Wednesday, January 15, 2014

DIY: Steampunk keychain

This past Christmas one of my friends on facebook posed a question regarding homemade gifts.  She wondered if they were still appreciated in this day of "money can buy anything."  What if they weren't exactly your style?  Or if they were done a bit shabbily or resembled a doorstopper (like the fruitcake I've been gifting for the past couple of years)?  The resounding answer was YES!  It seems that home-sewn or -crafted or -baked goods are always appreciated for the time and effort the Giver puts in.  And as a Giver of so many homemade things over the years (dishtowels seem to be my favorite here and here),  I'd have to agree.  The gift doesn't need to be extravagant, just sincere.  Homemade gifts require a bit more forethought, more understanding of the Recipient.   To that point, I thought I'd share a small gift that my daughter made for my husband.


Knowing that Dad had a growing love of steampunk, my daughter scrounged bits and pieces from her various collections that she stores under her bed (that could be a blog post entirely of its own).  She secreted herself away in her bedroom and glued to her heart's content. 

But the special engraving on the reverse side of the large brass gear really finishes it.  Our local jeweler was able to add "I love you! Regina" in a small font.  This is why homemade will always be better than storebought.  Mr Schimstock loved it and uses it every day.  Children will forever be scrounging and creating homemade gifts.  Encourage them.  And display them proudly.  No telling where this may lead.  At ten years old, my daughter can't decide if she wants to be an engineer or museum curator.

5 comments:

  1. Couldn't agree more! Cute idea too. When I was little, I made my dad a macrame' key chain. He used it for many years. Recently going through some of my parents items I found it - now a treasure to me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. so sweet!
    i love the idea of homemade gifts - i will do this more and more. just started to collect jars, so i can give homemade jams or chutneys. not everyone is happy with home sewed stuff :-/
    schöne grüsse!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I gave homemade goat soap as gifts this year. It was a big hit with my family. the only problem is now they are always asking for me to make more. My husband has 7 bothers and sisters and I have 5. Add in the families and that's a lot. I have learned sometimes homemade gifts can back fire on you. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I know what you mean! Once word gets out, you're in trouble. And I've gotten to the point where I've run out of ideas. All my sister-in-laws have gotten hotpads, totebags, tablerunners, throw pillows, and aprons for one occasion or another!

      Delete
  4. Our extended family decided to give each family a homemade gift this year instead of our usual gift exchange. It was a very nice idea. Our family came home with honey, canned food, jams and jelly. We all appreciated everything that family members made. I made organic ketchup made with honey and blackberry syrup. There are so many great ideas for gift giving.
    I love your daughter's idea....a treasured gift for sure!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your thoughts! Come back to visit again soon!