My 2009 New Year’s resolution is a pledge to give only handmade gifts this year. I’ve been buying handmade more and more since having my first child in 2006 partly because I love having original, one of a kind toys and clothes for my girls and also because I want to support the artists in the arts and crafts movement. Now, it will be my turn to take inspiration from those artists and create something on my own. Very exciting! Especially when you factor in that most of these gifts will be for children, which is perfect for me for while my creative mind is stocked full, my creative ability has some room in the larder.
The criteria for these gifts will be that the item/project must be something my daughter PZ, who is almost 3, can help with. The supplies for the project can’t cost more then I would spend on a store bought gift, thus saving me money. And the gift must be something enjoyable for both the giver, i.e. me, to make, and the recipient to receive. So far, we’ve made playdough for a little guy in PZ’s preschool class who was turning 3. It was fun, simple enough that PZ could participate in every aspect of its creation, and extremely cost efficient. Yay!
We’ve been invited to another birthday party on the 15th of February. PZ’s own birthday is on the 20th of that month and I know of at least 5 other birthdays we’ll probably be invited to between now and May. So stay tuned to find out how the adventure goes. I’m thinking next might be recycled crayons; zero cost, mucho fun.
Also as a way to give back to our local arts and crafts community and help support those that have inspired me so much, I will be striving to profile some of my favorite local craftspeople. I look forward to sharing their work and perhaps even their words with you, (if I can get anyone to let me interview them).
Earth Friendly Play Dough
* 1 cup flour (not self-rising)
* 1/2 cup salt
* 1 cup water
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Mix in saucepan over low heat. (It does not have to heat long.) Dough is ready when it rolls into a ball. Keep dough fresh in an airtight container. If you need to make different colors, add food coloring while mixing over heat.
*recipe from teachnet.com
**We made our gift extra special by including with it cookie cutters letters that spelled out the boys name.
The Handmade Experiment 