Have a Handmade Christmas

Newly decorated handle for my little show cabinet

My first show of the year is tomorrow.  I still have lots to do and seem to have gone into a bit of a pre-show paralysis.  That's not a very helpful state to be in at the present moment, so here's hoping I find my brain again before this evening when I am labelling and pricing!  I'm including a few photos of my preparations in this post!

While I've got your attention - I might have a little go at persuading you to buy handmade or make yourself this Christmas!  I know I am biased, and have a vested interest, but hear me out!  I come from a family of Makers - a Blacksmith on my mum's side, a Trug basket maker and traditional woodsman for a dad, a textile artist mum, an illustrator and graphic designer brother and another product designer brother.  Suffice to say - in our growing up years, there was a distinct philosophy of, "why buy, when you can make?" Our Christmases were usually a feast of homemade treasures whether it be the food (often a collaborative effort of curry dishes!) or the presents themselves.  One of my most memorable presents from my Dad was my very own "tidy box".  This two tiered ply wood box, painted in green and yellow gloss paint with my name in red on the side, was filled with tin cans dipped in various shades of paint and stuffed with felt tips, pencils, brushes and other crafty bits.  I remember how thrilled I was at receiving it - because it was absolutely spot on for me.  I still use it to contain all my bead making things and it is part of my material history; one of those objects that is part of who you are and you can't imagine not being in existence!  When Cadan was four, I painted up a wooden box and tin cans for his Christmas present too.  He was equally thrilled.

Rag flower brooches and cuffs

There is something quite special about giving and receiving something handmade.  You know that love and care has gone into it.  You know that someone has invested their thoughts and time.

A little cabinet I'm using to display my stock tomorrow.

I know that there has been a revival of handmade over the last few years.  Etsy has become huge, and Folksy, the UK based site is hot on its heals.  I love it!  Handmade is special.  It links us to the skills of our past at the same time as innovating for the future.  There are so many fantastic makers out there, who have spent years building up their skills and their craftsmanship, carefully and lovingly honing their work to perfection.  I know, because my Dad was one of them.  He did everything from felling the tree, coppicing the wood, building his own steamer to render the willow pliable, shaping the baskets and finishing them to visiting show after show with his collection of trugs and demonstrating his skills.  When you bought one of his trugs, you bought a portion of his life, his time, the investment of his skills - and that is what made them so special and different to the mass produced baskets.

Can you tell I am passionate about this?!

If you buy handmade for Christmas this year, not only are you keeping craftsmanship alive (and many of our traditional crafts like trug basket making are sadly dying out), and doing something potentially ethical and green, but you are also buying something very rare these days - authenticity.  Go on, I challenge you to find just one present for someone this year that hasn't been made in a plastic factory, but just maybe has been lovingly crafted by someone's hands.

Or you might even have a go yourself!
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