How do you know what gift to buy a crafter who enjoys a medium you know nothing about?
Initially this article was going to be about making a celebration of the passion for crafting in and about decorating your tree and around the home for all different crafters. But after much thought, celebrating a crafter's passion is something inherent in all crafters. People aren't shy, as a rule, when it comes to sharing their love of knitting or quilting, scrapbooking or claywork. Crafters love to show their latest creation to anyone willing to listen.
The problem is when a crafter is so involved in a medium and other people make an effort to buy a gift to help them enjoy their craft, it is often one of those items that sits in a box for many years until they finally get the time to clear things out and get rid of it.
With so many millions of crafters out there, it really is difficult to know what they want or need. Think of those infomercials for fishermen. They have products for sale that supposedly every fisherman in the world would give their eye teeth to own. But if you stop and ask a fisherman if they want it, they think it is silly. The same thing happens with crafting. Someone thinks they are doing so well.
Crafters also have the problem with often being involved in more than one medium. They don't just enjoy one thing and may have moved on to a different medium without family or friends noticing.
The trick is to keep it basic. If you see your crafter struggle, pay attention. Do they have a glue gun that needs upgrading? Do their pliers not work because they need to be more precise? Are their scissors low grade? Are they frustrated with the limitations of their sewing machine? This is a good starting off place. Basic tools are always a treasure. You can't have too many glue guns, scissors, needles, crochet hooks, quilting and embroidery hoops, clay tools, brushes or paints. Most crafters are not likely to buy themselves things like top of the line scissors. But to receive them and have them make work on a project easier is a gift that keeps on giving.
But if you are really stuck and feel like you just can't get it, do the next best thing. Gift cards are an impersonal gift but the truth is getting a gift card from a store where the crafter stocks up, tells them you are supportive of what they do and wanted to give them something that would expand their creative energies. If all else fails, give a gift card but make sure it is from a store the crafter frequents.
