The idea of the holidays makes me want to vomit.
And not just one trip to the bathroom kind of vomit. I’m talking the nastiest, most unpleasant vomit you’ve ever experienced.
When did it suddenly become the end of November? Does anyone else feel like we just started classes yesterday?
I guess this column isn’t really about fashion. It’s about shopping. Or not shopping for that matter. It’s kind of about art, and art is essential for fashion. In fact, fashion is art. (Unless you’re Karl Lagerfeld, creative director for Chanel, you’re probably convinced that art is art and fashion is fashion. Karl and Karl minions, I respectfully disagree.)
For anyone who works retail during the holidays, I know you understand when I say that spending 14 hours a day in a mall isn’t uncommon. Christmas makes me want to beat myself in the face until I pass out so I can take a stinking nap or at least an extended lunch break.
Having to face the jingle bells and Santa impersonator smells really puts a damper on my willingness to shop within the mayhem. Who really wants to mingle with the psycho-babble parents and grandparents as they dart frantically from store to store looking for the items on little Susie’s wish list?
(Forget road rage, talk about mall-walker rage. Those holiday shoppers get peeved at the smallest things, “What?! You don’t have any more boxes? It’s Christmas Eve, how do you not have any more boxes!” Um, it’s Christmas Eve? That’s why there are no more boxes. Duh?)
To avoid the pushing, shoving and name-calling – that’s just from store employees who work on commission – I’m sticking to the Internet this year. Even still, I’m not going to browse BestBuy.com even though Celeste Brotte, Imitating Life columnist, probably thinks I should. I’m not even clicking around on Macys.com, UrbanOutfitters.com or [inserttrendystorehere].com. Oh no. Not this year.
Along with 30,526 other people, I’ve taken the buy-handmade pledge (Which you already know if you read my blog.) at buyhandmade.org.
What this means is simple: Instead of shopping with big retailers, spend your money on handmade goods, preferably from local vendors.
And though you may be thinking I’m a doofus for writing about gift giving so early, I beg to differ. It takes time to sift through the Web sites to find really great gifts. Sometimes the artists are willing to make customized gifts, which definitely takes a lot longer than clicking “buy now!” Chances are some of the most popular sellers are starting to become overwhelmed with gift requests.
Give yourself time to surf different sites, to customize handmade gifts and to allow for proper shipping time.
The easiest places to buy handmade online are Etsy.com, indiepublic.com, craftster.org and craftzine.com just to name a few.
The great thing about these sites is they either feature handmade items or they provide tutorials that can inspire great handmade gift ideas.
What I especially love about Etsy.com is the “shop local” option. By entering in a city, you can pull up different “shops” of artists from your area. Apparently Cincinnati is one craft-filled city.
If you’re anything like me, sometimes it’s way too hard to be patient and paying shipping and handling is more annoying than paying for the object itself. What do you do in this case? Simple: Do it yourself.
With basic craft-making skills you obtained in kindergarten or boy/girl scouts, how hard is it to make something aesthetically pleasing and durable? If you’re thinking that anything you made back then was a disaster, consider the fact that you’re no longer 4-years-old and that your motor skills have, presumably, enhanced over the last 16 years or so.
If you refuse to acknowledge your inner artists, host a gift-making soiree with some of your most crafty friends. If you manipulate them just right (offering cookies and sentiments such as “This will be so much fun!”) they may be willing to help you.
And if you’re really good, you may be able to trick them into thinking this is just a bonding moment for the two of you. They’ll never know they’ve rendered their craft-making skills for free.
Stock up on glue sticks, googly eyes and yarn. This is the season for homemade gifts. Every week until New Year’s check in on The Fashion Dungjen blog (thefashiondungjen.blogspot.com) for gift-making tutorials and reviews of local Etsy.com sellers. Maybe even a contest or two. Maybe. If we’re lucky.
Deck the halls, jingle balls – I mean bells – fa la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
The News Record > Sections > Opinion
Handmade Gifts Best Bet this Season
The Fashion Dungjen
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Updated: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
1 comments
Jillian
I love love love Etsy.com. So helpful for holiday shopping
