I have trouble giving gifts. I don’t like to buy knick-knacks and thoughtless novelty items for people I love. I want to give something that shows thoughtfulness, but in today’s busy lifestyle that can be easier said than done.
My second anniversary being married to Michael LeRoux is approaching (next Tuesday). Since we bought our new home in January we’ve been trying and failing to be smarter with our hard earned dollars, but this month we’ve cracked down a little. I wanted to make it a game for us to give each other the cheapest most creative gifts we could think of. Despite the haze of negativity that now hovers over The Cosby Show, I have a fond memory of this scene:
Would that all anniversaries were like this one. In my mind the value in a great gift is not necessarily related to the market price. It has more to do with the sentiment and thoughtfulness behind the action of giving.
I knew 3 things about what I wanted to gift Michael this year. I knew I wanted it to be cotton (or something close to it). I wanted it to be, ahem, financially conservative. And, I wanted it to be handmade.
So I took to Pinterest. (Don’t judge, I know you all do this too. And feel free to follow Abilene Scene while you are at it.) While perusing the pins, I found this little sweetie for sale on Etsy.
Almost perfect except it was not what I’d call a frugal purchase. I probably would’ve even ventured to say it was overpriced. It did get the wheels turning though!
Then I found a how-to guide from Martha Stewart! Genius. I can totally do this on my own.
I highly recommend taking the time to create your own personal pattern and assigning thread colors before you do anything else. It will save you time later. This is the pattern I drew.
Design? Check.
Needle? Check. I have plenty at home. (You want to make sure you have a dull needle. Your fingers will thank you.)
I still needed fabric and colored embroidery thread.
I took a trip to Hobby Lobby, spent $8 dollars on supplies and 5 hours last Wednesday night relearning how to cross stitch. Starting off was a struggle. I changed my mind and decided the customizable Etsy option was appropriately priced. Still, I was committed.
Knots were my biggest issue. You can’t get in a hurry or your thread will discover it has a mind of its own. With a little patience and practice, I finished. Only after did I discover this helpful tutorial, but ‘c’est la vie!’
I am probably more excited about this than Michael will be, but he will still loved it.
I’m not sure people today value handmade gifts, or really handmade anything, like they should. There’s something special about knowing Michael owns something I created. It’s proof that I’ve lived and loved. And that’s nice.
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@bajaelsol and @AbileneScene
