]

I'm pretty darned mainstream and like my share of "gear" purchased in stores, but I LOVE homemade gifts. My favorite baby gifts were the blankets people knit or crocheted themselves -- it means so much more than even the most exquisite blanket purchased from a store.

You took the time to make something. You cared enough to put some sweat into it. Enough said.

[ollyoxenfree]

I welcome homemade gifts and have both given and received them. I always appreciate the effort and time that go into a handmade gift, but they can be hit or miss like any store-purchased present. If the colour or style or flavour isn't quite "me", at least I can appreciate the handiwork.

I don't think gift receipts are a necessity, but I think it's thoughtful to provide them, particularly for clothing. I'm pretty picky about size and style, and pretty sensitive about texture. There are some fabrics and knits that I simply can't wear. If I receive something in one of these fabrics, I'll give it away if I can't exchange it. Same with books, DVDs etc. If I already have a copy, unless I have a gift receipt, I'll give away the duplicate since I have limited shelf space.

The items listed (tutus, felt food etc.) all sound fantastic. As long as they are age appropriate, I'd think the children would love them - and it's their opinions that matter!