Homemade or store bought...

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=12pt]Honestly, when you receive a gift, would you like to have something crafty and/or homemade by the giver or would you rather have something from a store? Say they happen to draw, paint, do embroidery, make jewelry, or any number of things they could use to make a unique gift...[/SIZE]

With the Secret Santa and Hee Haw Holiday Exchange on the forums, this might help someone out when they go shopping... Shannon :bgrin

 

[chandab]

I would have to say it depends, I know not too helpful.

Say they happen to draw, paint, do embroidery, make jewelry, or any number of things they could use to make a unique gift...

As this is a horse forum, if they happened to draw,paint, etc something of a horse for me, I'd just love it (especially if they pulled a pic from my website and did one of mine).
On the other hand; I've given fairly specific lists to family members (I'm picky about books, especially, as I have an extensive library and only need the exact title I've requested). So, it's a bit disheartening when they tell you the one book on your list is too expensive, but proceed to buy you ten things you don't need whose total price is two or three times that of the book. I'd rather have one gift I can really use than ten that look good under the tree, but I have little use for. I know this sounds ungrateful, but you'd think someone would want to try to get something you like and can use, rather than just a lot of stuff to fill the space under the tree. I do like to shop for Christmas gifts and sometimes I buy one thing that I know the recipient will love, other times its several small things that I know they will love; it depends on the reciever and what catches my eye.

 

[Warpony]

I don't really want to recieve gifts (unless someone wants to give me a mini, a pony or a Gypsy Horse... in which case "home made" or 'store bought" doesn't matter to me. hehe.) but if someone really just MUST give me a gift, something home made and useful means SO much more to me then some store bought gift. I know it is the thought that counts and i appreciate any gift I recieve... but something home made just seems to...

well, it may sound kind of cheesy but something home made feels like it has the energy of the person who made it for me attached to it, the positive energy that they felt while making it and thinking of giving it to me often seems to just radiate (sp?) from the gift. That makes it very special to me.

 

[Beccy]

I have always preferred small and thoughtful to big and flashy, and little homemade things like Christmas ornaments (I LOVE my Christmas tree, it is like a trip down memory lane each time I unwrap the ornaments) are among the most cherished.

...unless of course they ARE giving away Gypsy horses, then count me in!!! :lol:

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Gypsy horses, oh yeah--count me in too! I dont like big and flashy,(well, with the exception of the gypsy horses

: ) and I love just a good old fashioned christmas! I think it all depends on what the person is making, and if personalized thought was put into it. I received a few years back a beautiful fleece shirt with our farm name and a mini horse embrodiered on it. I LOVE and cherish that shirt. (in fact so much that I emailed her and had a few more made up in differant colors) if someone painted and did a painting of one of my horses or donkeys I would love it, I'm really very easy to please. Its the thought that counts--and I guess if they thought enough of me to make me something unique and personalized I would cherish it so much more then a store bought gift. :bgrin. Now gee, Shannon..if you were making me a gift--you could just go and take it right out of your living room...I LOVE your wagon wheel table! :bgrin

:

:

: (sure not asking for much here am I??... :bgrin )Maybe you could email Bob and throw him a hint... :bgrin Corinne

 

[Buckskin gal]

I love all gifts but if someone would ask me right now what I would like to have it would be a hat or t shirt or anything else with our farm logo on it. [want everyone to know I love minis] Gifts are very special to me, at this age, because I never did get many as a kid with growing up in a big family where money was not plentiful. Mary

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=12pt]It looks like most everyone would like something made from the heart. I sure would. Anything that someone took the time to make especially for me would mean more than anything you could buy. Plus it will always have a story behind it... I'm just sentimental that way.

: Shannon :bgrin [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][/SIZE]

Corinne, if it didn't cost so much to ship, I'd wrap it up for you...lol But I'll email Bob complete with a picture and dimensions and everything. He won't think I'm crazy will he??

:

:

 

[justjinx]

Homemade and from the heart says it all....jennifer :saludando:

 

[Cronewolf]

Mostly prefer home made. Our group each Yule put something only we can do in a hat and each of us pick.

I've had some real good ones. One year I had a lesson in flint Knapping from one of the young women 0n the Native American Path. I've had special made just for me herbal teas and card lays. All kinds of useful and enjoyable things.

 

[mountain_waif]

I love gifts....but the homemade ones are the most cherished ones!

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

Trust me...you don't want a crafty gift from me

:

I don't have a crafty bone in my body.

Homemade gifts are alway nice to receive.

*however I do have some very crafty friends that might help me out with the gift exchange :bgrin

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I guess for me it would depend on the level of expertise of the crafter and on what they were making me. I hate to be picky, but honestly I have so much home-made junk lying around this house that does not match my decor and I don't like but I can't give it away because it was a gift...

: No thank you! And why is it that every friend who knows you like horses thinks horse art makes a wonderful gift? When you have a taste for QUALITY horse art, it's painful to get some of those boxy cow-shaped objects and smile and have to put it on your mantel.

: I would much rather have had a gift certificate as then you know the person cares enough to respect your wishes and let you get something you will really enjoy.

If the person is a professional and embroiders me something, great. If they photoshop me something with my horses, or get it put on a t-shirt for me or something, great. I love gifts that the person thought of themselves and put together for me. I just prefer it if they got professional assistance in making it happen! :lol: I try to give gifts like that myself quite often. I put a lot of thought into what they'd like or what would matter to them and then go hit a bunch of stores until it comes together. Plain store-bought, like a cd or something, is appreciated but not particularly special.

There are definitely some people on here who are very talented and I would consider their "homemade" gifts to be completely equal to store-bought quality only better since it was made personally and with love. (Those wood-burns for instance are great!)

Just my opinion.

Leia