What It Means To Make Christmas

Spending hours upon hours inside department stores or browsing websites is something that many people in this world love to do. Even I can love it from time to time; however, making my Christmas gifts by hand this year has opened my eyes. There are tons of shops online that sell handmade items. It is a labor of love for many. When we purchase those things, we do not often stop to think of the time that was put into making the item. I want to share my experience and thoughts about doing it myself this year.

It is no secret that I have a budget. I spent weeks, even months, stressing about and saving for Christmas. I had spent hours carefully picking out the gifts I wanted to purchase, but then everything changed. Nathaniel asked me to make him something for Christmas. He had just gotten home from a trip with the guys, who one of which had been telling them that his girlfriend was making his Christmas. Of course, I had already known about this; however, I never expected for Nathaniel to want me to do the same.

I have always been crafty. Yet I haven't sat down and made many crafty things in what seemed like ages. Once he asked me, I automatically asked him for a list of things he would like for me to make. Also being limited on space, I had to file some of those ideas away for later use. I started going through his list and adding things of my own into it. I searched website after website for cute and fun ideas and it wasn't long until I had a list of supplies taped into my planner and was in search of them.

Can you guess what I am making?

Fast foward a week and I am still working on making things, hence my obsence. I had forgotten what joy it brings me to work with my hands to create something. Being a perfectionist sometimes hinders me, but I am learning that there is beauty in the imperfections that handmaking things causes. I have had my frustrating moments where if it could go wrong, it did. The smiles it has brought to my face is countless. This has made me try new things. To succeed with something that you have never done before is such as rush.

Making Christmas has awaken something dormant inside me. It has awoken my creativity and my love of working with my hands again. My nails may be unpainted, my cuticles dying for some love and attention; however, I am excited to see what I can do. The love and thought that has gone into the gifts I am/have made is endless. For each gift, I am thanking God and praying that it brings as much happiness to the person receiving the gift as it has for me making it. Each of these individuals mean to world to me.

I leave you to ponder this: When you receive a gift (Christmas or not), do you consider store bought or hand made gifts more thoughtful? Do you consider the time put into each gift and the thought behind the gift? When giving, do you pour yourself into the gifts?