It's very worrying. When I first started being eco, I consciously avoided that whole homemade home malarky, as I particularly didn't want to become one of those women who can't take a picture without planning a scrapbook page (you know who you are!) or hearing of a pregnant relative without getting out the needles to make baby bootees. However, it seems to have happened while I was looking the other way.
Speaking of looking the other way, Father and Step-father, look away now please. You can read this post when I've next seen you both and you've received your presents. Show some self control!
I've always knitted (and done the odd bit of cross stitch. I suppose with hindsight it's clear that I was prone to temptation from Craft), and have recently discovered the frugal opportunities in knitted gifts - as long as you don't go overboard, you can make really lovely presents for a fraction of the cost that you might otherwise spend (this probably doesn't hold true if you usually buy the recipient a bag of pick'n'mix, but if you spend more than about a tenner normally, you can cut costs by making stuff). For instance, here is my step father's birthday present:
NB: I have freakishly enormous feet, so can more or less model men's socks on my feet. Don't pick on me. Also, the toes have holes in for a reason. It's easier to adjust the length a bit when you see the recipient if you don't graft the toes closed before giving them.
Those socks, which are incredibly comfortable and rather nice looking (if I do say so myself), cost me the grand total of (Roger, if you didn't look away before and have therefore spoiled the surprise, please do so now)... £7.95. I already had the needles, and I download all the patterns I use free from Ravelry (a wonderful website for knitters. If you knit and you're not on it, get over there immediately), but even so it's not an expensive hobby to take up. Lots of instructional videos online.
Now, back to craft taking over my life. Knitting is acceptable, it can be used to create (broadly) useful things. However, I find myself looking to (gasp!) other crafts.
My first offence: I salvaged all the leftovers from the children's candle making kits that Charlotte and I both demanded for consecutive birthdays:
I am planning on giving it another go (I seem to recall that my early efforts resulted in one blotchy blue/green blob that sat proudly foryears on my parents dresser. I hope that, for the candle's sake, it has been burned now). I'm thinking that, combined with some nice fragrances, this could be another frugal gift opportunity. Expect reports of severe burns any day now...
My second offence: I recently bought a book on quilting, in the hope that I can use up all of the old scraps of fabric dotted around our house (and possibly my mother's, if she looks the other way for long enough):
I have not the least idea how to begin, but it can't be that hard, right? I'll gloss over the fact that my mother still has the little plastic pouch of neatly cut out hexagons with which she planned to make my sister a quilt soon after (or possibly before? I forget) her birth. Charlotte is going to be 30 this year.
I have also finally completely taken over our office space. Here it is:
There was never any pretence that Adam was going to get an equal share, but while 'tidying' (read: rearranging my knitting and sewing) last night, I finally managed to defeat his last stronghold, a top shelf that I can barely reach. So now, from top to bottom, the 'office' now holds:
2) An album-in-progress of various holidays. It is just going to be embarrassing if I don't finish this soon, as I won't be able to tell which photos are from where and will end up proudly showing off about our Japan holiday by offering up photos of Longleat maze.
3) Card making stuff - this really is useful, card making saves a packet! Especially if you have a sister who combines a love of scrapbooking and cardmaking with severe shopaholic tendencies (she also buys vintage clothes a lot. Check out her blog if you're interested in all that). I recently bought a 'happy birthday' ink stamp and some bits and bobs for about £10 in total, which will make loads and loads of cards, for the price of four actual cards. Not bad.
4) Candle making stuff and some magazines that wouldn't fit anywhere else. I covered this earlier, but hopefully lots of frugal presents in that box of tricks.
5) Sewing box (with sewing machine next to it) - lots of money to be saved by mending/making things.
6) An empty shelf! I'm planning on filling this soon with all of Teddy's birth congratulations cards, as I'm planning on doing Something with them. Not a clue what, but it seems silly keeping them all and not doing something with them.
7) Magazines, some of which are actually to do with proper work.
8) My in-tray. It's normally a lot fuller than this.
9) Fabric I've found around the house which I'm hoping to put towards my new quilting adventure.
10) Box file - booooring.
By the way, that work area, seriously cheap from Ikea, painted to make it prettier. Practically crafty all by itself.
You see, I've managed to completely fill our work area with things that I have completely convinced myself are not only crafty loveliness, but will save us money, be more ethical (if I'm making it, it's one less step that I'm paying nasty multi-national corporations to carry out for me) and generally make us happy shiny people. I should also confess here that the knitting section of my life does not fit in this area. It would need a whole shelving unit to itself. It is currently residing in a cupboard in our sitting room, but Adam has finally noticed that the doors are straining, and he's too scared to go in there in case the yarn leaps out and eats him, so I may have to come up with a more sensible solution.
Run away! Before the Craft gets you!
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