Handmade Holidays

I’ve always loved the holiday season. I become giddy with excitement when I see decorations going up and twinkly lights draped over trees and wound around light posts.  But I don’t love everything about it, and every year my feelings about the holidays grow more and more conflicted. On one hand, I love holiday decorations (even the tacky stuff), I love holiday baking, and I especially love the deep seeded traditions that go along with holiday celebrations – including the tradition to give gifts to the people who mean the most to us.

On the other hand, I hate the pressure to buy, buy, buy. I hate the hype of consumer days such as Black Friday & Cyber Monday. It feels like all of the super sales, one day only deals, early bird discounts, and the expectation to purchase as much as you can possibly stuff in your car, take away from the whole idea of giving a gift. The focus seems to have shifted from showing appreciation to the ones we care about, to simply buying as much as we can at the lowest price possible. I don’t know about you, but this is one tradition I don’t want to have any part of.

This year I am making a pledge to myself. I will not buy uninspired gifts simply for the sake of a deal. The gifts I give will be meaningful, and hopefully, convey my appreciation for the person who is receiving them. For me, that means nearly everyone on my list will be getting a handmade gift. Either made by me, or by someone else.

I’ve always loved making my own gifts, so in the spirit of a handmade holiday, I am sharing a few of my creations, along with some very cool handmade gifts made by others.

First up are my HAND EMBROIDERED AIRSTREAM ART PIECES. I started making these a few years ago to display on our kitchen wall. I posted some photos in a blog post some time back, and a few weeks ago a reader contacted me asking if I was selling them. Of course, I said yes! He ended up choosing a design along with some custom wording, which he ordered as a gift for his wife.

That got me wondering if maybe other people would be interested in a bit of Airstream Art. So I am making my four designs available for custom orders.

» Airstream with a Sun
» Airstream with Cacti
» Airstream with a Palm Tree
» Airstream in the Mountains

~ Each piece is hand embroidered on a piece of white muslin and framed in a 6-inch wooden hoop. The back is finished with a soft tan felt.~

The wording can be customized however you like. A message with the date, your name(s), your favorite place, or a meaningful quote. To specify custom wording simply follow the checkout procedure and click on the message that says “Add Custom Wording” in the payment box. Alternatively, you can contact me directly with a custom wording request.

The cost is $25 + $5 shipping. To order simply choose the design from the drop down menu and use the Add to Cart button below.

A note about shipping: Items are shipped via USPS after payment has been received. Normal time between ordering and shipping is 2-3 days. Average shipping time is 3-5 days. If you require expedited shipping, please message me for details on how I can help make this happen. I am more than happy to help!
» I ship to the address you provide to Paypal during the checkout process «

Or…how about a gift for a fellow traveler such as this HAND EMBROIDERED TRAVEL MAP KIT

This unique way to display a visual representation of states visited makes a fun gift for anyone who travels or RVs. It’s also an easy project that even those who are new to embroidery will enjoy. I initially spotted a version of this embroidered U.S. map somewhere on the Internet. After searching everywhere for a pattern and having no luck finding one, I decided to create my own.

A few fellow travelers expressed interest in making their own map, so I put together a kit with everything you need to make your very own map.

This Do-It-Yourself Embroidery Kit includes the following items:
– 1 10 x 10-inch fabric square with hand drawn pattern
– 1 practice fabric square
– 5 reams of colored embroidery floss
– 2 size 9 embroidery needles on felt
– 1 9-inch wooden hoop
– 2 page simple instruction sheet

I am charging a minimal fee for the materials and the time it took me to draw the pattern, compile the kit, and write the instructions.

For $20 + $5 to cover shipping costs I will send you the complete kit.

The same info about shipping as above applies:
Items are shipped via USPS after payments have been received. Average shipping time is 3-5 days. If you require expedited shipping, please message me for details on how I can help make this happen. I am always happy to help!
» I ship to the address you provide to Paypal during the checkout process «

UPDATE!
I am no longer selling the custom embroidery pieces or the US Travel Map Kit. However, I  now have an entire website devoted to my custom embroidery patterns. All patterns are sold as downloadable PDFs and include a full-color photo, a black & white design, a color & stitch guide and transfer instructions. Visit Wandering Threads Embroidery to see all the designs. 

THERE’S MORE!

I’ve also put together a compilation of handmade RV & travel related gifts sold on my go-to place to find the very best handmade gifts – Etsy. All of these products can be purchased through Etsy by clicking on the link under the photo.

*I have no affiliation with these products. I simply like them and think they would make wonderful gifts for anyone who loves RVing or camping :)

Happy Handmade Holidays Everyone!