If you’re a crafty person who makes something with your hands, you may be considering giving handmade Christmas gifts this year. I’ve sewn many gifts for friends and family over the years and I’ve learned some things along the way that I now keep in mind every time I’m thinking about making presents, and I’m here to share those with you today!

I filmed a video chalk full of tips and sewn gift ideas! But I’ll write out the info too, so if reading is more your speed, skip over the following video and read the tips instead.

Things to Consider When Making Gifts

First, you don’t have to make the presents

The first think I want to tell you is that you don’t have to make the gifts. There are lots of reasons to give handmade Christmas gifts, but not all of them are good reasons. I think one of the main reasons I made gifts in my younger years was simply because I could, and then because I had in the past, I felt I should do so moving forward, or else my gifts would be perceived as less special.

This is not a good reason for making gifts! Gift giving is an art and giving something personal to someone makes them feel known and thought about, and those things can be accomplished whether you make the gift or buy it at the store. So release yourself from the pressure of feeling like you’re supposed to make the gifts, and ask yourself three questions when considering sewing a gift:

Do I want to make this gift?
Do I have time to make it?
Can I afford to make it?

Okay, but what if someone has asked you for something specific that they know you can make? You still don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, don’t have time, and don’t have the money for it. Most non-crafty-types think sewing is cheap and have no idea how much time and money go into certain projects. So use your judgement and don’t make it just because someone asked.

Second, choose carefully who you sew for.

Not everyone appreciates handmade gifts. There, I said it. If you’ve ever made a gift for someone and then they never used it or plainly didn’t really like it, you understand the hurt and frustration that scenario can cause.

It’s ok to pick and choose who you sew for. There are other people who will LOVE everything you make and be so beyond thrilled that you sewed something just for them. Those people are a joy to sew for! Focus on them and give the others a break — it’s okay for the handmade look not to be someone’s thing. We’ve all received gifts we didn’t care for, right?

Third, keep your recipient in mind.

A common mistake people make when sewing gifts is to get out whatever outdated and musty fabrics they want to use up in the stash and batch sew a bunch of something to give out as gifts. Don’t do this! Gift giving is not a clean-out-the-closet exercise in stash busting. This is a surefire way to make sure your gift recipients don’t like or use what you’ve made them.

Instead, tailor your gifts to their recipients! Go shopping for fabric that truly looks like them. Make them feel known by what you pick out and sew for them.

If you’re not sure what someone would like, here are some thoughts on what to do:

Scout their Instagram account for hints on their home decor and personal style. Don’t make something brightly colored for someone who decorates only in neutrals.
If you’re unsure of their decor or fashion preferences, stick to things that don’t get displayed or worn. Kitchen items are a safe bet!
If making a tote bag, for example, choose fabrics like linen or denim that are safe to assume most people like.

Fourth, beef up handmade gifts with store bought items.

I like to add things to a handmade gift to round it out and make it even more special. For example, I could make a book sleeve, add a quilted bookmark, choose a book and maybe some book plates to go along with it.

Or gift a handmade apron with some bamboo cooking utensils and a new cookbook.

Coffee sleeves go great with a bag of good coffee beans and a reuseable cold cup.

Lastly, let’s talk about budge contraints.

As someone who’s been on a budget every Christmas for my entire, I understand the desire to save money by making the presents! A few things to remember, though: first, it’s not always cheaper to make gifts, so consider carefully what you’ll make and how much it will cost, and second, it’s okay and even good to cut your list down and simply not give gifts to every person you’ve given to in the past.

That last one can be tricky, I know, but you don’t need to let the expectations of your extended family cause you financial stress at Christmas. You can simply say, “This is what we’re doing for gifts this year,” and proceed to give how you want to give. You don’t need your family’s permission to live within your means!

A few years ago, since all our nieces and nephews are now teens and young adults, and they all live in other states, I decided to stop choosing presents for each individual and give a family gift instead. So I gave a game and some coffee beans, as an example. The whole family can enjoy these things and it releases an enormous amount of pressure from me at Christmastime.

Okay, that said, if you still want to sew some gifts and are on a tight budget, watch the video! In it, I included a bunch of ideas for small, scrap friendly or low-yardage gifts that have been a hit for me in the past when I’ve gifted them to friends and family. I love making a little something for lots of people every Christmas (I can’t seem to stop myself!), and there are plenty of things you can make with what you already have on hand.

I hope this post has been an encouragement to you! Let me know if you have anything to add.

Cheers!

Nikki