Next Christmas Will Be Different!

Ok, I am vowing right now to give more handmade gifts next Christmas. The key is to start earlier in the year (maybe January!). I love giving handmade gifts. I hope the people that I give those gifts to like receiving them as much as I like giving them.

The trick to giving a handmade gift is to find something the person who will be receiving the gift really likes, collects, or has an interest. For example, my Dad has a clown collection which I started for him years ago. I paint him a clown every year for Christmas. (I have also bought him clowns, but I enjoy painting him clowns more.) Below is the clown which I painted for him last Christmas.

I paint every clown different from year to year. Two years ago, I painted a red, white, and blue clown for him. (In other words, everything on the clown was either red, white, or blue.) This year I painted a hobo in a tuxedo. After the clown is painted, I spray it with a glossy clearcoat in order to preserve the paint. This year's clown still needs to be sprayed and the eyes need to be fixed (no telling or showing my Dad, shhhhh).

The only advice that I can give is make the gift from your heart and have fun!