A Handmade Christmas.  It sounds like the perfect romantic “Winter Wonderland, I’ll Be Home For Christmas” dream holiday.  It also sounds blissfully frugal if your Christmas budget is tight.  If that’s why you’re thinking of a Handmade Christmas, then it’s time we have a talk.  The TALK.

The cost of handmade.

First off, it’s handmade, not homemade.  Glad we’ve gotten that cleared up.

Second, a handmade gift is not the cheap way out, it’s not a cop out, and it certainly not without a great deal of thought and love.  Hand-crafted pieces show the recipient that you truly know them, especially when each piece is customized.  But just how much is a hand-crafted piece worth?  Well, that’s a tough question.

Please know that a gift’s true value (no matter how much money is spent) is determined by the recipient.  If the receiver doesn’t want it, use it, treasure it, or at least share with someone who does, then the gift is pointless and basically worthless.  That’s the hard part about gifting.  Do we give because we are supposed to or because we want to?  Some people are so easy to buy for because you know that they will enjoy any gift the receive.  Some will never be thrilled.  So, as you prepare you handcrafted Christmas list, think about the recipients.  You can spend all the time and money and heart in the world, but if a person is just a grump, cut your losses and hit the sale rack at JCPenney.

Now, the nitty gritty.

Let’s take an apron.

This is one of my favorite apron patterns .  This apron requires 2 1/4 yards of fabric.  At $8/yard, that’s $18.  (The apron above is actually Amy Butler Fabric and was closer to $10/yard.)  Toss in the cost of the pattern ($10) and a spool of thread ($3).  This apron costs at least $31.  Then we add in cost of labor (1 hr at minimum wage), wear and tear on a sewing machine, use of electricity, and the fact that this apron is custom-designed for the recipient.  You’ve got a gift that would cost upwards of $50!  That my friends is a GIFT.  So why, do we feel that we must partner it with something store-bought to make it a gift worth giving?

So what about 3 jars of homemade jellies?  Well, 3 Half Pint Jelly Jars are about $3.  Pectin or Sure-Jell is another $3.  Then there’s the cost of the fruits.  That could range anywhere from $10-30.  (If you grew it yourself, consider the cost of the plant/seeds, the cost of water, fertilizers, labor to work the ground, time to pick, etc.)  At the minimum, we are looking at a $16 gift.  And that’s before you consider that the jelly maker stood over a hot stove for an hour and then canned the jelly!

Let’s talk about machine embroidery and applique.  The monogram on this sham is 12 x 12 inches.  That’s huge.  It’s a fill stitch because of it’s size.  It took 3 hours on my big 10-needle machine.  It took 1 spool of aqua thread and 3 bobbins.  It also took a huge piece of stabilizer.  The supplies alone come to about $15.  (That’s not including the cost of the sham itself.)  Plus 3 hours time ($24 minimum wage).  Plus wear and tear on my machine, the fact that I had to stand at the machine and hold fabric out of the way for 3 hours and was unable to work on anything else during that time, electricity, and going rates for a 90,000 stitch monogram with 3 hoopings.  A monogram this size starts at $75 in most shops.

The Bottom line:

Hand-crafted gifts are not cheap.  If you are the gifter, you need to be certain that you are ready for the cost (both money and your time).  You need to be ready to be particular and precise.  You want to make your gifts as look as beautiful as they deserve given your investment.  They are luxury items, customized pieces, and in a sense, priceless.  Supplies cost money.  But, they also cost time.  And as a busy mom with a small business, time is more valuable than anything I could purchase for a loved one.   If you are the receiver, please remember that handmade gifts are not a cop out.  Treasure the gift, and most importantly, the thought behind them.

So what’s your plan?

I hope I haven’t talked you out of a handmade Christmas.  I really just needed to be frank about the cost of hand-crafted items.  Now that we’ve talked, here’s my recommended game plan:

1. Sign up for the coupon/saving newsletter for your favorite stores:  Hobby Lobby, Hancock’s, JoAnns, Michael’s, Office Depot, etc.
2. Make a master list of all the supplies you need.  Mark off the things you already have in your stash.
3. Shop the sales and use your 40% off coupons.  Between the stores, something you need will ALWAYS be on sale.
4. Raid your stash.  You hand-crafted Christmas will be much more affordable if you already have some of the supplies.
5. Get ready to get busy!

THIS IS PART OF AN ONGOING SERIES:  HANDMADE CHRISTMAS. Look for future posts about making time to craft,  wrapping and presentation inspiration, and ideas for dads, teens, the family chef, the diva, the boy, the doggie Momma and more.

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