our handmade/secondhand/vintage holiday...

was a complete success.

here are some of the things that we gave (what we got coming in a separate post).

vintage cast iron pan and cast iron doorstop for my sister-in-law...

thrifted diner-style napkin holder (99 cents!). i filled it with a set of 20 cloth napkins....

pants & matching diaper for hudson's best friend (fabric is from an upcycled sheet). his sister (who happens to be lucy's best bud) got a garage sale skateboard and some handmade-by-me skater pants--but alas, i never got a photo.
antique thread holder for my mother-in-law...
metal bucket for my brother--great for camping, i thought. on christmas day it was called to my attention that the bucket probably should have had a lid. hey--secondhand isn't always perfect, right? he also got a secondhand american apparel track jacket.

antique metal container for my friend who was in search of a lidded compost bucket for her kitchen. i sewed up a bag from a thrifted pillowcase to use as wrapping.
vintage beer glass for my dad. he's not especially into cars, but does enjoy interesting pint glasses. how could i resist something with "hudson" on it? that's right, i couldn't!

handmade initial necklaces for my friends and future sister-in-law...
the necklaces, wrapped and ready-to-go in small bags crafted from thrifted sheets...

vintage alphabet book for lucy i scored at a consignment sale over the summer....

she also got a like-new robe (pink flamingos!) and hooded towel, secondhand finger puppets, and a plethora of crocheted food...

what goes better with play food than a kiddie kitchen set? i also scored this at a consignment sale...

a few other odds & ends for lucy, plus some secondhand shoes and a wool shirt for jeremy, and i pretty much called it a day on the gift giving. christmas felt simple and truly genuine this year. i had an excellent time shopping consignment, thrift and antique stores in the area. i learned of a few great shops that i hadn't known about before, along with a few terrible ones that i'll know not to go back to. it was very exciting to find each gift along the way--searching high & low certainly put the intent back in gifting. which is really the whole point behind giving gifts, right?