Making Homemade Gifts as a Special Interest
By Ian Donley
The holidays can be a beautiful and stressful time for so many of us. We have to juggle our personal and professional lives, struggling to make time to buy gifts for our loved ones. Sometimes, we simply can’t afford the kinds of gifts we wish we could buy; however, that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain the holiday spirit. That’s where creativity enters the chat. For some of us, creating homemade gifts can not only be more cost-efficient, but also more personal. One of my best friends, Kassy Omobono, knows this all too well.
Kassy, like me, is neurodivergent. One quality of neurodivergency is hyperfixating on topics and activities. For Kassy, one of those activities is crocheting. For as long as I’ve known them, they have crocheted many pieces of clothing and toys. Crocheting didn’t just appear from thin air, but is rather a family legacy.
“My great-grandma lived through the Great Depression and crocheted clothes for my family,” Kassy said. “She passed down the skills to my grandma, who passed it down to my mom and to me.”
As Kassy got older, they came to realize how much crocheting provided an escape for them.
“I struggled with my mental health in high school, so crocheting was a way to express myself creatively,” they said.
On a deeper level, Kassy always keeps in mind the people they make gifts for.
“When I get a commission, I make it with the person in mind,” they explained. “It’s like I’m trying to connect with them through my creation.”
I can personally attest to this, as they made a lovely sweater for my mom a few years ago.
Apart from my friend’s beautiful backstory, there’s something to be said about the emotional impact of creating and receiving homemade gifts. Homemade gifts, naturally, require more time and effort. Traditionally, Kassy starts making their gifts by early November to get them shipped on time. They plan how much material to buy, when they need to have it shipped by, etc. The time and effort it takes will immediately make the emotional connection to the gift that much more pervasive. Another factor to consider is the financial costs of making homemade gifts. While costs may differ depending on the gift, they are typically less expensive (at least cheaper than a car or a Swarovski necklace). In fact, here are some more basic homemade gifts that can be easily assembled:
- Candles
- Bath bombs
- String art pieces
- Customized dishes
- Jewelry
Naturally, these gifts require the person making them to learn how to make them. But, thankfully, there are excellent beginner’s guides/activities to help them. For example, there are ready-to-be-made crochet kits meant to teach people the basics of crocheting. The brand Woobles has mini kits intended to teach people how to create different designs, like frogs and birds. These things are readily available for everyone at any level.
As the holiday season comes along, it’s important to remember that gift-giving is supposed to be fun. So, this year, allow yourself to make something from the heart. All in the holiday spirit.
