At Christmas time the American consumer comes into his or her prime. Envision the typical consumer bundled up in coat and scarf, bustling from store to store, arms loaded with packages—a rather appealing image, at least the weather part of it, as I sit here in 90-degree weather. It’s so easy to get caught up in this yearly buying spree, even if only in a small way. Should we throw out gift-giving at Christmastime entirely? Maybe so. Maybe we should learn to give gifts just for love, not for a special occasion, not when it’s expected of us. But perhaps we can give more significance to the Christmas season by learning to give gifts that are meaningful.
The best way to do this is to give something that you have made. What you give, then, is more than just an object. It is part of yourself because it has involved your time and your creativity. NOW is the time to start thinking about what gifts to make this Christmas. If you’re like me, it’s crucial that you start on this right away. I’m a last-minute person—start thinking about gifts on December 15.
Are you stymied? No ideas what to make? Take a trip to the public library and spend some time looking through the section on crafts. Also, check through some magazines such as Family Circle or Women’s Day. These usually contain scores of ideas accompanied by pretty good instructions.
Plants are always nice gifts. A terrarium can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Look over some nice ones in stores, read a good article or book on making terrariums, and then start. This is a good way to make use of an old fish tank you’ve been saving or old gallon wine bottles. Another good container, if you can find one, is what they supply bottled water in.
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