Thursday, January 11, 2018

Handmade Holiday 2018



So, has anyone started making lists and started in on their first handmade gift for 2018?  

I dedicated one of the three moleskin notebooks our oldest daughter, Abby, gave me for Christmas to make lists and keep track.  

I am going to be honest, here.  January, February, and March are very hard months for our family financially.  These are our businesses slow times.  I have been very negligent about saving money for the slow times.  This year I am committing myself to not spending anything for just this year unless absolutely necessary.  And, when business gets busy, to save money for these down times.  

So philosophically, of course, I believe wholeheartedly in handmade gifts.  I avoid big box as much as possible.  We enjoyed shopping in nearby downtown Belfast this past Christmas season and supporting local merchants.  But, ultimately as much handmade that can be made would be best as long as the recipient is going to appreciate it.    So back to being honest.  This past December, as our business was busy, I bought several gifts at Amazon - uggghhh!  Amazon is something I am committed to not using at all this year and instead, to plan ahead and support local small businesses or simply go without.

I also love making - that is another reason for a handmade Christmas.

Finally, I am challenging myself to use the materials and supplies I have on hand for making.  If I really dig and am creative, there should be few items I will need to buy.

And, I am going to share one of my harder goals for this coming year - to not buy any of the beautiful magazines - just for one year.  (I actually do like supporting those small businesses and the inspiration is wonderful.  This is going to be a very hard one for me!)   We need to get our finances in order and I know that I have a stack of back issues that have plenty of use still left in them.  Many projects and ideas I have yet to use.  I also have plenty of crafty books that I can find more than enough ideas.  Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the overwhelming amount of ideas on Instagram or Pinterest.  

I look forward to your sharing.  Let's use #handmadeholiday2018 if you like to share that way.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

12 comments:

  1. Your attitude and words are a blessing! We are having a no spend month, and I am enjoying it so much we may continue throughout the year also. Also, what a great idea to start for next Christmas right now! Thank you for the inspiring post. 😊

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    1. Isn't it amazing what you can do with what you have? Enjoy!

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  2. I found it so helpful to start handmade gifts early this year. We still didn't make all of them handmade (we only exchange gifts with parents, our two siblings, and two other family members, so it's not as hard as it seems), partly because certain people specifically requested things, but I would like to increase it even further this year. My stash of knitting, sewing, and embroidery supplies has now reached the point where I pretty much don't have room for anything else in our small apartment, so some of the motivation comes from wanting more space for new treasures I pick up from people (we have a fabulous free-stuff facebook group, for instance).

    I love Belfast! My parents just moved from Swanville up to Steuben last summer, so I miss Heavenly Socks and Fiddlehead a lot; somehow I like them even more than my local craft stores in Cambridge.

    Here's to frugality in 2018!!!

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    1. Hi Anna,
      Love this! Also, yes, we moved here two years ago, and just love Belfast. With wanting to set ourselves on a more solid footing financially this year, avoiding Fiddleheads and Heavenly Socks is going to be soooo hard. I look forward to seeing your creations.
      Enjoy this warmth,
      Tonya

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  3. Dear Tonya, I love to receive your updates & ideas. I struggle with SAD in the winter months so staying busy is always a great idea. I am going to attempt the 52 week money saving challenge to help with the financial down times. Each week you put a small amount aside. the first week of the year it is one dollar, second week $2 & so on. By the last week of Dec you will have $1,378. You can print out a worksheet to track it. I will probably just do 50 cents then $1 etc this way the 52nd week it is only $21 to put in the kitty. At the end of the year I will still have accumulated $689! I'm hoping my children will also participate & learn to save more of their hard earned dollars. Many blessings to you & your family!

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    1. I never heard of this. What a great idea - I am going to to print one out now and will probably do the .50 cent one as we have a small income.

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  4. We do a "no spend" month, once or twice a year - always in January, sometimes in October. One of the things I limit during those months is grocery shopping. It always amazes me how many meals I can squeeze out of the freezer and pantry items that get pushed to the back and ignored. It's a challenge to see how long I can go without shopping (though my children sometimes complain about the lack of easy to grab food). I'm also trying really, really hard not to buy new materials for projects, but to work with what I have at home already. I don't keep a big yarn stash, but my fabric collection is far too large and I'm trying to work through it, only purchasing if I don't have the right type or amount to make what I need.

    As far as homemade gifts, I have some family that are harder to make things for - either they don't really need anything or they don't appreciate the time of handmade. I usually give some of our own maple syrup or jams. I'm hoping to get back into the garden this year to do more canning and preserving so I have more to give away.

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    1. Hi Tanya - Love your ideas and yes, we hope to do more maple syrup as well - because what a wonderful gift!

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  5. Hi Tonya,

    I'm not sure whether you follow 'Bluebirds are Nesting' or not, but Annabelle hosts a show and share of gifts that readers make by hand all year, for Christmas giving. This might be an inspiration/ motivation to you as you use up your stash. Best wishes for happy crafting and a blessed New Year!

    Marney

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    1. Marney - thank you so much for sharing this. I am going to check out her site.
      Warmly,
      Tonya

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  6. I want to make handmade ornaments for each of my nieces. I am also looking at making antler art.

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  7. I used to make lots of handmade gifts, especially doll dresses.
    My girls outgrew their dolls. The first year I didn't make dresses was a sad one for me.
    This past year, I didn't make things. I have been fighting breast cancer. I shall win the battle, and I'm currently in remission. I am undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but I hope to finish all by August. I have made some knitted hats that I have donated to the chemo center. I probably shall continue.
    Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
    Carthage, Missouri, USA (smack dab in the middle)

    Laura Lane
    http://harvestlanecottage.com

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