Beautiful Handmade Gifts For Your Family -

I love crafting. There is something quite special about a handmade gift. When you know the time and skill of a real person have gone into an item, you treasure it more. I’ve been looking exclusively at handmade gift ideas for the forthcoming holiday season. You don’t always have to make it yourself. It’s easier than you think to find good quality gifts made right here by hand in the USA.

One of my favorite natural and hand finished materials is leather. It’s so versatile. Products like shinola leather wallets are a shining example of handmade gifts produced in the US. Because leather can be finished in a variety of luster and colors, it’s really easy to pick the right gift for the occasion. Wallets for your cards or wallets for your mobile devices should be of the highest quality to protect what is valuable to you.

Hand stitched blankets make a great gift in the winter time. They can be personalized for the bed or a sleepover. Or you can use them as a custom throw for your sofa or daybed. I love having plenty of blankets around, especially for the girls. You never know when you’re going to want that extra comfort or layer. Natural wool can be finished with stitching to avoid any fraying. Personalization using thread or transfers can make this gift extra special.

My family may roll their eyes, but I just love novelty knitwear like jumpers. Anything Christmas or winter themed can be so cute. The best thing is, they are often hand made. You can buy knitting patterns and wool from a haberdashery if you have the time for some DIY crafting. But for me, I like to trawl the festive markets and find the best of what skilled local producers and farmers have for sale. I love the little wooly berets that are popular this year.

Image supplied by kfjmiller

Anyone who can carve art from wood is a hero of mine. I love the grain, and the smooth texture of hand finished woodwork. Handcrafted furniture can be a little expensive for a gift idea. But I think little trinket boxes and ornamental carvings are gorgeous. A friend of mine owns a horse. I once spotted a beautiful wooden carving of a horse with amazing attention to detail. I saved it for her birthday, and she loved it too.

I love relaxing in the tub. Letting all the bubbles soften my skin and soothe away my day. Handmade soaps and bath fizzers have become very popular. You can often find independent soap makers at the festive local markets. They can create little gift hampers for you, or you can just pick and mix the bits you fancy. Then all you need to do is pop them in a little jar, box, or hamper to wrap up as a gift. I love receiving these, and I hope to hand out a few jars this winter too.

If you love handcrafted items, why not seek some out to give as gifts this year? Beautifully crafted gifts will always be welcome. Have fun browsing the markets!