To celebrate tonight’s premiere of the show 15 Fresh Handmade Gift Ideas, we’re giving away a little piece of HGTV. Watch the special this evening at 7/6 for a look at hundreds of our favorite Etsy gifts, as well as excellent how-tos for 15 fabulous crafts you can make and give as presents.
I snagged this on-trend and utterly cute birdhouse terrarium by Etsy seller No Place Like Gnome while visiting the set of the 15 Fresh Handmade Gift Ideas shoot.
Take a few seconds to answer this week’s question before 12/11c Monday, Nov. 29 for your chance to win the kit to recreate this whimsical terrarium.
This week’s question: What is the most cherished handmade gift you’ve given or received?
And don’t forget to watch the show!
When I was a child, my grandfather and father made me a handcrafted scale model dollhouse patterned after a house an ancestor lived in in Massachusetts in the 18th century. My grandpa even visited the house in person to take measurements. As far as gifts I've given, I know many of the gifts I've given to babies are still in use (especially the blankets).
Best handmade gift given? A quilt made for my nephew or Christmas cookies (back in the day when I was a stay-at-home mom and had the time to make them) for family and friends. I sooooo appreciate them now whenever I get them…YUM.
Best handmade gift received? I guess I am an old softie at heart but ANYTHING made by my children or nephews…like the scribbles that they say are a tree and sunshine or the birthday cards with 'I love you' inside…..
a scarf knitted by my grandmother. illustrated cards scribbled by my nephews.
a painted boxed made by my nephew
Just finished watching the show. The girls were m-o-r-o-n-s! "Use an acrylic sweater so it won't ravel when you cut it". WRONG! " Cut off the trim on the burlap coffee sack". Ummm…. even a novice seamstress knows that "trim" is called the selvedge. The crafting ideas were lame, lame, lame. A real disappointment. For shame HGTV. Bring back Carol Duvall if you want a crafter who knows what she is talking about.
[...] has put together a special Freebie Friday on this years day after Thanksgiving! To celebrate the premiere tonight of HGVT’s new show, [...]
My best friend in the 70's was expecting a baby so I decided to make a baby quilt. I had never made one but I had a lot of polyester scrapes of polka dots, squares, circles and a blend of all. The quilt was about a 50 inch by 36 inch size to throw on the floor. I now know most quilts are made out of cotton, but this quilt turned out really pretty, and I had a lot of compliments when I went to the fabric store to get a backing for it. I'm glad I used polyester because as it turns out the quilt was used by the brother and then given back to the original boy and he has passed it down to his children and it is still in pretty good condition and loved by many, I wish I would have saved some of that material.
The most cherished handmade gift I ever gave was a shadowbox in memory of my grandfather who passed away. It was in a homemade frame that I painted black. The background was actually one of his white, pocketed t-shirts that he wore all the time. Inside was a picture and a poem about memories with him. I gave it to my Granny and she loved it so much, she cried. She has it hanging up in the middle of her living room and she is so proud of it!
the most cherished handmade gift I ever received was from my grandfather on my 8th birthday, a small jewerly box he had made for me, a few months later he died. I have kept the jewerly box with me after all these years filled with memories of my grandfather.
The best handmade gift I ever received was a carved wooden whale on a pedestal made by one of my brothers in shop class when we were children. It was the first thing he had ever carved and it is perfectly done — I still have it and display it proudly after over 40 years!
I have a log cabin jewelry box that my Great Grandfather ( whom I never met since he passed before I was born) made for my mother when she was a young girl. It is 76 years old now and even more treasured than when she received it since other than a campaign poster, it is the only thing I have that was his.
I made Teddy Bears for all my aunts and uncles from my great-grandmothers pajamas after she passed away – just so they could keep a little piece of her memory.
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What a wonderful and thoughtful thing to do
The best handmade gift I ever made was a wooden perpetual calendar…I made it for my parents, with a scroll saw that they had given me the previous Christmas…I thought it was pretty cool to give them a gift made with a gift that they had given me.
LOve HGTV! I have several cherished handmade gifts from my now grown children over the years. My favorite? Probably the Christmas ornaments they made.
Handmade quilt from grandma
My grandmother was taught how to make quilts. When she died I was give a quilt that she and her mother had made. Its priceless to me.
When I was in High School my grandmother made me a blanket and one for each of my sisters. She is no longer alive but when I wrap up in that blanket I can still feel the love that she put into it.
My daughter gave me a duck picture.
My grandfather gave me the piece he had embroidered in 1900 to qualify as a Journeyman Tailor on Austria-Hungary. He had brought it with him in steerage through Ellis Island. It is pricelss!
My favorite handmade gift was my great grandmothers quilt that she made. It’s all hand stitched with beautiful bark cloths. I received it after her daughter, my grandmother, passed away. It had been kept in perfect condition in a cedar chest. Anyone who uses it is instantly warm and cozy.
After I was engaged last year, my mom made me a beautiful quilt that I will cherish forever! On the back, she personalized it with a fabric stamp: 'One who sleeps under a quilt is comforted by Love'. Quilted with love for Jill & Dave – February 2009 by JoAnn Topness – Rochester, MN
I've never rec'd a handmade gift….
Why don't you make one for yourself!
When I got married my mother in law embroidered me a set of pillow cases for a bridal shower gift. To me this was worth more than any other gift I received at my bridal shower. It meant she accepted me into her family and that I was more than just a daughter in law. We laugh about it today because 28 yrs later I still have that set of pillow cases. It was a start of my new life with her son and it to this day reminds me of those days so long ago.
My Father-In-Law painted a picture of an Indian Storyteller for me after I went on a trip to Arizona and fell in love with the little figurines. He made it special.
Anything my kids made for me over the years will always be cherished!
Seashells glued to a small piece of driftwood by my niece. It is about 25 years old now and still looks great. Always makes me smile!
The most cherished hand made gift I ever received was one I saw being made. My mother-in-law Joyce made herself a beautiful crocheted table cover. Every night she would not go to bed until a certain number of crocheted squares were completed. It took her over a year to make and assemble all of the pieces. I know how to crochet and appreciated every stitch she put into creating this beautiful piece of thread art. When we lost dad and she had to downsize to an apartment, she just couldn't take everything. She gave us her dining room set, and then surprised me by handing over the table cover to me. It was a wonderful gift and one I will always treasure.
I received a handmade votive holder that cast tree shadows when lit.
The first Christmas we spent as a family in our first house, my parents made all of our gifts. 20 years later I still have the rocking dolly cradle my dad crafted out of wood and my mom painted
The most cherished handmade gift ever received was a poem for mine and my husbands anniversary, of our marriage, that was a knitted poster, from his aunt that we still haven’t been able to find the right size frame special enough to hang it!
I have two nieces who live 1700 miles away, which we see maybe once a year. Last christmas, I passed on my cherished tutu that I wore in ballet when I was 5. I gave it to my 5-year-old niece because she loves to dance. The tutu was 26 years old, and was kept in a box. I wrote her a note that told her how much it meant to me to give it to her. I felt that it doesn't matter if it got ruined by a 5-year-old girl, loving to dress up and dance around the living room. It was being worn and used by someone I love. It wouldn't get that much love sitting in a box in the closet.
Last year my boyfriend, now fiance, wrote me a beautiful poem for Christmas. It was truly thoughtful, romantic and sweet.
This Year I'm planning on doing some charcol portraits of my siblings and I to give to our parents. Its been a long time since we've had a photos of the four of us taken and I know my parents will love it.
My sister and I were absolute Barbie fanatics. We played with them all the time when we were growing up but alas our Barbies were homeless. So my very creative Mom decided to build us a custom Barbie house for Christmas one year. She drew up the plans and had Dad cut all the lumber. Then she not only built the house, but furnished it too. She handmade upholstered furniture, put in wall paper and carpet, Sewed drapes and even made tiny artwork and a fireplace for the walls. There was even a bathroom that had a stained glass window and 2 closets for clothing in the bedrooms. The roof opened up to reveal attic space to store more dolls and clothes. All our friends that had the store bought plastic Dreamhouse were instantly jealous. We played with it for years then later it continued to "live" at Mom & Dad's house for my daughter to play with. When I moved across country my Mom insisted I take it with me. My sister and I were devastated to see that the movers destroyed it even though we had it double wrapped in a moving blanket and I had put "handle with care" signs on it. It was build very sturdy, but they managed to drop it and bang it around. But we do have wonderful memories of playing with our very own custom doll house and we will never forget all the hard work and especially love that went into building it for us.
I still have, after 10 years, the blue velvet "Wish Box" my daughter made for me. A scroll and silver ink pen were in the box for wish keeping, then the box was wrapped in silver cord with a star and silver streamers in the bow.
The sweetest gift I ever received was a carrot that my daughter made when she was in kindergarten. I still have it and show it off often. The best I ever made was from my kitchen: a sour cream pound cake. I took it to my aunt who had recently lost her sight. She recognized it right away and even cried that I loved her that much.
A few years before my grandmother passed away I made for her a queen sized quilt. We really didn't have any heirlooms like that on that side of the family so I decided to take it into my hands and make one. I spent the better part of 8 months prior to Christmas cutting and sewing. It really was a labor of love. When I gave it to her on Christmas eve it actually brought tears to her eyes. After she passed away a few years later I took the quilt and added a hanging strap to the back of it and it now hangs on the wall behind my bed. Sometimes it really is better to give than to receive!
When my youngest daughter was 7 she embroidered tea towels for me for Christmas. I still have them! Next my son made me a chopping board in shop class. These things mean more than all the new things they could possibly give me for Christmas.
The most special handmade gift I received was a card that said Mom on it when my son was 5, my son has Down Syndrome and this was the first time he wrote Mom all by himself in school… It still hangs on my wall..
My daughters have made me so many things that I love, a quilt, jewelry, bird house and wall hangings.
My mother made me a quilt for graduation
My grandfather made me a spice rack cabinet to hang on the wall. He passed away a few years later.
Anything my sons made me for Mother's Day while they were/are in school. On thing that I cherish so much is a cookbook that my oldest and his class made while in Kindergarten at Dist. #39, a country school now closed. It is the cutest cookbook with the kids telling the recipes! So precious! Second cherished is from second son while at the same school, he even got his picture in the local paper making it, it's a fold out booklet shaped like a heart with his hand prints in it and why he loves mom. It's special because he's now 6 foot and those tiny hand prints are such a good memory! Third cherished is a book of our family that my youngest made in Kindergarten a couple of years ago. His pictures of us, including the dog, cats, tractors and trucks is so cute!
Of all the things I've gotten from my boys, those three things are what I treasure the most!! Thank-you boys!
Love the terrarium!
After my Nana died, my aunt found a beautiful blue silk robe, purchased by my grandfather but never worn (she said it would get ruined lighting the woodstove every morning!). My aunt took the robe and surprised each grandchild with a little lace-covered silk pillow as a memory of Nana. She attached a little card with the story.
Next to that would be the lovely, softer than soft, wool socks a friend in Canada knitted for me.
I cherish them both.
When I was a child my dad made my sister & I a dollhouse, my mom then took us to the miniature store to get items to fill it. I played with it all the time & now have some of those items in a keepsake box! I always also enjoy pictures of family & friends.
The handmade gift the I most appreciated was a crochet afgan started by my grandmother and finished by my mother when my grandmother died. Mom kept it for years and gave it to me just before she died.. The best handmade gift I ever gave was two quilted baby quilts for my great niece and great nephew. They both had filled in embrodroied last family names on them along with a variety of other embrodory. The backing was made from quilt squares on one of them and was red courdery on the other. The one with red quartery had some material I found and embroyied the entire pattern on the front. Took a long time for both, but they turned out great and the families loved them.:)
My most cherished gift was from my mom when I was 6 years old. She made my sister and I baby dolls w/ limbs that moved. She painted on the face w/ that Tri…something paint (very popular 70's thing). They were SO precious! And, she found a small suitcase and tote. When my sister & I opened them, we found several sets of clothing that my mom made to go w/ each of the dolls. Whenever I see dolls in the store I can't help but think how much more love and time went into those gifts she gave us. We will never forget that Christmas!
My aunts made me afghans and now I have a new one from my friend Renea.
The best handmade gift ever given to me was when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I was a Nanny at the time and was 8 months along at Christmas. The little girl that I had taken care of since she was three months old and was now almost four made me a gingerbread cookie. This was the most special cookie that has ever been made. There was the regular size cookie and then she put a smaller cookie in the belly with a heart shaped cinnamon candy for a belly button. She turned to her Mom and said "This one is for Nanny with the baby in her belly." I tear up just thinking about it. I made a hole in the top, my husband shellacked it and it has hung in my house since. That was 15 Christmas' ago. I don't know if I will ever receive such a beautiful ornament for the rest of my life.
I began collecting sheep as a single gal in my twenties, because they reminded me that Jesus is my shepherd and takes care of me. After my marriage to my husband Jim, he gave me two “sheep” gifts which I will always cherish: one, a beautiful hand hooked rug we found at a gallery with a handmade wooden wall hanger with a sheep cut out on it. The other, a black and a white sheep skin which he spent hours scraping and salt curing before sending off to a professional tanner for finishing. They are constant reminders of his love for me!
all the baby afgans my mother made for my children