Choosing the Perfect Handmade Gift: A Quick and Easy Guide to Gift-Giving

It’s Christmas morning, and you’ve just given your newlywed granddaughter an heirloom quilt that you’ve spent hundreds of hours—and dollars!—on. You were raised to believe that every newlywed couple should have an heirloom quilt of their own. Something they can pass down to their children. But when she opened the gift, you could tell she wasn’t as thrilled as you’d hoped. Sure, she thanked you, but it lacked enthusiasm.

How could she be so ungrateful, you wonder? Does she have any idea how long you worked on that quilt? How much you spent on it? Just in case, you made sure to tell her. Now she feels bad, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s not thrilled to have this massive quilt. And you don’t feel any better either.

How could this have been avoided?

The Complicated Nature of Gifting

Unfortunately, many people don’t like receiving handmade gifts. Not because they don’t like handmade things—these same people will shop craft sales, follow local makers, and fill their homes with fun, eclectic pieces of art. It’s because of the expectations placed upon them when these gifts are given. You may have poured a great deal of time and money into the making of a gift, but if you haven’t given any consideration to what your recipient would actually want, there’s no guarantee that they will want it or use it. When you pour your heart and soul into creating something for someone else, it hurts when they don’t like it. It feels like a rejection of you. That’s totally understandable.

But gifts are meant to be given freely. Gift recipients don’t owe you anything—not a particular response, not a certain level of enthusiasm, or a commitment to using or loving the thing you’ve created. No matter how good your intentions, or how much you thought they’d like it.

This can be avoided, however, by understanding what your recipient might want and setting your own expectations at the onset of gift creation. There are a couple of steps to follow and things to consider when planning your handmade gift.

Know Your Recipient

Knowing your recipient is the number one factor that will determine whether or not your gift is well-received. Sometimes as creatives, we make the mistake of creating gifts that we’d love without considering our recipient’s style. If you’ve ever experienced the awkwardness of being given a gift that you find hideous, or something that you’d never use or choose for yourself, you know what I mean.

When you set out to make a gift for someone, whether it’s for a holiday, a birthday, or just because, take some time to think about what they as an individual enjoy. What colors do you see them wearing? What colors do they use in their décor? Do they love polka dots? What hobbies do they have? What sort of space constraints do they have—do they live in a tiny apartment? Considering these things will help you choose not just what you make, but the materials that you use.

Set a Budget—Both for Money and Time!

What is your budget? The more you spend on creating your gift, the higher the expectations will be—for you! If you spend $150 to make a quilt that your recipient shows no real interest in, you’re going to feel more irritated than if you’d spent $20 to make something smaller. Likewise, if the recipient knows that the gift was expensive, they may feel guilt for not liking it. Gift-giving, and receiving, should be an enjoyable experience, not one burdened by expectations and feelings of guilt or rejection. Find a budget that’s comfortable for you, and stick to it!

Likewise, what is your time budget? How many hours are you willing to commit to this gift? You may love knitting baby blankets, but do you want to spend that many hours crafting something for someone who won’t appreciate the time you put into it?  

Consider the Occasion

Is this a Christmas gift? A birthday gift? A graduation gift? A just-because gift? The occasion may factor into what type of gift is acceptable, and what sort of budget is reasonable. For a big occasion, it might make sense to commit more time and money to your project. You might also need to consider cultural factors. Is there a stigma around certain gifts at certain times? It wouldn’t make sense to give a Jewish person a beautiful Challah (bread) plate at Pesach (Passover), for example, because during Pesach, observant Jews don’t eat or even own bread. Likewise, if someone is observing Lent and they’re giving up jewelry for 40 days, it might be a little odd to give them a ring dish that you just made.

Explore Your Options!

Once you have an idea of what your gift recipient likes, and doesn’t like, and you know how much money and time you can comfortably spend on it, it’s time to get brainstorming! Pinterest is a great place for ideas, but you already might have some in mind. Whatever art form you choose, make sure to factor in your recipient’s likes and dislikes when you make your plan!

Have fun!

Making handmade gifts can be tons of fun. And when you’ve taken the time to consider the gift recipient’s interests, tastes, wants, and needs? You can enjoy the process with the confidence that they’ll love the finished product!

What will you make?

Handmade gifts can be both fun to create and well-received. By carefully considering your gift recipient you can create custom gifts that play into their style and interests—gifts that they won’t find in stores.

Are you on Instagram? Show me what you’ve made using the hashtags #theserialcreative #handmadegifts