I hope you enjoyed your gift of an extra hour yesterday because it’s that time of year again.

You know.

The one where I encourage all of you to make your holidays a little more handmade and talk about one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

Handmade gifts.

Whenever I say that our family exchanges gifts we make ourselves, people sigh and exchange glances.

Handmade gifts, they say. Bless your heart.

I say nothing.

I just smile to myself.

If only they knew.

Around here people take handmade gift giving to an entirely different level.

I know, right?  If you have read this blog through Christmas before, you are nodding with me.

To celebrate the season today on our “12 Days of Getting Ready for Christmas” series I’m putting together with my sweet friend Leslie, here are some of my favorite handmade gift ideas and a little encouragement to start your own handmade gift tradition.

Here’s to a handmade holiday.

A felted book cover that looks like your book

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

peace-ornament

These easy and inexpensive handmade gift ideas

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Routed Logo on Wine Barrel

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

Book page sculptures on a book

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

A silver sugar bowl lid tree

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

Thistle picture created with words from the blog

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

hand-carved wooden bowl from tree

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Handmade Chinese Checkers game

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wooden box person

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Star cut and folded from old maps

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book created from old love letters

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Linen scrap pillow of house

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Acorn Nativity

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How to make a scratch and letter chalkboard

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

 A DIY Pallet Wood Clock

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

DIY wooden arrow

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

Love Letters From Thistlewood

click on the link to take you to the rest of the project

Of all the handmade presents—this one is my favorite.

Because it’s not from a brother or a sister or a mother.

It’s from my son.

It’s amazing to watch as the tradition continues.

Here’s to the next generation of handmade present givers. 🙂

PS  I can’t WAIT to show you what I’m making this year and when I was researching the blog for this post, I found this cute story from our family Christmas Eve a couple of years ago.

And now?

Here are even more handmade gift ideas from my amazing friend Leslie.

You can see them all here.

12 Days of Getting Ready for Christmas

(what you might have missed)

Here’s what Leslie has been sharing

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Kris Kris

    This speaks to my heart. We exchange many handmade gifts in our family. Anyone can go to a store or order online, but someone who takes the time to create is giving the gift of time and imagination. I love the sense of excitement in our family as Christmas comes closer and we sneak around with our gift-making.

  2. Image for Marlene Stephenson Marlene Stephenson

    If anyone ever loved me enough to take time to make me a gift for Christmas, I would feel so special. I have all kinds of hand made gifts and love them all. They make Christmas so wonderful.

  3. Image for Laura Laura

    I have to laugh. In your nativity with acorns? The little lambs look just like the really nasty “date palm beetles” we have here in Palm Springs. That is a fancy name for flying roaches that live in the palm trees! Yours are much cuter than ours! (I won’t sleep tonight.....).

  4. Image for Elizabeth@pineconesandacorns Elizabeth@pineconesandacorns

    I have always loved to see the beautiful handmade gifts your family makes for one another. Your family is so creative and all of you are amazing artists. I cannot wait to see what you receive this year and what you create for them.

  5. Image for Roe Bartolotta Roe Bartolotta

    Karianne, You are just amazing ! You bring the true meaning of Christmas to the season ! You are my idol! Truly, the things you create are just magical !

  6. Image for Lynn Mosher Lynn Mosher

    Oh, so much fun reading your Christmas Eve story again. I would love to see that renegade sheep and the donkey pulling down his ears to smile at everyone! LOL Such great fun! It's been a long and short three years, hasn't it? But before Christmas greetings are warranted, I wish you and your sweet family the best Thanksgiving. May thanks and praise raise the roof! 😃❤

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