I'm going to do something a little taboo and possibly very upsetting if you're someone who writes letters of protest when your favorite store starts playing holiday music sometime in early November. Just hear me out though. I promise I'm writing this for good reason.
Image from the phenomenal fall issue of Sweet Paul. I can't get enough.You would never catch me swooning over the smell of a fir tree, watching a holiday movie, or even humming Jingle Bells before Thanksgiving. I adore the holidays and embrace them with gusto from Thanksgiving through New Year's day. But for me, fully appreciating the month of December means spending very little time purchasing presents and a whole lot of time making every day a festive occasion. In fact, the gift aspect of the holidays can make the whole thing feel so blah and commercial that before you know it, you're scowling at the Santas standing on street corners and considering shoving tourists just to watch them spill their peppermint cocoas out of those ubiquitous red cups (um, or maybe that's just how I feel). To avoid that feeling, I make a concerted effort to give people gifts that don't feel generic--gifts I'm actually excited about giving (I know it's the right present when I have to use every ounce of my willpower not to tell the recipient about it in advance) and that I hope the recipients are happy to receive.
Many, but certainly not all, of these gifts take more thought and preparation than you can fit into the month of December. The good news is if you take care of them now, you'll have plenty of time to watch Elf, make latkes, or perfect your eggnog recipe while everyone else is fighting the masses at the mall. Here are a couple suggestions that require a long lead time and then we promise, we'll let you get back to lusting after new fall clothes or reacquainting yourself with butternut squash after a summer of zucchini.
Quilts by MonaLeisa. Leisa truly creates works of art. In this case, she was using fabric that had sentimental value, but typically she uses her impeccable eye to put together modern combinations of patterns and colors. You've never seen quilts like this before.Have something made. For as long as I can remember, I have received a pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve to wear that night. What makes these pjs special is that my mom, sister, and now Claire receive matching pairs (I'd share a photo, but I'm not ready to be featured on Awkward Family Photos: holiday edition). Sometimes the theme of the pjs relates to something significant about that year (there was definitely a dog theme the year I adopted Tahoe and of course, a millennium theme in 1999) and sometimes they are just cozy pjs, but they each take me back to that particular Christmas. During one of my many fits of organizational frenzy last year, I realized that after 30 years, I had a whole lot of pajamas spilling out of my drawers. I couldn't bear to part with them, so rather than cull my collection, I used them as the basis for what I knew would be the perfect gift for my mom and sister. Since I don't sew anything more complicated than buttons, I had the amazing MonaLeisa turn my pj collection (supplemented by my sister's leftover pajama tops) into three gorgeous quilts. The look on my mom's face when she unwrapped her quilt made it quite possibly my all time favorite gift giving moment.
How you do it. Commissioning almost anything you can think of is actually a lot easier than it seems. There are two routes you can take: posting your project and requesting bids or approaching artists/vendors directly.
Alchemy on
etsy makes it ridiculously easy to request bids for whatever strikes your fancy (a Nacho Libre costume, a coupon organizer for your purse, even something to scare away your four year old's nightmares--all real requests). Just look for the "alchemy" button under "ways to shop" on the homepage. Once you click it, you'll be taken to a long list of requests for custom items to which you'll just "add new request" via the button at the top of the list. In less than 24 hours, I received over 100 bids for the quilt project. All I had to do was select the person whose style best matched my preferences.
Contacting artists/vendors directly is just as simple, although it can feel slightly more intimidating. Is there an artist or illustrator whose style your significant other absolutely loves, but you have a specific subject in mind? Did you see a piece of jewelry that is almost, but not quite perfect for your sister? Do you just have a hunch that the guy who builds gorgeous coffee tables would be able to construct your daughter's dream doll house? Just ask. You be the judge of whether it makes the most sense to call, email, message through etsy, or speak with the individual in person, but definitely convey why you think he/she is just the right person for the job. The worst case scenario is that he/she is not interested, but your best case (and in my experience, most likely) outcome is that you will end up with a gift that is exactly right for the recipient.
My grandma made this Raggedy Ann for Claire's first birthday last year. Although Claire is the first great grandchild, my grandma has 25 grandchildren from ages 0-31. That's a lot of sewing and knitting. I know for a fact, she starts working on holiday presents in the summer at the latest.
Make something yourself. Sure, this seems fairly obvious, but here is what usually happens: Sometime shortly after the New Year, it crosses your mind that you're going to save money by making all of your holiday gifts next year. You think of it again over the summer--relieved that it's not time to start yet--and promptly put it out of your head. On December 10 (the month is in double digits now!) you realize you have not come up with a plan, purchased supplies, or made anything. You either pull a series of all nighters, replete with tears and craft induced injuries because you're so exhausted, or you frantically buy candles and scarves for everyone on your list. It's not a good thing.
How you do it. If you plan to make something this year, my best advice is START NOW. Sorry, I'm not yelling at you. I just know from firsthand experience that making things under duress is almost always a miserable experience and I'm trying to spare you. By all means, knit scarves, can your special chunky applesauce, or build a play kitchen. Just try to do at least some preparation now. If you order supplies, figure out the perfect packaging, or even make everything when you're not busy attending holiday parties and baking gingerbread, you'll be so much happier come December.
If all this sounds a little anxiety provoking, we're happy to help you, but even we need a little lead time if say, your favorite aunt has always wanted to see the Rockettes perform and she lives in Minnesota or you want to give personalized prints to your 300 closest friends. You have plenty of time to make magic this holiday season and if you start thinking about it now, it can actually be a source of joy instead of stress. Okay, back to welcoming autumn.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 07:00AM 
