Take the Handmade Challenge

This year, I have taken the Handmade Pledge at BuyHandmade.org – or, as I read it, I’m making gifts for all those I can, and buying handmade gifts for others. In reality, my *handmadeness* total will be about 90%, as Jacob is getting a very cool space-aged ant farm for Christmas (I did buy it, however, from small, family-run business), along with the beanbag toss mat he asked me to make for him. And my father, who couldn’t care less about “stuff,” is getting tickets to a Yankees game.

This year, several children on my list are receiving personalized *I Spy* bags. Made of fleece, the 7″x7″ bags are filled with plastic beads, confetti, little toys, and found objects, and have a vinyl window for spying. There’s an item for each letter of the alphabet – amphibian for A, leaf for L – as well as letter beads A through Z, and bonus items, giving kids about 75 things to find. I’ve also personalized the bags with each child’s name and a little message made of shrink plastic (remember Shrinky Dinks? Now there are sheets you can use in your inkjet printer). I made this one for Jacob while he had bronchitis earlier this month and needed to rest – a very difficult task for a 6-year-old.

I have other gifts planned, too – journal covers, jewelry, bookmarks, paper dolls, and herbal teas. I find that, if I’m stuck with my writing, being artsy in other ways helps gets my brain reboot into a creative mode, and not only do the words flow more freely, but the desire to write grows. The more creative I am in every day life, the easier it is to shift from “mommy mode” to “real writer mode.” So, if you’re stuck on words some time, try being crafty!