Handmade Holiday

The shopping frenzy begins. This year, I am challenging myself to make my gifts, buy gifts that were handmade by someone else, or buy things that were not made in China. Preferably, America. It was so easy to do that in NYC, where artists abound and there is no Super Wal-Mart. Have you been in a dollar store? It’s shocking that there is so much you can buy for ONE DOLLAR. Why is it so cheap? Who made this? How much were they paid? Are the ingredients going to give me herpes? We have gotten to a point where all we care about is cost and paying as little as possible, regardless of quality. Even for food. Ah, but food is a whole nother post. So this holiday season, please, keep these things in mind.

-Buy as little as possible from China. Sometimes that is unavoidable, like when you need an iPhone. I know there are sweat shop, toxin, lead, child labor, carbon footprint, and other ethical issues with products made in a variety of countries but this is based on my experience. I am tired of things falling apart and I want to support people who manufacture in the USA.

-Make your gifts. Paint, bake, frame a poem, paper mache, sew, etc. Or buy something handmade by someone else.

-Spend more on less. Really, your kids don’t need 20 gifts. Spend a little more for something that will make it to 2012.

-Redo. Find something old and ugly, like a candelabra, at a flea market and spray-paint it. Or recover the seat of a chair your mom is throwing out. (Assuming you have parents who get rid of things and I swear, recovering a chair seat is easy.)

-Carry this over into 2011.

-Resources:

Etsy–the mecca of handmade.

Salt Scrub

Felt Food

Pickles

Freezer Jam

Knitting, Crocheting, Embroidering, and Sewing Projects from Purl Soho

Prudent Baby Projects

ETA: Edited (slightly) to add a few pics of my Homemade Christmas Extravaganza…

Stockings for la familia (Prudent Baby)

Pillowcase Dress (The Needle and the Damage Done)

Apron (Prudent Baby)

Tote Bag (The Purl Bee)