Written with love, by Felicia Zammit-McMann
It's no secret: I am a craft-a-holic with Pinterest being my unwavering muse, feeding my need to raft daily with new pins, new ideas, and mu daily questioning of, "Why didn't I think of that?" or "Now, isn't that a clever idea?" At Christmas, I like to think of myself as Martha Stewart, realizing quickly that I am, in no way - nor will I ever be - Martha Stewart. Regardless, I still love to craft. It's about this time of year that I start itching for a new project. When I have to wear 10,000 layers just to go outside, I tend to become a home-body during these winter months. The days are still short on sunlight, the weather is miserable, and with the holidays over, I need something to keep me busy while I'm cooped up indoors.
I take pride and pleasure in decorating our home with things I've made, but my most treasured items are items that others have made for me. I'm lucky to have some very talented friends and family members who realize my insatiable need to craft, and therefore, have made me some beautiful items over the years. Even friends who don't know the difference between a paint brush and a lint brush have made me gifts which I still treasure to this day.
So you could imagine my excitement when, during our wedding shower and while opening our wedding gifts, I would open an envelope or box and see something handmade. It's an awesome feeling to see something like that, because unlike going to a store, picking something off a list , and calling it a day, someone had to take a lot of time out of their day(s) to hand craft this masterpiece. With people being so busy these days, they chose to do something more laborious and that, to me, means a lot.
One of the items I was looking forward to the most about coming back from our honeymoon, was being able to finally start decorating our home with gifts and cards made by those we love. These treasures are my most valuable, not because of their monetary value, but because they were made specifically for us for our wedding There are the scrap-booked cards that are now framed, the really neat looking ornament that I keep out all year that has strips of our shower and wedding invitations curled up in it, the 3D card one of our guests made for us on our anniversary, and the bottle full of the dried flowers from my wedding bouquet and my husband's boutonniere that my mom made for us on our first anniversary. Add to that some more items that I made - and items I plan on making - and decorating is a snap. Not to mention, fun and personal.
For all of you brides and grooms out there, do yourself a favor. If you know anyone who is crafty or does any sort of trade, ask them to make something for you instead of buying you something. Don't be afraid to ask. If, on the other hand, you are invited to a wedding or know someone who is getting married (or having a baby!), I suggest making something. Even if you've never walked into a craft store in your life, I can guarantee that if the receiver knows you put time and effort into making something for them, they are going to appreciate it and treasure it always. And if it's not a craft, bake something, or cook something, or cook a meal that they can freeze for a rainy day!
Anything homemade from the heart will be remembered and treasured much longer than something purchased. 'Tis the season to be crafty!
Now tell us your favorite crafting gift you've made or received, so we can all get those creative juices flowing!
