Holiday shopping comes with a budget, and sometimes that can be difficult to meet. But you can give a gift beyond value for a price below budget. Maybe you could make it yourself.
Many opportunities are coming up to learn a new skill, while crossing a name off of your holiday shopping list. Make a wreath, weave a plant hanger, learn to embroider or pour a candle. You can, in fact, learn to make many of the crafts you went to crafts fairs to acquire.
If sweet treats are on your gifting list, you can work on your decorating skills tonight at the Virgil Community Living Center, alongside pastry chef Marion Ferrer of “Sincredible Pastries” in Homer.
If you’re looking to create some holiday decor, you can make a fresh pine wreath Saturday at the McGraw Community Building. All materials are provided, but if you bring your wreath frame from last year’s event, you get $5 off, the Experience Cortland website says.
A few different opportunities to learn macrame, an art form that involves knotting rope to make items, are coming up. On Dec. 1, Julia Maslin, owner of M. Guardens on James in Homer, will guide attendees through making three different ornaments: a wooden bead star, a small wreath and a gnome.
“It’s something that anybody can do,” Maslin said. “You can step in with no experience. It seems like people want to get out and do something once it gets cold, is something I’ve noticed.”
Coffee, tea and water will be provided, and all of Maslin’s workshops allow attendees $5 off any product in her store.
You can start your embroidery journey on Dec. 7 with Ashe Martin, owner of Forged From Ashe Studios at the Cortland Corset Building. Three holiday hoop ornaments will be created at this workshop, and no prior experience is required.
“It’s really just an easy method to make something cute,” Martin said. “I got all of these scrabble letters, so you can put anything you want on it. I will not be policing people about whether they put appropriate words on it or not. You can really personalize it for the person you’re making it for.”
The next day, you can make a traditional holiday wreath at Lime Hollow Nature Center’s Education Campus, using fresh evergreen boughs and other natural materials, the center’s website says.
Bring your own work gloves, ornamental additions and pruning shears, if you have them. The workshop is for those ages 13 and up, and participants ages 13 through 15 must have an adult companion.
If you want to sip a little while crafting, you can go to the Christmas Craft & Sip at Homer Hops. At this event, you can paint holiday decor or ornaments while sipping your favorite brews.
If you want a less traditional wreath that stays fresh forever, you can weave a macrame one with Maslin at the Cortland Corset Building on Dec. 13. There will be embellishments, like ribbons, berries, and little Santas, so attendees can add a personal touch, Maslin said.
“It’s personalized, it’s organic, it’s one-of-a-kind,” Maslin said. “Even if everybody in the class is doing the same thing, there’s always a little variation. There’s heart put into it.”
Instead of buying a Marshall’s candle that could be re-gifted, pour your own candles to gift on Dec. 14. At this workshop, you can make three soy wax candles, using seasonal herbs and scents, with wooden wicks.
“I’m going to have all sorts of sniffs for that class,” Martin said. “Seasonal ones, ones that are not seasonal, lots of seasonal herbs, pines, cedar, pine cones and crystals. Candle-making classes are always really fun because people do such different stuff, and seeing everybody’s different creative eye on it is fun for me.”
The next day, you can weave a plant hanger, if you have a plant-lover on your gift list this year.
“You can fit any size plant you want in it, big or small,” Maslin said. “Poeple who come to it will have their choice of a select plant. I’ll have a variety they can choose from. It’s just to get people out, learning something and having something tangible they can take home with them.”
If you want to go back to the roots of holiday ornaments, learn the vintage art of making satin, push pin ornaments on Dec. 21, for a last-minute gift. You can
“They had a resurgence in the ‘80s,” Martin said. “A lot of our moms made a million of them, but they were originally made in Victorian times. They’re much simpler than you think. They use some very specific beads, but there’s a lot of room for creativity with them, and you can make some really stellar, beautiful stuff.”
Attendees can also monogram their ornaments.
“It’s that beautiful, eclectic look,” Martin said. “I want everything in my life to look like that.”
