Life at home

Homemade is never short on supply

Delays and backorders might make holiday shopping more challenging this year but a good old homemade gift is something you can always deliver on time.

By Katie Ingram

This holiday season, parents and caregivers may have to look to their creative sides when it comes to gifts.

With concerns about supply chains from both small and major retailers, certain gifts and other holiday items might not be available.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be presents. They just might handmade.

“The benefit of making your own holiday gifts is that you don’t need to rely on items being in stock, or items arriving in time for the big day,” says Truro mom Heather Laura Clarke. “You get to create the timeline, assemble what you need, and create it in plenty of time. There’s a huge sense of relief in that, especially during times like this.”

Clarke says homemade gifts often have a “stigma,” but shouldn’t.

“For every few people who love and appreciate something you made with your own two hands, there’s probably another person who thinks a homemade gift is cheap and doesn’t think of it as a real present,” she says. “It’s very unfortunate.”

Halifax mom, Emma Staples finds homemade gifts leave more of a lasting impression. “I think with homemade gifts there’s something more in them; you spent your time and energy and thought, making this thing,” says Staples. “The whole time you’re making it you’re thinking about this special person in your life and (the item is) something that they can treasure for years to come.”

While some projects are easier than others, both Clarke and Staples say that homemade gifts can sometimes be more costly. But, this isn’t always the case.

“It depends on what you’re making really; if you already are a crafter, and you have all the supplies already on hand, then it could be much cheaper to make something yourself,” says Staples.

She adds that repurposing items can also be an option for those who are on a budget.

“You take an old dress shirt, for example, from like your husband and make that into a dress for your little girl or for a doll. You don’t have to always go out and buy new things,” she says. “And that could be a really good option for someone who’s struggling financially or someone who just wants to be frugal and

PHOTO: HEATHER LAURA CLARKE not spend so much on Christmas.”

Among other items, Staples has made doll clothes, quilts, pajamas and Christmas dresses; Clarke has made pajamas, quilts and artwork.

Clarke says choosing handmade is about looking at what you can do in a given time frame, along with your budget.

“Handmade doesn’t have to mean spending $400 at the craft store or the fabric store, or being a whiz with a glue gun,” she says. “There are lots of simple, meaningful gifts you can make with your hands that don’t take a lot of talent or money.”

The gift in question should be something the person is capable of making.

“I’ve given handmade gifts over the years that I thought were great at the time, and looking back, I sort of cringe,” says Clarke. “It’s definitely a matter of knowing what you can create that you’ll be proud to give.” She remembers her attempt at polymer earrings several years ago didn’t go well.

That doesn’t mean things shouldn’t be tried. As Clarke says, making gifts can perhaps turn into a gift for the giver as well.

“Who knows? You might end up with a new hobby,” she says. n

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