STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

laken1 · Hermes

How do I let people know I hand-made their gift?

kenzie · Chanel

You could attach a removable tag with a ribbon in the color of the scarf and a small safety pin that says, 'handmade by insert your name here. Happy Holidays!" Kind of like the ones in stores (I believe AE does this). That way it would look professional, but they would know you made it.

-- Edited by NylaBelle at 13:44, 2005-11-05

Cricket · Gucci

Put "hand made" on a pretty card and enclose it w/ the gift. I received one of these w/ a baby blanket my aunt made, and had she not enclosed the card, I would not have thought she made it herself.

laken1 · Hermes

Do you think it's tacky? Like Cricket - wouldn't you rather know that the baby blanket was hand made? I just don't want to look like I'm fishing for compliments.....

NCshopper · Hermes

NylaBelle wrote:

You could attach a removable tag with a ribbon in the color of the scarf and a small safety pin that says, 'handmade by insert your name here. Happy Holidays!" Kind of like the ones in stores (I believe AE does this). That way it would look professional, but they would know you made it. -- Edited by NylaBelle at 13:44, 2005-11-05

I really like this idea. You can get all sorts of pretty tags at craft stores, or buy plain ones and decorate the tags yourself.

I don't think it's tacky at all. My mom needlepointed a pillow for me for my college graduation. I had no idea--I thought she had bought it at the college gift store, but when she said she made it herself (and everyone in the family told me that she had spent months doing it) it meant a whole lot more to me and now it's something that I'll always treasure. So, I don't think it's tacky--I think it makes the gift that much more meaningful. Keep the wording short and sweet (like Nyla's wording) and they'll know you made it without you having to say anything.

Cricket · Gucci

I know you're worried about making it look like your fishing for compliments, but if they don't know you made it, and then they find out, they might feel bad for not commenting on it. You put a lot of effort into their gift and they should know that. Personally, I would feel bad if I didn't acknowledge that the gift was hand-made.

sage · Dooney & Bourke

I def think you should tag the gifts.And personalize the tag. "Aunt Edna, I made this for you" or something similar. I love those utilitarian looking tags, you know, they are round cardboard with metal around the edges and a hole. I would want to know someone did this for me. Do you know calligraphy? You don't even have to know calligraphy, just how to operate a fountain pen. The lettering would look nice done that way. Or....you could use rubby transfer letters in block or some other interesting font. EEeee. I am getting excited about this.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

I would decorate a business size card and put the words something like, Made with love, (and would either put for _______ or by ______)

hotcocoa · Kate Spade

the above all really good ideas. it's not tacky at all. i've been making my own gifts and cards for many, many moons. i don't really attach cards stating that it was handmade anymore because everyone just assumes i made ___________ .

poptart · Coach

Cortney1982 wrote:

I would decorate a business size card and put the words something like, Made with love, (and would either put for _______ or by ______)

I think that this wording, on a detachable tag like what Nyla suggested, would be the most sweet and practical. And I don't think it seems like fishing for compliments at all!