I love crafts. My grandmother taught me to embroider before I was 10 years old. My mother taught me how to use her sewing machine and cut patterns by the time I was 12. By age 14 I was making my own clothes – not all of them, of course, but I tried.

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I have always sewn clothes for my family. Anything from dresses to t-shirts to tuxedos. I made sweatshirts as gifts for my extended family and friends. Back then, it saved me a lot of money. And the gifts were always appreciated.

The quality of a hand-made gifts is always so much higher than one that you buy. Gift your create yourself have more meaning to those you give them to and they treasure them.  The cost of your materials will always be less than the same quality item you can buy – if you can find it.

For baby gifts I have crocheted the edges of receiving blankets. You know how they always roll up at the edges – drives me nuts! But the crochet edging keeps them perfectly smooth and gives an impersonal gift the personal touch you want to give that special baby.

My mother-in-law taught me how to crochet.  It is a relaxing pastime which I enjoy especially in the winter.  I have made only blankets but I plan to learn to crochet garments.  Since I retired, I now have more time. I’m looking forward to learning new stitches and patterns, so I’ll need to get some books.

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I like both needle point and cross-stitch. Needle point is bolder and stands out better on things like pillows. Cross-stitch is finer and can look as delicate as a water color.

During our coffee breaks at work, my co-workers and I would do cross stitch. I made pieces that i framed and some I made into Christmas decorations for gifts to friends.  It was like a mini sewing circle.  We shared ideas admired each other’s work.

Then my friends and I joined a quilting class and I was hooked. I love the old-fashioned look of quilts but mostly I like all the time and love that goes into making one. They to take a lot of time even if you do the stitching by machine. But they are a true gift of love.

If you need inspiration, go to my Pinterest board for Quilting. I have pinned some beautiful quilts made by quilters young and old. There are also some shots of antique quilts that are 200-300 years old. Imagine your work lasting that long!

My current idea is to make a quilt for each of my grandchildren but I will personalize the quilts for each one. I have a grandson who has never been too interested in sports but loves music so his quilt will have music graphics in the blocks. Another one is crazy about sports so his will have NFL logos as the pattern on his quilt. One of my granddaughters aspires to be a fashion designer so her blocks will be fashion sketches. Another granddaughter is going to school to become an animation artist so I will use some of her own art for her design. I haven’t decided what the other 2 grandchildren will like but I’ll find out.

The best advantage of making your own crafts, whether quilting or crochet or candle making, you will put your own personal touch on your home’s decor. No matter the style you chose for your decor, a hand-made pillow on your sofa or a quilt you have done yourself on a guest bed will add personality and character to your home. Your personality and character.

When your guests exclaim, “You made that?” you will be beaming with humble pride and then they will say, “Of course, you made it yourself and it’s perfect.” Imagine handing down an heirloom like this to your child or grandchild. It will be something they will always treasure.