Use Your Hobby to Create Personal Gifts

We've all done it. Whether it's for a birthday, an anniversary, a baby shower or other special occasion, we have left the purchase of a gift until the last minute and ended up having to pick up something (anything) on the way to the event. No real thought was put into the gift; we just grabbed and ran.

If you have a hobby, such as knitting, scrapbooking, photography or drawing, why not put these talents to use when gift giving? Everyone loves to receive something that is personal and made with love, and you can feel better about your gift because it was thoughtful and unique. The following gives a few examples of what you can do to surprise your recipient with a heart-felt gift.

If someone is having a birthday, gather together pictures over the span of their life and put together a chronological scrapbook. This is also a great idea for an anniversary or graduation. These milestones often make us reflect on our past. A scrapbook is a special way to gather those memories together.

Make Mother's Day or Father's Day especially memorable. Many parents keep cards, drawings, letters and other special keepsakes that their children have given to them throughout the years. If you can manage to retrieve these, create an album. Include photographs, both formal and candid. Whenever your parents are feeling nostalgic, they can open this album and remember all the wonderful times that you've shared.

For a drawer or painter, create a special gift for a bride and groom-to-be. Use a snapshot of the couple and create a beautiful portrait that they can hang on their mantle and admire for years to come. Another idea, for a photography enthusiast, would be to take black and white photos of places that were meaningful to the couple throughout their relationship (for example: the place they met, had their first date, had their first kiss, where the groom proposed, etc), and arrange them in a collage type picture frame.

Although many people like to give something practical at baby showers, keepsakes are always appreciated. Someone who can draw and write could create a children's book created especially for the child. Knitted and crotched blankets are always a popular hand-made gift for babies. For more experienced knitters, consider making a stuffed bear or other animal. Most often, these handmade gifts are not used, but put away as mementos for the child to have when he or she gets older.

Hopefully, your creative juices are flowing and you will be more likely to give a handmade gift at the next special occasion you attend. But, regardless of the occasion, or whatever your hobby or passion might be, there is an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction when we have the opportunity to share our talent and creativity with others and give them something personal that they can keep and treasure.