Normalizing Homemade, Handmade & Secondhand Gift Giving

By Shana Karn, The Warehouse & The Second Knob Gifts & Antiques, 465 North Rd, Freeville

In the 1800’s, the most common Christmas gifts exchanged included jams, jellies, preserves, doilies, needlework and candies. At some point, the paradigm shifted. Today, homemade or handmade gifts are typically only acceptable when given by the very young and, occasionally, the very old.

The notion of new, shiny and expensive became the focus of big box retail chains who poured millions (billions) of dollars into advertising with the primary goal of drilling this very idea into the minds of anyone who watched television, listened to the radio, read magazines or shopped at any retailer. 

As time went on, the target audience for retail holiday advertising (all holidays; not just Christmas) shifted from adults to children and youth: the age group often referred to as “tweens”.  Today, this still holds true and, thanks in large part to the growth of children/youth network television (Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, etc.) and to social media platforms, the bulk of advertising dollars targets children, tweens, and teens with a relentless fury.  Look at a wish list for any of these age groups and the chances of finding requests for handmade/homemade is very slim. In fact, finding individual wish list items that cost less than $30-50 will be difficult! 

How do we get back to normalizing handmade, homemade or secondhand gifts? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all “cure.” However, common sense tells us that, as adults, we can model and practice behaviors that could help future generations. 

• Limit exposure to advertisements when possible; this means reducing and closely monitoring screentime. 
• Don’t “overdo” gift giving for young children. Set a personal limit for number of gifts or the amount of money spent on gifts. Demonstrate generosity by being kind, spending extra time with your children, and doing small things for them.
• Involve children in the gift-giving process by helping them make their own gifts. Model joyful acceptance of handmade, homemade or secondhand gifts. 
• Teach generosity. Gift giving is packed full of opportunities for teachable moments. The key is communication! Talk to your children about mindful gifting and giving meaningful gifts. Ask children to consider questions like what the recipient might enjoy, what would be useful, and what they can afford. Encourage kids to participate in some way toward gift-giving, either by contributing money, helping to make a gift, or doing an “act of service” for a family member, such as planting flowers for Grandma! 
• Donate! Before the holidays, have children sort through their toys and clothes to pick out items to donate to another child. 
• Model community giving and volunteering. Adopt a child in need for holiday gift giving.
• Consider “making memories” as a gift! Give your time, rather than a toy. A trip to the library, a play, the zoo…
• Lead by example! Model the behavior you wish to instill in your little ones. Don’t complain about “cheap,” handmade or homemade gifts—demonstrate joyful acceptance and gratitude. 
• SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES: Teach children about the power of supporting your community through secondhand gifts and teach them how fun it is to find unique treasures; it is a beautiful way for you to make real difference in your local area—and to teach your children to do the same. 

Normalizing handmade/homemade and secondhand gifts will positively impact the children in your life and your bank account. But, perhaps, the most wonderful impact of normalizing handmade/homemade and secondhand gift giving is that it promotes the idea of a circular economy, a brilliant idea, where products and materials are reused, refurbished, or recycled. In the big picture, this approach minimizes waste and extends the lifespan of items, easing the strain on our precious resources and guess who this will benefit most in the long run? Our children and grandchildren!

So, this holiday shopping season, spend a little more time at craft, vendor and artisan fairs, in secondhand and thrift stores and less time on Amazon and in big box stores.  In our area, The Warehouse Vendor Mall is an incredible place, home to over 20 local small business vendors! Located at 465 North Road in Freeville (just a couple of minutes from the Village of Dryden; simply turn onto North Road off of Route 13 S next to Dedrick’s Farm Market and look for The Warehouse sign and “465” on the mailbox!) The Warehouse is open Wed-Sat from 9am-4pm and on Sundays 10am-3pm. You can follow The Warehouse on Facebook and on Instagram (Warehouse465North).