Handmade gifts

I have nothing against handmade gifts. In fact, being a crafty sort of person myself, I really enjoy crochet, and painting little wooden nik-naks, and so on. Generally, however I refrain from making them for others, and from giving them to others, unless I am absolutely certain that it is the sort of thing that person would enjoy.

This past Non-Denominational-Wintertime-Gift-Giving-Season my cousin made the same things for each branch of the family. One, a line-drawing wood burned plaque, (ours was some cartoonish cat outlines and the phrase "home is where the cats are"), and a dollar-store silver wicker sleigh with some handmade-from-a-Michael's-kit soaps in it. Rose and Lemon scented. As it turned out over the course of the evening these were things that she had gotten to make as presents for co-workers, and had made the family ones the night before the get-together.

I suppose I should be grateful to get anything at all from them. Her mother, my aunt has stopped giving gifts entirely, and just signs her name to whatever my cousin comes up with. It's not even that I mind handmade gifts, but even one concession to individuality would have been nice. Different shaped soaps for each family group, or something. I should probably add that my family is pretty small, so there really are only 9 people in my whole extended family, so gift-giving is not in fact too strenuous.

So, I have decided, in the spirit of not throwing good money after bad, that their presents this year will be matching handmade acrylic scarf and hat sets. I will, of course, buy a toy for the baby, because it's not her fault her parents are clueless.