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Home made presents and gifts?

  • 15-05-2013 10:34AM
    #1
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    The "expensive weddings" thread got me thinking about this.

    To avoid confusion, I didn't grow up in Ireland but in Germany. And most people I would have met there growing up would have valued a home made present or gift for any occasion (Birthdays, births, weddings, christmas) much higher than a shop-bought gift, or even money.
    I grew up making gifts for my friends and family, anything from needlework (I made my brothers thick woollen socks for christmas one year, with their names in foam rubber on the soles to stop them from slipping, they wore them around the house for years) to cooking (christmas cookies are really big in Germany, with every family having their own secret recipes. Home made jams and preserves are fantastic, too) to woodwork (decorative carved picture frames or shelves) to anything else I could think of. One year, I drew illustrations to all poems from the Lord of the Rings, arranged them alongside the poems and bound them in a rather nice book for one of my best friends (I was 16, ok? You're allowed love Lord of the Rings at that age).

    I received similar presents from friends and family - I've got a set of shelves one of my brother made me some 15 years ago for christmas, I've got gloves my gran knitted for me, I've got a beautiful batic picture of elephants one of my aunts made for me when I was born, I've got little decorated ceramic bowls from a friend that I absolutely adore.

    Yet in Ireland I've so far noticed that not only do people not give such gifts, sometimes they seem to be practically sneered at as cheap and the giver is labeled tight-fisted.

    So how would you react if you're given a home made gift? Would you actually feel grateful that the giver has spent so much time thinking about you and making you this, or would you regard them as cheap and trying to get away with spending little or no money?

    Home made gifts are ... 103 votes

    ... a cheap, tacky option for people who don't like spending money
    0% 0 votes
    ... a fantastic way of being shown how much the giver appreciates you
    18% 19 votes
    ... No idea, I've never received or given one
    81% 84 votes


«13

Comments

  • #2
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    in germany people also SAVE :eek:

    I mean what is up with that


  • #3
    stefan idiot jones
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭stefan idiot jones


    I would relish a pair of home made clogs.


  • #4
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    I would relish a pair of home made clogs.

    I would like some home made relish


  • #5
    Sergeant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,362 ✭✭✭Sergeant


    I don't want some well-meaning but amateurish effort given to me as a present. I want expensive electronics or clothes that were designed in Europe and produced in factories in Asia. Stuff in fancy packaging.


  • #6
    livinsane
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,090 ✭✭✭livinsane


    This homemade christmas presents thread on the Cooking and Recipes forum has been going strong for the last three years:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056110995

    I've made homemade food hampers for the last few years and people love them.


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  • #7
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    I would relish a pair of home made clogs.

    Clogs... now, there's a challenge.
    I've carved letter openers, wooden spoons and string puppets before, but never clogs.

    I might just give that a try, for around the garden :)


  • #8
    Zelda Purring Stubbornness
    Posts: 81,308 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Zelda Purring Stubbornness


    I did this a bit when I was younger, it did get sneered at.
    I have been doing a bit of baking lately and gave some stuff to a friend as part of a present. The cooking forum has lovely ideas on hampers to make and give as presents at xmas, so I might try that this year


  • #9
    Kichote
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 305 ✭✭Kichote


    Sergeant wrote: »
    I don't want some well-meaning but amateurish effort given to me as a present. I want expensive electronics or clothes that were designed in Europe and produced in factories in Asia. Stuff in fancy packaging.

    lol


  • #10
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    Kichote wrote: »
    lol

    youre doin it wrong


  • #11
    qo2cj1dsne8y4k
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,646 ✭✭✭✭qo2cj1dsne8y4k


    It's a nice idea but I am tragically untalented, it would mean more to me if someone had actually went to the bother of making me something they knew I'd like and that would mean a lot to me.

    I love giving presents to people but I don't really get many presents back. I get birthday cash from my dad, and sometimes a hair or beauty voucher from my auntie and my ex would get me something I'd have been drooling over during the year, and then at Xmas my brother would get me something too but as for friends, I wouldn't be given anything for birthday or Xmas nor would I give.


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  • #12
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    bluewolf wrote: »
    I did this a bit when I was younger, it did get sneered at.
    I have been doing a bit of baking lately and gave some stuff to a friend as part of a present. The cooking forum has lovely ideas on hampers to make and give as presents at xmas, so I might try that this year

    I'e made something similar to the pic below for my work colleagues last year.
    Simple, looks nice, and was tasy :)

    gingerbread-tree-3.jpg


  • #13
    BillyMitchel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,324 ✭✭✭BillyMitchel


    Shenshen wrote: »
    The "expensive weddings" thread got me thinking about this.

    To avoid confusion, I didn't grow up in Ireland but in Germany. And most people I would have met there growing up would have valued a home made present or gift for any occasion (Birthdays, births, weddings, christmas) much higher than a shop-bought gift, or even money.
    I grew up making gifts for my friends and family, anything from needlework (I made my brothers thick woollen socks for christmas one year, with their names in foam rubber on the soles to stop them from slipping, they wore them around the house for years) to cooking (christmas cookies are really big in Germany, with every family having their own secret recipes. Home made jams and preserves are fantastic, too) to woodwork (decorative carved picture frames or shelves) to anything else I could think of. One year, I drew illustrations to all poems from the Lord of the Rings, arranged them alongside the poems and bound them in a rather nice book for one of my best friends (I was 16, ok? You're allowed love Lord of the Rings at that age).

    I received similar presents from friends and family - I've got a set of shelves one of my brother made me some 15 years ago for christmas, I've got gloves my gran knitted for me, I've got a beautiful batic picture of elephants one of my aunts made for me when I was born, I've got little decorated ceramic bowls from a friend that I absolutely adore.

    Yet in Ireland I've so far noticed that not only do people not give such gifts, sometimes they seem to be practically sneered at as cheap and the giver is labeled tight-fisted.

    So how would you react if you're given a home made gift? Would you actually feel grateful that the giver has spent so much time thinking about you and making you this, or would you regard them as cheap and trying to get away with spending little or no money?


    I'll pay you €10 if you make me the same socks that you made for your brother. Instead of my name you can even put boards.ie.

    Think I've just found you a new business. :)


  • #14
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    BillyMitchel wrote: »
    I'll pay you €10 if you make me the same socks that you made for your brother. Instead of my name you can even put boards.ie.

    Think I've just found you a new business. :)

    *lol
    Well, the wool cost me about €7.00 back then, and it took a good few evenings of knitting to make them. €10 wouldn't really cover it, sorry ;)


  • #15
    jester77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,264 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Shenshen wrote: »
    The "expensive weddings" thread got me thinking about this.

    To avoid confusion, I didn't grow up in Ireland but in Germany. And most people I would have met there growing up would have valued a home made present or gift for any occasion (Birthdays, births, weddings, christmas) much higher than a shop-bought gift, or even money.
    I grew up making gifts for my friends and family, anything from needlework (I made my brothers thick woollen socks for christmas one year, with their names in foam rubber on the soles to stop them from slipping, they wore them around the house for years) to cooking (christmas cookies are really big in Germany, with every family having their own secret recipes. Home made jams and preserves are fantastic, too) to woodwork (decorative carved picture frames or shelves) to anything else I could think of. One year, I drew illustrations to all poems from the Lord of the Rings, arranged them alongside the poems and bound them in a rather nice book for one of my best friends (I was 16, ok? You're allowed love Lord of the Rings at that age).

    I received similar presents from friends and family - I've got a set of shelves one of my brother made me some 15 years ago for christmas, I've got gloves my gran knitted for me, I've got a beautiful batic picture of elephants one of my aunts made for me when I was born, I've got little decorated ceramic bowls from a friend that I absolutely adore.

    Yet in Ireland I've so far noticed that not only do people not give such gifts, sometimes they seem to be practically sneered at as cheap and the giver is labeled tight-fisted.

    So how would you react if you're given a home made gift? Would you actually feel grateful that the giver has spent so much time thinking about you and making you this, or would you regard them as cheap and trying to get away with spending little or no money?

    I really like this about Germany, people put a lot of thought and effort in to making gifts. My inlaws make fantastic knitwear, I get asked what design and patterns I would like and a few weeks later I have a funky hat, scarf, etc.

    What does piss me off is having to bake for everyone when it's your birthday, it should be the other way around :P But the cakes, breads, muffins that people bake for their birthdays always blow me away. It's a skill that is long lost in Ireland :(


  • #16
    Tiddlypeeps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tiddlypeeps


    I don't care if a gift is home made or store bought as long as it's meaningful. I hate this business of smelly body wash sets for Christmas and useless cheap gadgets that I'll never use. I'd much prefer a basket of cookies that will actually be eaten or a knitted scarf that I'll actually wear. Or something store bought that I'll actually use, doesn't matter what it cost. I'd rather get nothing as a gift than something thoughtless that I'll never use just for the sake of being able to say that a gift was given.

    Now don't get me wrong I would never say that to anyones face. If I'm given a gift I'll always act grateful and delighted.

    I just don't get the point of thoughtless gifts that nobody will ever use. Most women I know come away from Christmas with loads of bath sets that they will never use because it's not the brand they use etc. The same with men and aftershave sets. What's the point.


  • #17
    Crooked Jack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,679 ✭✭✭Crooked Jack


    My ex used to make presents all the time and people loved them. Our friend was pregnant and she spent weeks crocheting a baby blanket for her. The poor girl nearly burst into tears when she found out it had been hand made. She has baked a world of presents, made people drinks (sloe gin, berr vodka, home made cream liquer, stuff like that) and people have always appreciated them.
    I just cant understand anyone who would prefer something lifted out of a shop with barely a thought given to it, rather than something that was painstakingly hand made for them.
    As for someone who would sneer at a person for doing so, they're a perfect example of the toxic waste left behind by the rampant consumerism that destroyed our country's soul during the celtic tiger era.


  • #18
    grarf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 90 ✭✭grarf


    I love giving and receiving handmade/homemade gifts, be it foodie stuff or crafts or whatever.
    I do think there's a bit of cultural difference between Germany (which is where I grew up also) and here, it was and is perfectly normal 'back home' to give and get homemade gifts, whereas here in Ireland people often are very surprised (what, you MADE this?!) and you don't get many homemade gifts in my experience.
    As for handmade pressies getting sneered at and regarded as cheap... I would look at it from a different viewpoint, as in, someone has put thought, effort and time into making something, which, to me, means more than something store-bought. But maybe that's just me.


  • #19
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    jester77 wrote: »

    What does piss me off is having to bake for everyone when it's your birthday, it should be the other way around :P But the cakes, breads, muffins that people bake for their birthdays always blow me away. It's a skill that is long lost in Ireland :(

    Hehe, my husband's a bit of a philistine when it comes to baking christmas cookies. He doesn't understand why you'd spend hours and hours carefully making something that in his mind, you could just "pick up in a shop".

    He does love the cakes, though...
    I don't know why Germans are so obsessed with baking, but I enjoy it.


  • #20
    grarf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 90 ✭✭grarf


    Shenshen wrote: »
    Hehe, my husband's a bit of a philistine when it comes to baking christmas cookies. He doesn't understand why you'd spend hours and hours carefully making something that in his mind, you could just "pick up in a shop".

    He does love the cakes, though...
    I don't know why Germans are so obsessed with baking, but I enjoy it.

    OT, but the whole thing with christmas cookies is VERY important :) I did a baking session one year with my nieces, and now HAVE to do it every year (which I love). She asks me usually during the summer, Are we doing the christmas cookies again this year?!


  • #21
    cuilteanna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 139 ✭✭cuilteanna


    I enjoy needlework and like making gifts, and have had varied reactions. Sometimes I've received thank you notes that bring me to tears reading them. Other times, well you can tell the recipient really wanted something expensive and store bought (even though the cost of materials for something like a quilt is fairly high anyway). These days I've mostly given up and only make gifts for very special people.


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  • #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 12,694 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I think it depends on how good you are at making a home made presents. I am a very good baker and can make complicated cakes ( so can my husband he made our wedding cake ) so if I give anyone a cake they are usual very applicative of it, in fact I have been asked for cakes as a present.

    One of my daughters makes homemade cards and I think they are lovely.

    The only presents I really like are books, prints or something homemade like jewelry.

    I bet there are lots of people who would much rather something home made.


  • #23
    fishy fishy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,456 ✭✭✭fishy fishy


    i love cooking and baking so tend to do a lot of that at Christmas and as surprise birthdays for the person in question - I love doing surprise parties with home-made cooking. To be honest I would also purchase meaningful gifts for christmas/weddings.

    Oh...and as a special treat I also give free haircuts - no expense at all - all I need is a bowl and a sharp scissors. It's the best. :D:D


  • #24
    SouthTippBass
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,286 ✭✭✭SouthTippBass


    Shenshen wrote: »
    *lol
    Well, the wool cost me about €7.00 back then, and it took a good few evenings of knitting to make them. €10 wouldn't really cover it, sorry ;)

    I'l give you €15, final offer!


  • #25
    Zelda Purring Stubbornness
    Posts: 81,308 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Zelda Purring Stubbornness


    Shenshen wrote: »
    I'e made something similar to the pic below for my work colleagues last year.
    Simple, looks nice, and was tasy :)

    gingerbread-tree-3.jpg

    Recipe bitte!


  • #26
    hardCopy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    There's a lot more effort involved in making a present than buying one. If I can't think of anything to make for my girlfriend I like to at least make her a card to show that some thought has gone into it (moonpig.com).

    It only takes five minutes to order a present on Amazon, designing/crafting/cooking/painting a present takes real effort and has more meaning. Buying someone a rare gift that can't simply be ordered online shows a similar level of thought though.


  • #27
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 12,694 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    MY husband made me a bracelet he put the initials of my daughters and his initials in it with hearts between them, the rest of it was blue beads he gave it me on our wedding day. I was widely impressed it was such a lovely thing to do. I am sure he must have got a few strange looks going in to the bead shop seeing as he is a rather conservative looking middle age man.


  • #28
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,664 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Nothing says "I couldn't be arsed thinking about a present" like vouchers.


  • #29
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    bluewolf wrote: »
    Recipe bitte!

    Tricky, I used a German recipe for the gingerbread. Here is one that should work nicely, though where it says "chill overnight" I would recommend leaving the dough for one or two days - more if you like. The traditional recipes will leave the dough for weeks before baking.

    Once you have the dough, roll it out fairly thick to about 1cm thickness.
    You then need different sized, start shaped cookie cutters. For one tree, cut out 2 - 3 stars of each size and bake them.
    Once they're baked and cooled, make some thick icing with icing sugar and a little lemon juice and assemble each tree by placing the stars over each other, rotating each one so the points don't overlap.
    If you plan on making very tall trees, you could push a little bamboo kebab stick down the middle for stability.

    Once the icing has set, make a second batch of icing, colour it if you like, and drip it over the trees to make it look like snow.
    I then used golden sugar balls for further decoration, you can put little sugar stars on them, whatever you fancy.


  • #30
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,664 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Sergeant wrote: »
    I don't want some well-meaning but amateurish effort given to me as a present. I want expensive electronics or clothes that were designed in Europe and produced in factories in Asia. Stuff in fancy packaging.
    At that stage I'd rather the money and a card

    One of these would mean more than a shop bought one :)
    http://www.code-d.com/tesco-cards/


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  • #31
    mrsdewinter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭mrsdewinter


    mariaalice wrote: »
    MY husband made me a bracelet he put the initials of my daughters and his initials in it with hearts between them, the rest of it was blue beads he gave it me on our wedding day. I was widely impressed it was such a lovely thing to do. I am sure he must have got a few strange looks going in to the bead shop seeing as he is a rather conservative looking middle age man.

    That's really sweet! Fair play to him...


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